Adapted from the introduction to the book Sparks from Bardichev (Feldheim 2017) with kind permission from its author, R’ Yaakov Klein.
It was the year 1740 and the Baal Shem Tov’s chassidim were gathered in his shul, finishing the morning prayers. Suddenly their master, the holy Ba’al Shem Tov, entered and began distributing cakes and spirits to his chassidim. “I am very happy today” he exclaimed, “For a great soul has descended into this world that will speak up on behalf of the Jewish nation.” At that moment, three hundred miles away, Rebbe Levi Yitzchok of Bardichev was born.
Raised in a family descendant from thirty-six generations of rabbis, young Levi Yitzchak spent day and night studying all areas of Torah, growing fluent in the Talmud and halachic codes at an early age. His fame quickly spread and he became known as a child prodigy. Under the tutelage of his inspiration and mentor, the saintly Maggid of Mezritch, Rebbe Levi Yitzchak grew to lofty heights in his grasp of both the hidden and revealed Torahs, soon accepting a position as rav in a town called Richtol. Fierce opposition to chassidus forced him out of his position, and several subsequent positions, until he finally accepted the role of rabbi in the city of Bardichev, where he was to remain the rest of his life. Henceforth he became known and loved as the Bardichever Rebbe, or fondly, “the Bardichever”.
Rebbe Levi Yitzchak served Hashem with every ounce of his strength, completely nullifying himself to the Will of his Creator. His prayers, uttered with the deepest purity and love, melted even the stoniest of hearts. The Bardichever’s overwhelming love for the mitzvos was unprecedented. He would wait up all night after a yom tov, yearning for the first rays of the sun to creep across the inky sky so that he could don tefillin. On Succos, when the earliest chance came to fulfill the mitzvah of lulav and esrog, Rebbe Levi Yitzchak would jump toward the cabinet and lovingly gather the arba minim into his hands, kissing each before beginning to make the brachah. One year, out of his tremendous eagerness to fulfill the mitzvah, the Bardichever shot his hand straight through the glass pane of the cabinet door, shattering it with his fist. Blood dripped from the cuts in his hand, but Rebbe Levi Yitzchak did not notice. With the greatest affection, he gazed at his precious lulav and esrog and began the brachah.
The Bardichever’s passion was renowned, and many flocked to watch him study and pray. In his large yeshiva, he would penetrate the depths of the Talmud and the halachic codes with burning enthusiasm, learning with his hundreds of students for hours on end – standing. It is said in the name of Rav Itzil’e Vorker that if Hashem had commanded Rebbe Levi Yitzchak to light the menorah in the Beis Hamikdash, he would have burst with such intense joy that he would have broken the menorah and spilled all the oil on the floor.
Although his fiery enthusiasm for avodas Hashem and his piety are well documented in factual stories and legends alike, there are more tales told about his role as “the Advocate of the Jewish People” than anything else. No matter how dubious the circumstance, Rebbe Levi Yitzchak was constantly able to find favor in the actions of his fellow Jews and often utilized this positive viewpoint to entreat the Creator.
In addition, the Bardichever would entreat the Creator using original pleas and claims to bring blessing and redemption to the Jewish nation. Rebbe Levi Yitzchak would look heavenward and say “Master of the world! Why do You not act like even the simplest Jew in Klal Yisrael? If any member of Your holy nation were to drop his tefillin on the floor, he would immediately scoop them up with the greatest affection and kiss them. Master of the world, Your tefilin, Klal Yisrael, have been lying on the ground for close to two thousand years and we have still not yet been returned to our glory! Please, Father in Heaven! The time has come for You to pick up Your tefillin!”
In his holy book, entitled “Kedushas Levi“, the Bardichever opens a window into the lofty levels on which he lived. Kedushas Levi is widely studied today, and it is considered to be one of the earliest classics of Chassidic thought. Rebbe Levi Yitzchak’s humility, purity, vast wisdom and sweetness single him out as one of the most universally beloved of all Chassidic leaders. He lives on through his teachings, his pure message, and the classic tales about his unique character which seem never to grow stale.
This article was found in Nekuda Tova Issue 9.
