Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev

Levi Yitzchak ben Meir of Berdichev (* 1740, † 1810), was a Hasidic rabbi and tzaddik.

Life

Levi Yitzchak came from a rabbinical family, his father was a rabbi in a small Galician town. After his marriage Levi Yitzchak moved into the house of his father- in Lubartow, where he continued his Torastudien. At this time he made ​​the acquaintance of Israel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov. In 1766 he made ​​a study trip to Rabbi Dov Baer of Mezritch and became one of his most loyal students. He was then for a short time rabbi in Poland Żelechów, where he soon had to leave due to the resistance of mitnagdim ( opponents of Hasidism ) the place. This is evidenced by a letter from 1774. In 1775 he was elected rabbi of Pinsk, but was there also dismissed due to the pressure of mitnagdim that were supported by the Gaon of Vilna. In 1785 he moved to Berdichev and served there until his death as a rabbi. In Berdichev be acquired Levi Yitzchak great fame as rabbis, Hasidic leader and Torah scholar. Even his opponents recognized his scholarship here, but complained about his lack of Kabbalistic knowledge. He participated frequently in political issues of the Russian Empire. At the beginning of the 19th century, he discussed with other leaders the state prohibition of Jewish settlements in the villages and other measures announced; 1807 his name at the top of a list of Jewish supporters of the Russian war effort against the expected French invasion by Napoleon. In 1793 he became seriously ill and was supported by Israel ben Shabtai, the Maggid of Kozienice.

Work and impact

Levi Yitzchak regarded as the founder of Hasidism in central Poland, and has done much to spread the movement in Lithuania and Ukraine. In his travels around the country he was accompanied by his minyan and won many supporters for Hasidism. A Mitnaged, Israel Loebl, describes a visit to the tzaddik in Warsaw and his Mincha prayer in the Royal Baths Park. His collection of sermons Kedushas Levi was in his lifetime several times published (1798, 1806) and 1811 supplemented by his sons from posthumous manuscripts. In his teachings, he emphasized the element of joy in Hasidism, the principle of devotion to God ( dewekut ), and the need to carry out stage of the prayer " abstraction of physicality ." In an intense prayer " with all your heart and all your soul rejoices the spirit of man, for he is raised from the material world, and only the spirit remains " ( Kedushas Levi, commentary on the weekly portion Wajera ). He was known for his singing prayers in which he turned in Yiddish to the Creator. He distinguished between two kinds of preachers: one exhorts " with good words ," the people will show " his merit and the source of his soul," brings his positive qualities expressed and shows him ways to climb on. The other exhorts " with strict words " and forces with respect threats. "Only those who gently admonished the people raises their souls and always stressed their righteousness is worthy to lead them. " ( Kedushas Levi )