Rebbe Levi Yitzchok of Barditshov

00:00 Today being ח"י Tishrei, the ימי לולב of our Rav HaKodesh, tzadik, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev. He was נסתלק on the twenty-fifth of Tishrei, the year תרע"א, late 1809, two hundred and ten years ago, in the city of Berditchev. In the sichas of the Rebbe, we find quite often references to Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, either it's a תורה of his or a vort or a סיפור, and also in a מאמר חסידות that the Rebbe delivered on Rosh Hashanah, תשמ"ג. First, בנגע to his name, the Rebbe makes a point that the two names of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev stress the intense connection to Elokus. His first name is Levi, which is the pasuk, "הפם ילוה אישי אלי". "Ishi", my husband also goes on Hashem. Hashem and Yidden are as חסן and כלה, husband and wife, is a "פם ילוה אישי אלי" means the connection that there will be between the Aibishter and Yidden that expresses the השתעשעות between Yidden and Hashem. The second name, Yitzchok, is connected with the pasuk, "שיח עש לה ילקים", a ingan of joy, שמחה. And generally, these two names express two basic concepts in Avodas Hashem. One is the connection with Hashem, and the second one expresses the שמחה in Avodas Hashem. In Shabbos Parshat Bedorim, תשמ', 1980, when the Rebbe spoke about Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, he added that he was one who was very involved in אהבת ישראל, the love of a fellow Jew. כלא also including the אהבת ישראל that there is between Yidden and

02:15 the Aibishter. He was a מליץ יוצר, uh, an advocate for the Jewish nation, and drew down from above to below עניינים of עם שחס in a manner of רחם mercy, to the extent that his name, as he's also referred to by non-Jews, and this is also how the havul, his descendants are referred to with the family name, the name the Barham Dicker. The Barham Dick means mercy, because they knew that he's a Yid, and he accomplishes and draws down rachamim, mercy from the Aibishter to Yidden in a way that even a non-Jew saw it with his einie basar. The Rebbe adds, referring also to the connection that Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev had with the Mezritcher Maggid and with the Alter Rebbe, since they were both disciples of the Mezritcher Maggid. He was also a friend of the Alter Rebbe, and he later became a mechutan of the Alter Rebbe as their gra-grandchildren married each other. And this was one of the famous weddings, תרס"ז, the Zhlobin nachason of the city. Name is Zhlobin, and that's where the Alter Rebbe and Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev spent much time together over the dur-duration of the Simcha. And the Rebbe adds that we also see what Chasidim relate that after the hishtalkus of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, the Alter Rebbe traveled to Berditchev to console the family members. And based on the request of the family, he stayed there through Pesach, and he said, "My moddech chassidus there." He delivered Chasidic discourses. And as the

04:22 Rebbe refers to the listing and the, um, headers of many maamarim that were said then in Berditchev. Another ingan that we find בנגע Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev is בנגע to the news of Yud Tes Kislev. When the Alter Rebbe was freed, the Alter Rebbe wrote a letter to his close friend, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, how the geulah took place. And the Rebbe included that in the beginning of the יום יום on the day of Yud Tes Kislev. Over the years, the Rebbe made mention of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev in sichas and also in a maamar. The Rebbe referring to him with special titles and mentioning a vort, a סיפור, or a תורה of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev. We'll quote from a maamar where the Rebbe quotes from Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev. It's a maamar of Rosh Hashana תשמ"ג, late 1982, and the Rebbe edited this maamar, and the Rebbe says, "A mashal, a parable in regards to Tekiah Shofar from our Rav HaGaon HaChassid, Rav Levi Yitzchok, זכרונו לברכה מברדיצ'ב." And the Rebbe continues, "It is known and famous in all worlds that Rabbi Levi Yitzchok was a אהב ישראל, loved the Jewish nation and was an advocate for every individual Yid." And he tilted the balance of the scale of every yid in the direction of merit, lekav zchus, and in a way of l'chatchilah ribir, in a very broad-sensed way. In the sicha of Dvarim Tov Shin Lamed, Shabbos Chazen, the Rebbe says, Rab Levi Yitzchak does not

