לוי יצחק מברדיצ'ב

Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (29 Iyar 5500/1740–25 Tishrei 5570/1809), known by his sefer as the Kedushat Levi and by the title Klal Yisrael gave him — Sneigoron shel Yisrael and simply as the , the defender of Israel and simply as the Berditchever — was among the greatest of the chassidic Admorim. He was born in Husakiv to Rav Meir, av beit din of Zamosc, and to Sarah Sasha, and in his youth was called the Illui of Yaroslav. He married Perel, daughter of Rav Yisrael Peretz of Levertov, and after his wedding traveled to the Maggid of Mezritch, Rav Dov Ber, in whose beit midrash he learned for several years; he was also a talmid of the Maggid’s talmid Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg, whom he followed as rav of Ryczywol.

He served in Ryczywol from 5521/1761, in Zelechow from 5525/1765, and from 5536/1776 as rav and rosh yeshiva in Pinsk. In 5545/1785 he was removed from his post in Pinsk after the heads of the kehillah signed the cherem against the chassidim, and he came to Berditchev in Ukraine, where he founded a chassidic kehillah and served as rav until the day he was niftar — the city whose name he carries in the mouths of Jews to this day. He was great in nigleh no less than in nistar, and headed a yeshiva in which the revealed Torah was learned. Rav Nachman of Breslov called him the Pe’er of Israel and said that when Rav Levi Yitzchok said the word “HaBorei”, sparks of fire flew from his forehead; thousands upon thousands traveled to Berditchev to see his avodah.

Above all he was known for his way of finding merit for every Jew and pleading his case before the Ribbono shel Olam. The Tzemach Tzedek of Lubavitch said of him that from all the good he spoke of Klal Yisrael a heichal of merit was created above, called “Levi Yitzchok ben Sarah Sasha”, which opens when a Jew davens and says Tehillim and asks for rachamim in his zechut. Several Yiddish tefillot in song are his, among them A Dude’le and the Kaddish known as A din Toyre mit Gott.

His Kedushat Levi — derashot on the parshiyot and the yamim tovim, sections on Chanukah and Purim written out as a sefer by his own hand, and pieces on the aggadot of Shas — was first printed in 5558/1798 and has been reprinted many times since; he also left Beit Levi on Pirkei Avot. Among his talmidim were Rav Yisrael of Kozhnitz, author of Avodat Yisrael; Rav Aharon of Zhitomir, author of Toldot Aharon; Rav Naftali Tzvi of Ropshitz; Rav Avraham Dovid of Butchatch; and Rav Nosson of Breslov. His son Rav Yisrael succeeded him. He was niftar on 25 Tishrei 5570 and is buried in the old Jewish cemetery in Berditchev, where his kever draws those who come to daven; in 5780/2020 the rav of the city uncovered his original matzeivah and those of his sons beneath a layer of concrete poured before the Second World War to guard the kevarim from desecration.