I am never going back there again! - A Tale About the Berditchever

From the upcoming MeOros Kedushas Levi on Moadim

 

Rav Mordechai of Slonim related that he heard the following from a wagon driver who once spent Yom Kippur in the presence of Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev:

"One year as I was working as a wagon driver I was delayed late on Erev Yom Kippur and I ended up in Berditchev.

 

I was so late that I missed the normal services in most other shuls and they told me the only place I could still catch Kol Nidrei would be at Rav Levi Yitzchak's shul since there they had not yet started. I entered and sure enough services had not yet begun.

 

The hour was late and I was tired and irate. I stood there impatiently waiting for the services to begin and end so that I could rest my weary aching body after a hard back breaking day of labor. But that was not be! The holy tzadik entered the shul and began the Kol Nidrei service in a loud sweet voice. Until the prayers ended and the Berditchever had chanted the Shir HaYichud liturgical poems which conclude the evening davening the hour was late at night."

"As was the custom there was straw and hay spread out on the shul's dirt floor and we all lay ourselves down to bed for the night on the shul floor.

 

I too, lay down among the congregants trying to get some needed sleep.

 

However before I could grab no more than a few moments rest the door opened and everyone stood.

 

In came Rav Levi Yitzchak and not being rude I too had to stand on my weary two feet.

 

We all stood listening to his impassioned explanations of what the Kohen Gadol would do during this time on Yom Kippur and how he was awake the entire night and other things he did and reviewed that night in the past when the beis hamikdash still stood. When he finished, again we all lay down to rest."

The wagon driver continued, "After about an hour the door again opened and there stood Rav Levi Yitzchak, his fresh spirit full of enthusiasm and passionately he began to continue painting the picture of the Kohen Gadol's avodah!

 

The entire assembly stood in reverence listening with unabated dveykus to his sweet words.

 

This scenario repeated itself over and over agaon, over the course of the entire night till dawn broke!

 

At that point everyone rose to begin the Yom Kippur services for the rest of the day and they prayed that way all day long without any break at all!

 

When they finished Neilah it was late into the night after Yom Kippur!"

Then the wagon driver turned and concluded his story saying, "I am not going back there again! I do not have the strength to endure such avodah!"

 

 

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
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