06:35 need any smichas. He is mentioned in many drush Chassidis Chabad, Chabad Chassidis discourses. He's mentioned in Likutei Torah, my morem of the Alter Rebbe, and he's mentioned in Vekocha HaGadol, in the hemshech of my morem of the Rebbe Marash from the year Tov Rish Lamed Zayin, 1877. And likewise, he's mentioned in sichas of the Rabbeim, and especially in the sichas of the previous Rebbe in regards to his Avas Yisroel. In Tov Shin Mem Alef, 1981, the Rebbe, when mentioning Rab Levi Yitzchak Badichever, says that he's a melech yeisher. He's an advocate for the whole Jewish nation. And that is something that is needed exclusively in the days of Bein HaMetzarim, the three weeks of mourning period between the 17th of Tammuz and Tisha B'Av. Two weeks later, Parsha Dvarim, the Rebbe again mentioned Rab Levi Yitzchak Badichev, and he said he's a melech teiv, an advocate for the whole Jewish nation from all the generations up till this generation that we find ourselves in. Mirz Hashem, in the next installment, will continue with additional references where the Rebbe mentions Rab Levi Yitzchak Badichever in regards to certain Yomim Tevim. Behemsek to the earlier installment about Rab Levi Yitzchak of Badichev, we continue now with some of his insights on the Yomim Tevim of Tishrei. Firstly, about Rishishana and the sounding of the shofar. Rab Levi Yitzchak gives a parable to understand the significance of blowing shofar. This parable is quoted by the Rebbe Marash in one of his famous hemshekim series of discourses in the

08:36 years Tov Rish Lamed Zayin, Tov Rish Lamed Ches, 1877, 1878, and also on several occasions by the Rebbe. The mashal is as follows. A king once went into a big forest to enjoy himself. A king once traveled to a big forest to enjoy himself and gain a pleasure from hunting till he ended up in the depth of the forest and he could not find the road to get back home. In the forest, he met villagers. He asked them about the road back to his palace. They did not recognize the king and they did not know what to tell him because they never knew this main road back to the palace. So finally, he met a wise person and he asked him the directions. And this wise person understood that he is the king. And he stepped back, listened immediately to the question of the king and he showed him the way because he was very knowledgeable. So he knew the main road, how to get back to the palace. And he took the king to the palace and he placed him on the throne. And the person found charm in the eyes of the king and he promoted him to a very high position, gave him very expensive clothing that he dressed him with. After a while, the man committed an act which was considered rebellious against the king. He was sentenced to death. Before he was taken out to be executed, the person asked for one request, which was granted to him. He said,

11:00 I request to wear the clothes I wore when I escorted his majesty when he was lost in the forest and that his majesty should also wear the clothes he wore then. The king complied and when they were both dressed in the garments they wore at the time of their meeting, the king remembered the great generosity that this person did with him, that he returned him back to the palace and he placed him on the throne. And the king was inspired with a special mercy for this person. This person found charm in the eyes of the king and the king removed the sin that this person sinned to him and he placed him back in his position. This is the parable. The meaning of the parable is that when Hashem gave the Torah to the Jewish nation, he offered it first to all nations of the world. They all refused except the people of Am Yisrael who willingly accepted the yoke of heaven and fulfilled the commandments of the Creator. But now we have transgressed and rebelled like the man in the parable, and with the arrival of the day of judgment, we are fearful indeed. So we blow the shofar to recall the shofar blowing that accompanied our original acceptance of the Torah and coronation of Hashem. This merit stands by us, and Hashem forgives us of, for all our sins and inscribes us immediately for a year of goodness and life. Behemsek to the earlier installment about Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, we continue

12:50 with installment number three, discussing additional insights of Reb Levi Yitzchok on the Yamim Tovim as they are cited by the Rebbe in the Sichas. Regarding the fast of Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av, Reb Levi Yitzchok said, "Even if we would not have been commanded to fast on Yom Kippur and Tisha B'Av, one would have no interest to eat on these days." In the Rebbe's words, "Tisha B'Av Ɣeyt nit ayn tsum esn un Yom Kippur vi kemen dos esn. On the tragic day of Tisha B'Av, who has an appetite to eat? On Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year, how can one eat on such a day?" Reb Levi Yitzchok continues, "Once it became a commandment to fast, then it became a mitzvah." Regarding the yontif of Sukkos, the Rebbe was once sitting at a sunda of Sukkos in the previous Rebbe's sukkah. One Hasid told a story about Reb Levi Yitzchok. He was up the entire first night of Sukkos, anxiously waiting to make the berachos on the lulav. And the Hasid asked the Rebbe why this mitzvah, mitzvah's lulav in particular. The Rebbe replied that also regarding tefillin we find that when the nine days of the yontif of Sukkos passed, and Reb Levi Yitzchok did not put on tefillin because of the yontif, he would eagerly wait for the moment that he will be able to fulfill this mitzvah. Regarding Shabbos Chazon, which is the Shabbos before Tisha B'Av, the Rebbe over the years in Shabbos Chazon farbrengens would many times mention

