Author Description

Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, the Sfas Emes, was one of the greatest Talmudic scholars and Chassidic leaders of the second half of the Nineteenth Century. His commentaries on the Talmud are still indispensable, universally studied classics, and his Sfas Emes on Chumash is electrifying in its depth, breadth, original thought, and incisiveness. As the Gerrer Rebbe, he built his dynasty into the foremost Chassidic movement in Poland, purely on the basis of his overarching wisdom and devotion to the needs and strivings of every Jew. During his levayah, his eldest son and successor, the Imrei Emes, said, “Our father had lengthy days (arichas yamim).” But, another son objected, he was only 57 years old! The Imrei Emes responded, “Yes, he did not have many years, but every single day was filled with greatness and accomplishment.” The Sfas Emes’ approach to elucidating the Torah rippled far beyond him; even today it still influences leaders and teachers of every denomination, as it did in his own time. In this volume, Rabbi Yosef Stern presents hundreds of “sparks of truth” from the writings of the Sfas Emes and his family. The author is not only an expert in this subject, he has an ear for what nuggets speak to all of us in today’s world. This is a volume that will inspire, stimulate, and elevate its readers – and give us all a deeper insight into our world and ourselves.