25 Tishrei · Yahrzeit
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak ben Sarah Sosha of Berditchev
Yahrzeit - 25 Tishrei
Resting place - Berditchev, Ukraine
The greatest of the Chassidim – the "Sanegor shel Yisrael" (defender of the Jewish people), Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev constantly beseeched G-d in his prayers not to be overly angry with the Jewish people and to see only the good side in everything.
During prayer he often addressed the Creator in Yiddish, calling Him "der Baremdiker" – (the Merciful One). According to tradition, this appellation became the surname of the descendants of Levi Yitzchak ben Meir (Derbaremdiker).
His prayer known as the "Kaddish of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak" has survived, in which he calls the Creator Himself to judgment for His harsh treatment of the Jewish people. During the days of Elul it is customary to study "Kedushat Levi" – the tzadik's principal work.
The Kaddish of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev
"Good morning, good morning to You, Almighty G-d.
I, Levi Yitzchak, son of Sarah Sosha of Berditchev,
have come to demand an answer from You, L-rd:
What do You want from Israel?
Why have You laid Yourself upon the children of Israel?
All Your words are addressed to the children of Israel,
and everything that You commanded, You commanded to the children of Israel!
Do You not have other nations?
Romans, Persians, Babylonians?
What do the Germans say? The Germans say:
our law is above all laws.
What do the Romans say? Our kingdom
stands above all kingdoms.
But I, Levi Yitzchak, son of Sarah Sosha of Berditchev,
declare before You:
May Your Name be exalted and sanctified!
And I will not move from where I stand,
and I will stand.
An end will come to the darkness of our exile –
and at the end of our exile
May Your Name be exalted and sanctified!
(translated from Yiddish by Michael Gendelev)
On his last Rosh Hashanah, three weeks before his passing, before the sounding of the shofar, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak declared with great intensity:
"Master of the Universe! Your chosen people, the children of Israel, come to You today, on the Day of Judgment, with a claim. For all the troubles and misfortunes, the persecutions and pogroms, befall us only because we are Your servants and serve You – as King David said in the psalm: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; we are considered as sheep for the slaughter' (Tehillim 44:23).
And since we perish because of You and for Your sake, You are obligated to save us as quickly as possible, by granting us the final redemption!"
Then, turning to those praying, he said: "I promise you that after my passing, when I arrive in the World to Come, I will summon the entire Heavenly Host to the Supreme Court and demand that they deliver our people from exile." (Sarei HaMe'ah 4:9)
3 Segulot of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev:
1. End every recitation of Tehillim with the words: "Rabbi Levi Yitzchak ben Sarah Sosha of Berditchev."
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev was the Sanegor shel Yisrael (defender of the people of Israel). This is why the Chassidim developed a beautiful segula connected with the name of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev as a defender.
The Alter Rebbe (zt"l) taught: "If a Jew, while reciting Tehillim, mentions the name of the 'defender,' his words will reach the 'palace of mercy' in Heaven and open the 'Gates of Salvation,' and harsh decrees will be annulled."
2. The Prayer of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev at the Close of Shabbat
This prayer of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev was found among his manuscripts with the following note, in which he instructed: "Let men, women and children recite this request at the close of every Holy Shabbat before Havdalah, 3 times. And I am certain that, without doubt, good fortune will await them, with G-d's help!"
The Prayer
"Elokei Avraham, Elokei Yitzchak v'Elokei Yaakov, shemor v'hatzel et amecha Yisrael ohavecha mikol ra, bit'hilatecha ka'asher Shabbat Kodesh ha'ahuv over hashavua, hachodesh v'hashana, yavo lanu le'emuna shleima, le'emunat chachamim, le'ahavat chaveirim, lidveikat ha-Boreh baruch Hu, leha'amin bishloshah asar ikkarim shelach. Uvig'ulah kerovah bimheirah v'yameinu, uvitchiyat hameitim, uvinvu'at Moshe Rabbeinu alav hashalom.
Ribono shel olam, Atah hu hanoten la'ya'ef koach, ten gam livnei hayehudim ohavecha koach lehodot lecha v'rak lecha la'avod, v'lo le'acher chalilah, asher hashavua hachodesh v'hashana, yavo lanu livriut ulmazal tov v'livracha ul'hatzlacha, ulchesed, ulvanei chayei aricheiy umzonei revichei v'siyata dishmaya lanu ulchol Yisrael, v'nomar amen."
Translation
(G-d of Avraham, G-d of Yitzchak and G-d of Yaakov, guard Your people, Israel, whom You love, from all evil — for the sake of Your glorified Name. Behold, the beloved holy Shabbat that we cherish is ending, and may the coming week be one of complete faith, faith in the sages, love of one's fellow, and cleaving to the Creator, blessed is He. So that we may believe in the thirteen principles You gave us, in the imminent redemption — speedily, in our days, in the resurrection of the dead, and in the prophecy of our teacher Moshe, peace be upon him. Master of the Universe, You give strength to the weary. So grant strength also to Your children, the Jews, who are sheltered by Your mercy, to praise Your Name and to serve You alone. May the coming week bring us health, good fortune and success, blessing and favor, offspring, long life and ample sustenance — for us and for all Israel, and let us say: Amen.)
The Prayer of the Wife of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev
This prayer has come down to us from Perl, the wife of the Berditchever Rebbe.
When she kneaded dough and baked bread for Shabbat, she would customarily pray as follows:
"Master of the World, I ask You: help me, so that when my husband, Levi Yitzchak, recites the blessing over these loaves on Shabbat, he will think of the very same thing that I was thinking of when I kneaded and baked them."
May the merit of the tzadik protect Am Yisrael!
(from the teachings of Rav Yaakov Doctor)
Pilgrimage site:
Grave: Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev