Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (Levi Yitzchok Derbarmdiger (compassionate in Yiddish) or Rosakov) (1740–1809), also known as the holy Berdichever, and the Kedushas Levi, was a Hasidic master and Jewish leader. He was the rabbi of Ryczywół,

Żelechów Żelechów (Yiddish זשעלעכאָוו) is a town in east Poland in Masovian Voivodeship in Garwolin County. It is the seat of Gmina Żelechów. Żelechów is from Warsaw and far from Lublin. More than 4000 people live in the town. It is a ...

Pinsk Pinsk ( be, Пі́нск; russian: Пи́нск ; Polish: Pińsk; ) is a city located in the Brest Region of Belarus, in the Polesia region, at the confluence of the Pina River and the Pripyat River. The region was known as the Marsh of Pinsk ...

and Berdychiv, for which he is best known. He was one of the main disciples of the

Maggid of Mezritch Dov Ber ben Avraham of Mezeritch ( yi, דֹּב בֶּער מִמֶּזְרִיטְשְׁ; died December 1772 OS), also known as the ''Maggid of Mezeritch'', was a disciple of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (the Baal Shem Tov), the founder of Hasidic ...

, and of his disciple Rabbi

Shmelke of Nikolsburg Shmuel Shmelke HaLevi Horowitz of Nikolsburg (Yiddish: שמואל שמעלקי הלוי הורוויץ פון ניקאלשפורג, ; 1726 – April 28, 1778) also known as the Rebbe Reb Shmelke was an early Hasidic master and kabbalist, who is am ...

, whom he succeeded as rabbi of Ryczywół. Levi Yitzchok was known as the "defense attorney" for the Jewish people (''"Sneiguron Shel Yisroel"''), because he would intercede on their behalf before God. Known for his compassion for every Jew, he was one of the most beloved leaders of

Eastern European Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...

Jewry. He is considered by some to be the founder of

Hasidism Hasidism, sometimes spelled Chassidism, and also known as Hasidic Judaism (Ashkenazi Hebrew: חסידות ''Ḥăsīdus'', ; originally, "piety"), is a Judaism, Jewish religious group that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory ...

in central Poland. And known for his fiery service of God. Today, there are several synagogues called Berditshev, of which the rabbis of some are called Berditshever ''Rebbes''.

Life

Levi Yitzchak was born in the year 5500 (1740 CE) to Rabbi Meir (who was the Av Beit Din of Zamosc) and Sarah-Sasha Ruskov in Husakov. Was known in his youth as the

Illui ''Illui'' ( he, עילוי or עלוי also ilui; pronounced plural: ''illuim'') is a young Torah and Talmudic prodigy or genius. The Hebrew term and title is applied to exceptional Talmudic scholars among Orthodox Jews. It is used among Engli ...

from Yaroslav. Married to Perel, the daughter of Rabbi Israel Peretz of Levertov (grandson of Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Teomim-Frenkel Rav of Zolkawa son of Rabbi Yonah Teomim-Frenkel), and when she died she was over 100 years old. After his wedding, he went to the Maggid of Mezritsch where he studied for several years. Levi Yitzchok was known to have a very close relationship with Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the first

Chabad Chabad, also known as Lubavitch, Habad and Chabad-Lubavitch (), is an Orthodox Jewish Hasidic dynasty. Chabad is one of the world's best-known Hasidic movements, particularly for its outreach activities. It is one of the largest Hasidic grou ...

Rebbe. Rabbi

Nachman of Breslov Nachman of Breslov ( he, רַבִּי נַחְמָן מִבְּרֶסְלֶב ''Rabbī'' ''Naḥmān mīBreslev''), also known as Reb Nachman of Bratslav, Reb Nachman Breslover ( yi, רבי נחמן ברעסלאווער ''Rebe Nakhmen Breslover'' ...

called him the ''Peér'' (glory) of Israel. Levi Yitzchok composed some popular Hasidic religious folk songs, including '' A Dude'le'' and " The Kaddish of Rebbe Levi Yitzchok (''A din Toyre mit Gott'')." The

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...

prayer "

God of Abraham ''God of Abraham'' (Yiddish: גאָט פֿון אַבֿרהם, pronounced ''Got fun Avrohom'', ''Got fin Avruhom'') is a Jewish prayer in Yiddish, recited by women and girls in many Jewish communities at the conclusion of the Sabbath, marking it ...

" recited by many Jewish people at the close of the Sabbath is attributed to him. He died on the 25th of

Tishrei Tishrei () or Tishri (; he, ''tīšrē'' or ''tīšrī''; from Akkadian ''tašrītu'' "beginning", from ''šurrû'' "to begin") is the first month of the civil year (which starts on 1 Tishrei) and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year ...

, 5570 (October 5, 1809) and is buried in the old Jewish cemetery in Berdychiv,

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...

, then under the control of the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

. He had three sons. The oldest one, Maier, died at a young age. The second one, Israel, succeeded his father as leader of the Hasidic movement. One of Levi Yitzchok's grandsons married the daughter of

Dovber Schneuri Dovber Schneuri (13 November 1773 – 16 November 1827 OS) was the second Rebbe (spiritual leader) of the Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic movement. Rabbi Dovber was the first Chabad rebbe to live in the town of Lyubavichi (in present-day Belarus), t ...

, the second Chabad rebbe and the first to live in Lubavitch.

Works

Rabbi Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev authored: *The "supreme" Louis Jacobs (1995)
Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev
/ref> Hasidic classic ''Kedushas Levi'': a commentary on

Torah The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...

- arranged according to the

weekly Torah portion It is a custom among religious Jewish communities for a weekly Torah portion to be read during Jewish prayer services on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. The full name, ''Parashat HaShavua'' ( he, פָּרָשַׁת הַשָּׁבוּעַ), is p ...

- and the

Jewish holidays Jewish holidays, also known as Jewish festivals or ''Yamim Tovim'' ( he, ימים טובים, , Good Days, or singular , in transliterated Hebrew []), are holidays observed in Judaism and by JewsThis article focuses on practices of mainstre ...

, drawing on (and expanding) early Hasidic philosophy, as well as ''Talmud'' and ''

Midrash ''Midrash'' (;"midrash"
''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary''. he, מִדְרָשׁ; ...

''. In it R' Levi discusses also various points of Jewish Law. It was published first in 1798, and reprinted numerous times since; an English Translation was published in 2009. *''Beis Levi'': his commentary on ''

Pirkei Avos Pirkei Avot ( he, פִּרְקֵי אָבוֹת; also transliterated as ''Pirqei Avoth'' or ''Pirkei Avos'' or ''Pirke Aboth''), which translates to English as Chapters of the Fathers, is a compilation of the ethical teachings and maxims from ...

''.

Books about Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev

*
Loving and Beloved: Tales of Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev, Defender of Israel
' (Menorah Books, 2016)
'' Sparks from Berditchov ''

References

External links

R. Levi Yitzchak of BerditchevCommemorative coin from Levi Yitzchok of Berdychiv, from recently discovered seal
*http://www.chassidusonline.com/search?q=kedushas+levi 1740 births 1809 deaths 18th-century rabbis from the Russian Empire 19th-century rabbis from the Russian Empire Hasidic rebbes Jewish musicians Ukrainian musicians Russian musicians Orthodox rabbis from Galicia (Eastern Europe) 19th-century musicians from the Russian Empire Students of Dov Ber of Mezeritch {{Ukraine-rabbi-stub