About this website
The Sefer Sfas Emes, also known as the Sefat Emet, is a collection of discourses by Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, the second Rebbe of the Gerrer Hasidim. The work is renowned for its innovative and thought-provoking Torah interpretations.
The Sfas Emes is known for its unique writing style, which can be challenging to understand. As a result, many people who would enjoy learning the Sfas Emes–and grow in their Avoda if they had access to his thought– lose out. The book covers a wide range of topics and includes discourses for every Shabbos and Yom Tov of the year.
In this website we hope to offer those that find difficulty with the basic reading of the text to better understand the words and the idea. In no way is it a comprehensive explanation of the depths of the words of the holy sefer, rather it is an introduction for those that want to start.
It is my fervent wish and prayer that the reader finds the translation clear, and useful as a springboard to be able to study the sefer on their own, and to gain a deeper understanding of the ideas of the author.
The Sfas Emes
Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter (1847–1905)
Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, known universally by the title of his magnum opus, the Sfas Emes (“The Language of Truth”), was one of the most profound and influential Jewish leaders of the 19th century. As the second Rebbe of the Gerrer dynasty, he transformed a small Polish chassidic court into a mass movement of over 100,000 followers, all while penning a commentary that would revolutionize Jewish thought forever.
His writings are unique in the Torah world—blending the sharp intellectual rigor of the Talmud with the fiery, mystical depth of Kotzk and Peshischa. To this day, the Sfas Emes remains a staple in both Chassidic shtiebels and Litvish yeshivas alike.
The Crown Prince of Ger
Born on 29 Nisan, 5607 (1847) in Warsaw, Poland, Yehudah Leib was born into royalty. He was the grandson of the Chiddushei HaRim (Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter), the founder of the Gerrer dynasty. However, tragedy struck early; his father, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai, passed away when Yehudah Leib was only eight years old, and his mother died shortly before that.
Orphaned of both parents, he was raised by his illustrious grandfather. The Chiddushei HaRim adored him, often saying, “This one is my soul and my life.” Under his grandfather’s tutelage, the young Yehudah Leib became known as a prodigy (ilui), reportedly studying Torah for 18 hours a day with unrelenting intensity.
The Reluctant Leader
In 1866, the Chiddushei HaRim passed away. Yehudah Leib was only 19 years old. The Chassidim immediately looked to him to succeed his grandfather, but he adamantly refused, feeling unworthy of the mantle of leadership.
Instead, he chose to become a chassid himself, traveling to the elderly Rabbi Chanoch Henoch of Alexander. For four years, he sat as a disciple, hiding his greatness. It was only in 1870, after the passing of the Alexander Rebbe, that the pressure from the Gerrer Chassidim became insurmountable. At the tender age of 23, he reluctantly accepted the position of Rebbe.
Building an Empire of Torah
Under his leadership, Ger exploded in size and influence. It became the largest Chassidic court in pre-war Poland, renowned not just for its numbers but for its intense focus on Torah study. The Sfas Emes demanded that his followers be scholars; he famously stated that he did not want “blind followers,” but Jews who toiled in Torah for themselves.
Despite his immense public burden—receiving thousands of visitors, answering complex halachic queries, and guiding a movement during the turbulent rise of secularism and socialism—he remained a man of intense privacy and humility. He slept little, ate little, and dedicated every spare second to writing.
The Philosophy of the “Inner Point”
A central theme in the Sfas Emes’ teachings is the concept of the “Nekudah Pnimi” (The Inner Point). He taught that within every Jew—no matter how far they may have fallen or how secular they may appear—there remains a pure, untouched point of holiness that is essentially one with God. The task of the Jew is not to “create” holiness, but to peel away the layers of nature and ego to reveal the holiness that is already there. This message of optimism and depth resonated deeply with a generation facing the challenges of modernity.
“Sfas Emes”
The Rebbe passed away on 5 Shevat, 5665 (1905), at the age of 57, worn down by the spiritual weight of the Russo-Japanese war (which affected many of his students).
