Moses Leib of Sasov
MOSES LEIB OF SASOV
MOSES LEIB OF SASOV (1745–1807), ?asidic rabbi. He was a pupil of Samuel Shmelke *Horowitz of Nikolsburg, *Dov Baer the Maggid of Mezhirech, and *Elimelech of Lyzhansk. He spent 13 years studying both Torah and Kabbalah under Samuel Shmelke who was then rabbi in Rychwal and Sieniawa. Moses wrote novellae on several tractates of the Talmud, parts of which were published in the pamphlets Likkutei ha-ReMaL (1856), Torat ha-ReMaL ha-Shalem (1903), and ?iddushei ha-ReMaL (1921). For several years he lived in Opatov. When he moved to Sasov, he attracted many followers and the town became a great ?asidic center. His disciples included Jacob Isaac of *Przysucha (Peshiskhah), ?evi Hirsch of *Zhidachov, Menahem Mendel of Kosov, and others. Moses was known for his abounding love for all Jews and for his charity, on account of which he was called "father of widows and orphans." He composed many ?asidic melodies and dances. His successor was his only son, jekuthiel shmelke, who was seven years old when his father died. Jekuthiel grew up in the homes of Abraham ?ayyim of Zloczow, Menahem Mendel of Kosov, and Israel of *Ruzhin in Sadagora (Sadgora), and returned to Sasov in 1849.
bibliography:
Y. Raphael, Sefer ha-?asidut (1956); idem, Sasov (1946); M. Buber, Tales of the ?asidim, The Later Masters (1966), 81–95.
[Yitzchak Raphael]