Based on this shiur.
An Auspicious Beginning
Rabbi Yisrael Alter was born on the 25th of Tishrei, 1895, into the royalty of the Gerer Chassidus. He was the son of the Imrei Emes, grandson of the Sfas Emes, and great-grandson of the Chiddushei HaRim.
At his Bris, a moment of historical joy occurred. His grandfather, the Sfas Emes, served as the Sandek and appeared uncharacteristically radiant. Seeing this auspicious time, the Rebbe’s uncle, Rabbi Nechemia Alter—who had been childless for many years—approached his father for a blessing. The Sfas Emes promised him, "Vest Huben" (You will have children). Within a year, a daughter was born, who eventually married the Lev Simcha (the Bais Yisrael’s brother). The Chassidim noted that the Sfas Emes was so joyful because he sensed the exceptionally pure Neshama (soul) of his new grandson, a child destined to reignite the fire of Avodas Hashem in the Jewish people.
Youth: Recognizing a Future Leader
Even as a child, Yisruelka (as he was known) was treated with a unique reverence by his grandfather. One Sukkos, the Sfas Emes was deep in a complex Torah study. When young Yisrael burst into the Sukkah, the Rebbe immediately stopped his learning to speak with him lovingly. When another grandson later tried to enter and was asked to leave to avoid disturbing the study, he complained, "But Yisrael was just here!" The Sfas Emes replied sharply, "Are you equating yourself to a Rebbe?" He already saw the Rebbishe Kochos (leadership powers) within the boy.
This was further cemented during Simchas Torah. The Sfas Emes rarely danced during Hakafos, usually walking in deep, solemn thought. However, one year, when the Bais Yisrael received the Torah for a circuit, the grandfather broke his custom and danced with his grandson, to the amazement of all present.
Radical Self-Mastery
The Bais Yisrael’s life was defined by a total war against physical desire. By age 20, he had completed the entire Shas (Talmud) five times. He famously remarked later in life, "People think I smoke because I have a craving (Taiva). By age 18, I had already broken all my Middos (character traits) and was in total control of my desires."
This discipline extended to every facet of his life. At his wedding, he made a condition with his Rebbetzin that she was never to change the menu of his meals. For decades, he ate the exact same food every single day, demonstrating that food was merely fuel, not a source of pleasure. He demanded this same "war against superficiality" from his Chassidim, urging them to wake at 4:00 AM to learn before prayer. He would personally walk through the Beis Medrash to see who was there, often rewarding the diligent by inviting them to share tea and private conversation.
The Shadows of Warsaw and the Holocaust
Before World War II, Rabbi Yisrael lived in Warsaw, where he refused to benefit from the community, instead engaging briefly in business while spending the vast majority of his time leading thousands of Bachurim (young men). He possessed a staggering memory, knowing the names and spiritual states of thousands of young Gerer Chassidim across the city.
When the Holocaust began, the Rebbe suffered unspeakable tragedy; his wife and daughters were murdered. He managed to escape to Eretz Yisrael with his father, arriving as a "broken man" (Tzebruchener Mentch). However, even in his brokenness, he became the right-hand man to his father, the Imrei Emes, helping to rebuild the shattered remnants of the Chassidus. Upon his father’s passing in 1948, he took up the yoke of leadership.
Supernatural Foresight (Ruach HaKodesh)
Many stories attest to the Rebbe's "open eyes."
The Metal Merchant: In Poland, a merchant named Rabbi Yaakov Kornfeld was offered a massive quantity of iron at an impossibly low price. As he rushed to the meeting with a pocket full of cash, he was intercepted by the Bais Yisrael. The Rebbe engaged him in a long, seemingly aimless conversation about various topics. Rabbi Yaakov was on "pins and needles," desperate to leave for his business deal. Finally, the Rebbe checked his watch and said, "Now you can go." When Rabbi Yaakov arrived at the meeting spot, he found the businessman in handcuffs; the merchandise had been stolen. Had the Rebbe not delayed him, Rabbi Yaakov would have lost his money and been arrested as a co-conspirator.
The Forest of Yuniv: The Rebbe once met a young orphan from Yuniv and told him, "In the forests of Yuniv, there are many places to hide where no one will find you." The boy didn't understand why he would ever need to hide in a forest. Years later, when the war broke out, he remembered the Rebbe's words, fled to those very forests, and survived for three and a half years.
The Father of Survivors
The Bais Yisrael became the "father and mother" of the Holocaust survivors. He had a specific, tender patience for those with "bitter hearts." One young man once came to him complaining of a toothache. The Rebbe didn't just give a blessing; he placed his own fingers on the boy's teeth, asking gently, "Does it hurt here? Or here?" This physical display of love was said to have eased the young man's suffering more than any medicine.
In 1971, the Rebbe became deathly ill. The doctors claimed there was no hope. The Chassidim, unwilling to lose their light, gathered in an outpouring of prayer so intense it was described as "piercing the heavens." Miraculously, the Rebbe recovered. His brother, the Pnei Menachem, later remarked, "The public prayed him back out of heaven; he was returned to us as a gift."
Humility and the Weight of Leadership
Despite his status, the Rebbe lived with profound humility. He once told a contemporary, the "Seven-o-Rav," "I don't know where I will find a grave deep enough to hide myself when I finally see my father and my holy ancestors. I am so low compared to them."
He lived with a total sense of responsibility for the Jewish people that superseded all personal ties. He once explained a difficult question from the Zohar regarding why the Torah calls Moshe’s children "the sons of Zipporah" rather than "his sons." He explained that once Moshe became the leader of Israel, he became a "Man of God" (Ish Elokim) who no longer belonged to his own family—he belonged to the nation.
The Bais Yisrael used this to explain a similar story regarding the Kotzker Rebbe. When the Kotzker’s brother complained about not being given priority in line, the Kotzker replied, "I have forgotten my own shoulders; shall I remember you?" The Bais Yisrael lived by this creed: once a man becomes a leader (Manhig Yisrael), the concept of "personal family" disappears. Every Jew becomes his child.
Legacy
For 29 years, the Bais Yisrael led the rebuilding of Ger from his court in Jerusalem. He passed away on the 2nd of Adar, 1977, and was buried in the Gerer section of Har HaZeisim. He left behind a generation of Bnei Torah and Chassidim who were defined by his standards of holiness, diligence, and total devotion to the Almighty.