His commentaries were published posthumously by his children. When searching for a title, they noticed the very last commentary he had written before his passing was on the verse in Proverbs (12:19): “Sfas emes tikon la’ad” — “The language of truth shall be established forever.” Thus, his legacy was named.
He was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter (the Imrei Emes), who would lead the dynasty through the fires of the Holocaust and rebuild it in the Land of Israel.
The Sfas Emes
Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib Alter, known universally by the title of his magnum opus, the Sfas Emes (“The Language of Truth”), was one of the most profound and influential Jewish leaders of the 19th century. As the second Rebbe of the Gerrer dynasty, he transformed a small Polish chassidic court into a mass movement of over 100,000 followers, all while penning a commentary that would revolutionize Jewish thought forever.
His writings are unique in the Torah world—blending the sharp intellectual rigor of the Talmud with the fiery, mystical depth of Kotzk and Peshischa. To this day, the Sfas Emes remains a staple in both Chassidic shtiebels and Litvish yeshivas alike.
The Crown Prince of Ger
Born on 29 Nisan, 5607 (1847) in Warsaw, Poland, Yehudah Leib was born into royalty. He was the grandson of the Chiddushei HaRim (Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Alter), the founder of the Gerrer dynasty. However, tragedy struck early; his father, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai, passed away when Yehudah Leib was only eight years old, and his mother died shortly before that.
Orphaned of both parents, he was raised by his illustrious grandfather. The Chiddushei HaRim adored him, often saying, “This one is my soul and my life.” Under his grandfather’s tutelage, the young Yehudah Leib became known as a prodigy (ilui), reportedly studying Torah for 18 hours a day with unrelenting intensity.
The Reluctant Leader
In 1866, the Chiddushei HaRim passed away. Yehudah Leib was only 19 years old. The Chassidim immediately looked to him to succeed his grandfather, but he adamantly refused, feeling unworthy of the mantle of leadership.
Instead, he chose to become a chassid himself, traveling to the elderly Rabbi Chanoch Henoch of Alexander. For four years, he sat as a disciple, hiding his greatness. It was only in 1870, after the passing of the Alexander Rebbe, that the pressure from the Gerrer Chassidim became insurmountable. At the tender age of 23, he reluctantly accepted the position of Rebbe.
Building an Empire of Torah
Under his leadership, Ger exploded in size and influence. It became the largest Chassidic court in pre-war Poland, renowned not just for its numbers but for its intense focus on Torah study. The Sfas Emes demanded that his followers be scholars; he famously stated that he did not want “blind followers,” but Jews who toiled in Torah for themselves.
Despite his immense public burden—receiving thousands of visitors, answering complex halachic queries, and guiding a movement during the turbulent rise of secularism and socialism—he remained a man of intense privacy and humility. He slept little, ate little, and dedicated every spare second to writing.
The Philosophy of the “Inner Point”
A central theme in the Sfas Emes’ teachings is the concept of the “Nekudah Pnimi” (The Inner Point). He taught that within every Jew—no matter how far they may have fallen or how secular they may appear—there remains a pure, untouched point of holiness that is essentially one with God. The task of the Jew is not to “create” holiness, but to peel away the layers of nature and ego to reveal the holiness that is already there. This message of optimism and depth resonated deeply with a generation facing the challenges of modernity.
“Sfas Emes”
The Rebbe passed away on 5 Shevat, 5665 (1905), at the age of 57, worn down by the spiritual weight of the Russo-Japanese war (which affected many of his students).
His commentaries were published posthumously by his children. When searching for a title, they noticed the very last commentary he had written before his passing was on the verse in Proverbs (12:19): “Sfas emes tikon la’ad” — “The language of truth shall be established forever.” Thus, his legacy was named.
He was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Alter (the Imrei Emes), who would lead the dynasty through the fires of the Holocaust and rebuild it in the Land of Israel.