  The physical properties of single-crystalline SmBe$_{13}$ with a
NaZn$_{13}$-type cubic structure have been studied by electrical resistivity
($\rho$), specific heat ($C$), and magnetization ($M$) measurements in magnetic
fields of up to 9 T. The temperature ($T$) dependence of $\rho$ shows normal
metallic behavior without showing the Kondo -ln$T$ behavior, suggesting the
weak hybridization effect in this system. Analyses of the temperature
dependence of $C$ suggest that the Sm ions of this compound are trivalent and
that the crystalline-electric-field (CEF) ground state is a $\Gamma_8$ quartet
with a first-excited state of a $\Gamma_7$ doublet located at the energy scale
of $\sim$ 90 K. Mean-field calculations based on the suggested CEF level scheme
can reasonably well reproduce the $T$ dependence of magnetic susceptibility
($\chi$) below $\sim$ 70 K. These results in the paramagnetic state strongly
indicate that the 4$f$ electrons are well localized with the Sm$^{3+}$
configuration. At low temperatures, the 4$f$ electrons undergo a magnetic order
at $T_{\rm M}$ $\sim$ 8.3 K, where $\chi$($T$) shows an antiferromagnetic-like
cusp anomaly. From the positive Curie--Weiss temperature obtained from the
mean-field calculations and from a constructed magnetic phase diagram with
multiple regions, we discussed the magnetic structure of SmBe$_{13}$ below
$T_{\rm M}$, by comparing with other isostructural MBe$_{13}$ compounds showing
helical-magnetic ordering.
