R. Leib Zelikand was a chossid of the Alter Rebbe, the Mitteler Rebbe, and the Tzemach Tzedek. He taught the Tzemach Tzedek in his youth for a short time, and then served as the Rov of Vilkomir, and later as Rov of Dvinsk for 40 years.

He was nicknamed “Batlan” because he was completely removed from all worldly matters and solely devoted to Torah. A renowned gaon, he knew all of Shas as if he had just learned it. R. Leib’s teshuvos are published in Zecher Yehudah, which includes correspondence with the Tzemach Tzedek. He passed away in the year 5618.

*

When R. Leib came to the Mitteler Rebbe for the first time, the Rebbe instructed him to learn Tanya and Imrei Bina. R. Leib learned them both for an entire year, and he came back to the Rebbe with a list of questions in Imrei Bina.

The Rebbe told him, “I didn’t write Imrei Bina with such exactitude like my father wrote Tanya, calculating every vav. Learn the Imrei Bina five times over and then you will understand it.”

*

R. Leib’s son was a wealthy contractor who supplied items and built buildings for the Czar’s army. Once, he constructed large barracks in Dvinsk, and the Czar himself came to see it. While touring the complex, the Czar pointed to one of the walls and told the contractor that it was built crooked and could fall. Taken aback, R. Leib’s son replied that it’s perfectly straight and structurally sound. The Czar looked at him angrily and told his soldiers to put him in prison.

R. Leib had the practice to learn in a room in shul all week long and return home only on Shabbos. Hearing that her son was thrown in prison by the wicked Czar Nikolai, R. Leib’s wife ran to the shul and told him what happened. R. Leib wasn’t fazed, and he continued learning as if nothing had happened.

After the Czar left the city, he sent back a messenger to release the Jew immediately. Knowing that it was unusual, the officers asked him why he rushed to release the Jew. The Czar related how he had once arrested a general and forgotten about him, only to find him in prison two years later. On this occasion, he couldn’t take his mind off this Jew, and he took it as a sign to release him.

For sources, visit TheWeeklyFarbrengen.com