Reb Yehuda Aryeh Leib Alter was the third Rebbe in the Ger dynasty, and under his leadership, the Chassidus of Ger flourished, becoming the stronghold of Chassidus in all of Poland.

He became the Rebbe at the age of 23, after the passing of his grandfather, the Chidushei Harim. He is known by the title of his sefer “Sfas Emes”, which contains perushim on the Torah and Shas.

He passed away at the young age of 58, on the 5^th of Shvat, 5665 (1905), and is buried in Ger.

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Reb Avrohom Mordechai of Ger once arrived late at the sukkah of his father, the Chiddushei Harim. When questioned about his delay, he replied that his young son, later to become the Sfas Emes, had cried, insisting that he be shown the Ushpizin in the sukkah.

“Nu,” responded the grandfather, “Why didn’t you oblige?”

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When the Sfas Emes was young, he and his friend once spent the whole night learning, and only at daybreak did they go to sleep. The following day, the Sfas Emes arrived a bit late to his learning session, and his grandfather reprimanded him. All the while, he sat listening without saying a word. When his friend asked him why he had not told his grandfather that he had stayed up late to learn, the Sfas Emes said, “Yes, but then I would have missed out on the admonishment of my grandfather…”

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When the great Beis Midrash was built in the town of Ger, it was adorned with the words, “Beis HaMidrash L’Torah, Tefila VaChassidus.” When the Sfas Emes saw it, he noted, “Chassidus is interpreted by some to mean drinking, engaging in machlokes, and speaking lashon hara. Better just leave it as ‘Beis HaMidrash L’Torah Veli’Tefila.’”

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In the shul of the Sfas Emes, two daily minyanim for shachris took place successively. When the second minyan would begin to daven, the mispalelim from the first would stay to talk. When word of this reached the Sfas Emes, he rescheduled the minyanim so that the first group would finish socializing before the second minyan would begin.

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A Rebbe came to visit the Sfas Emes, and as they parted, the Rebbe expressed his hope that there should always be an ahava rabba (great love) between them. The Sfas Emes responded with a smile, “Besides for ahava rabba, we should also wish for an ahavas olam (literally: a love of the world); for often, there can be a great love between two Rebbes, yet among their chassidim there is no peace…”

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The Sfas Emes maintained close and ongoing contact with the Rebbe Rashab and with the Frierdiker Rebbe.

In his youth, the Frierdiker Rebbe met the Sfas Emes. When he extended his hand to the Sfas Emes, the Sfas Emes exclaimed, “A heilige hentele,” a holy hand. On that occasion, the Sfas Emes told him that “every word of Tanya and Likkutei Torah illuminates the heart.”

In a letter to a Lubavitcher chossid who davened in the Gerrer shtiebel in Brisk, the Frierdiker Rebbe urged him to encourage the Gerrer chassidim there to establish a regular shiur in the sefer Sfas Emes, noting that “there is very much in it from Likkutei Torah and Tanya.”

In his meetings with the Gerrer Rebbes, the Rebbe took a keen interest in the publication of the writings of the Sfas Emes that had not yet been printed.