14:58 the mashal, the parable of Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, that Shabbos Chazon derives its name from the word machaze, meaning vision. For on this Shabbos, everyone is shown a vision of the future Temple as the parable of Reb Levi Yitzchok Berditchev regards to a father and a son, that the father gave the son a garment, very special garment. The son didn't conduct himself appropriately. He took it away from him. And then a second time he gave it to him, and again, he didn't conduct himself properly. He took it away from him, and then he just shows it to him from time to time to inspire him that he should enhance his conduct and will then merit to receive this special gift. The Temple shown is not that will be built by Mashiach, but that which will descend ready-built from Hashem. As we say it in the pasuk, "Mikdash ad merkein lo yodecha." That this vision is shown on Shabbos Chazon, the Shabbos before Tisha B'Av, stresses once again that the entire purpose of the galus is the future Beis Hamikdash. And although the future Beis Hamikdash will descend from heaven, Mashiach will also participate in its building. The reason for the vision is to motivate and inspire everyone to do his part in helping to rebuild the Beis Hamikdash. Thus, we have both advantages, the Beis Hamikdash built by Hashem above and also man's service towards it in this physical world. In the spirit of Teretz HaYim Yom, the twenty-ninth of Tishrei, and behemsek to

17:03 the earlier installment about Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, we continue now with installment number four, discussing insights of Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev, who spoke in a positive way and always looked for the good in the Jewish people. In Lemaimar, Rish Shone, Tov Shin, Mem Gimel, late nineteen eighty-two, the Rebbe states that although Reb Levi Yitzchok, in explaining a parable about the sounding of the shofar, it seems to reflect a negative aspect about the Jewish people. Nevertheless, since Reb Levi Yitzchok said it, it is in a positive light, as were all his statements regarding Klal Yisroel. In the Sicha, Tov Shin, Mem Zayin, the Rebbe cites that in the prophecy of Yeshaya about the Jewish nation, he describes them as Am Keved Oven, a nation of heavy sins. Reb Levi Yitzchok interprets it in a positive light. Am Keved Oven, a nation which it is difficult for them to sin. In another Sichah, Tovshin Lamad Alef, when the Rebbe was expressing a certain point, the Rebbe cites from Rab Levi Yitzchak as an advocate for the Jewish people as follows. Rab Levi Yitzchak once saw a person oiling the wheels of his wagon while he was reciting the Shema. When Rab Levi Yitzchak reached the shul, he said the following. I'll say it first in Yiddish and then translate it. In English, he said, Rabbeinu Shalaylam, look what kind of dear nation you have, that even when one oils the wheels of his wagon, he recites the Shema. The Rebbe remarks about this story, that

19:32 Rab Levi Yitzchak did not announce in shul that the Shema is said when oiling the wheels, because this is not the contents of the Pasik Shema Yisrael. When one recites the Shema, he needs to focus on the verse Shema Yisrael Hashem Elekenu Hashem Echad. But when he needed to defend a Yid after the action, there was need to say that even while he's oiling the wheels, he recites the Shema. On another occasion, in the first years of the Nusios, the Rebbe mentions the Refabregen of Liel Simchas Teva, Tovshin Yudale, late 1953. Rab Levi Yitzchak once explained why he once quickly concluded on Yom Kippur the Bracha Melech Mecho Vesileach, that Hashem is a king who forgives. And he said it very quickly. And he explained the reason being because since we say a Bracha with Hashem's name, Hashem needs to forgive. Otherwise, the Bracha was made Levatola in vain. The Melech is a sure fact that Hashem will forgive. In a Sichah Purim, Tovshin Choftes, 1969, the Rebbe relates the following. It was once around Rosh Hashanah time and Rab Levi Yitzchak, as an advocate for the Jewish people, saw that he did not manage yet to accomplish a good and sweet year in a revealed manner for the Jewish nation. He then made the following statement to Hashem, saying to Hashem, what do you want from the Jewish people? If the Gan Eden and Elem Habah, the world to come, and the reward of the Sudas Livyosen and Sheir Habar, which is the meal

21:41 that will take place during the redemption, would have been placed here in this world in an obvious manner so that we can see it with our flesh eyes. And the physical desires of Avedas would be mentioned only in Svarim, not in an obvious manner. You would have a justified complaint about Jews who sinned. Since you're showing the Jewish people all the rewards of Livyosen, Sheir Habar, and you also show them Gan Eden and Elem Habah, and nevertheless, they couldn't control themselves and sinned. Therefore, they receive a punishment. But in reality, the real picture is the opposite. Livyosen and Sheir Habar that you promised them when Mashiach will come is stated somewhere in Gemara. Gan Eden and Elem Habah needs, a person needs to look for it briefly in Gemara and in greater length in Dezeah. But when it comes to the Avedas with Elem Hazeh and with the gold and silver and copper and all the physical desires that are in this physical world, you gave it to them here where they can see with their flesh eyes. How can they not sin? What kind of argument do you have about the Jewish people? And the Rebbe continued elaborating about this in great length, seemingly obvious that he was speaking to Hashem on behalf of Klal Yisrael.