A Broken Pitam and a Broken Heart

From the upcoming MeOros Kedushas Levi on Moadim:

A Broken Pitam and a Broken Heart

Once there was a great shortage of Esrogim for the Succos holiday, and only
after great exertion and much effort was an esrog acquired. One esrog for
the entire city of Berditchev which was brough to Rav Levi Yitzchak. It was
understood that all the townspeople wpuld come on the holiday to pronounce
the blessing on this esrog.

The Shamash said to himself, "surely first Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev
will make the blessing with the esrog, and after him all the important
personages in town, and then afterwards everyone else. I myself will be
among the last people to hold and bless the esrog." He came up with an idea,
he would wake up extra early and when no one was around he would be the
first to make the blessing and no one would be the wiser! This is what he
did.

However since he was in such a state of fear and panic rushing and hurried
to finish his deed without being discovered, he accidentally dropped the
esrog so that it fell and the pitam broke off! The esrog was now pasul,
unfit for use by anyone!

The Shamash was heartbroken with anguish, because of his misdeed now the
entire town of Berditshev had no esrog at all! Th Shamash came crying
heartrending tears of anguish and despair before the Tzadik Rav Levi
Yitzchak of Berditshev. He was sure that the rebbe would rebuke and berate
him yelling at him for his misdeed. However Rav Levi Yitzchak simply turned
to Hashem and cried out "Ribono Shel Olam! Master of the World, see what a
nation You have?! See how they are worried and distressed to fulfill Your
commandments!" He used the episode to advocate on behalf of the Jewish
people.
(Shemuos VeSippurim I)

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
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The holy Berditchever once asked the following question on Yom Kippur:

From the upcoming MeOros Kedushas Levi on Moadim

The Berditchever once asked the following question on Yom Kippur:

"We know that the halacha is that it is forbidden to recite a blessing in vain, and to say Hashem's holy name. If so, how can we recite the blessing 'Blessed are You Hashem the King who forgives our sins'? How can we be so sure that Hashem will forgive us?"

To answer his question he told the following parable:

"When a child wants a sweet treat like an apple and his father is not so forthcoming what does he do? Any smart crafty little boy knows just the trick! He quickly recites the blessing aloud 'Blessed are You Hashem our G-d, King of the Universe who created the fruit of the tree!' Now the child prods his father "Nu . . .Nu . . ." Now, no father wants his son to have transgressed by reciting a blessing in vain, so left with no choice he gives him the apple!"

"So are we, Hashem's wayward children. We too recite the blessing of forgiveness on Yom Kippur to snatch the opportunity to prod our Father in Heaven, Nu Nu Tatte! And so too we trust that our heilige Tatte in himel, our holy Father in Heaven will not wish to have caused us to have recited a blessing in vain, and then He will have no choice but to forgive us!

 

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
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Re: {Be'er Mayim Chaim} Selichos

Some people mentioned that they missed the punchline, The Berditchever meant: Master of the World see the contrast & difference between the nations such as Ivan and Your children! They wont get up for Selichos they would rather sleep all morning but Your children rise up early even before daybreak for Selichos.

Selichos

The Berditchever was always searching for ways to advocate for the yidden, he sent his gabbai to awaken Ivan for Selichos. He growled threatening the poor gabbai who said "Ivan does'nt want to get up for Selichos!" "Go back right now and wake him!" the Berditchever ordered. This time Ivan growled, "Selichos what Selichos!? Grr..I will give you what to be sorry about, it's not even daybreak!" He poured out his wrath and abuse on the poor gabbai! When the gabbai hobbled back and repeated his failure, Rav Levi Yitzchak looked heavenward "Master of the World see how righteous your children are!"

 

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
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Smoking on Shabbos

Rav Levi Yitzchak of Berditschev, was renowned not only as a great Talmudist and a Tzaddik, but, particularly, as one who always-judged others most favorably. He possessed ingenuity in discovering a merit in even the most wicked and lowly person, that he was called the Saneigoran Shel Yisroel The Defense Lawyer and Advocate of Israel.

From the upcoming MeOros Kedushas Levi on the Torah:

I Cannot Tell A Lie

The Berditchever once saw a Jew smoking on Shabbos.

"Surely you forgot that it's Shabbos today?" said the Berditchever, giving the man the benefit of the doubt.

"No, I remembered that it's Shabbos today rabbi," the man replied.

"So perhaps you forgot that it is forbidden to smoke on Shabbos?" the great advocate persisted.

But the young man answered, "No rabbi, I remembered that it's forbidden to smoke on Shabbos."

What line of defense could the tzaddik could come up with in the face of such brazen chutzpah. Everyone held their breath in suspense.

Rav Levi Yitzchak's surprising response was to turn heavenward and with outspread arms declare in triumph: "Look, Ribono Shel Olam - Master of the universe! Even this Jew who has fallen to such a low level that he smokes on Shabbos is still not willing to tell a lie!"

(Based on Sources: Rav Yaakov Yosef Wurtzberger of Tiferes Berditchev – Yerushalayim; Also retold by by Sir Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom in Devarim - Counsel for the Defense, July 21^st,2007 p15-16.)

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
join the mailing list here: http://groups.google.com/group/beermayimchaim
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Kedushas Levi on Tu BeAv - Remembering Our Father

Kedushas Levi on Tu BeAv - Remembering Our Father

"There were no other days as good for Bnei Yisroel as the the 15th of Av and
Yom Kippur." (Taanis 26b)

This can be explained based on the verse (Shemos 17:8) "Amalek came and
battled Israel in Refidim." Before this it is written (ibid 17:7) "Is Hashem
among us or not?"

This can be understood by the following parable: A son was on his father's
shoulders, he sicked the dog on him etc. (See Rashi ibid; Pesikta Rabbasi
13) "The parasha of Amalek follows the previous verse asking whether Hashem
is among us or not? To teach us that Hashem says I am always among you and I
am found ready to fulfill all of your needs and how can you ask if Hashem is
among you or not? By your life! A dog shall come and bite you and you shall
cry out to me and then you will know where I am! This can be compared to a
parable a father went out on a journey with his son on his shoulders. If the
son saw an object he desired he said father give me this thing and he would
give it to him. This repeated itself a second and third time. They happened
upon a man and the son asked him, have you seen my father? The father said
to his son, don't you know where I am? He threw him off his shoulders, and a
dog came and bit him."
We see that the father frighten his son in order to remind him that he has a
father who can save him from that frightening thing. And as soon as he knows
that he has a father then his father draws him close in many ways to
demonstrate that closeness.

This is why this month is called Av - which means father, and why our temple
was destroyed during this month, in order to remind us of our Father.l Once
we recognize this fact and this knowledge will penetrate into us then the
Holy One will rebuild the beis hamikdash.

The Gemarra explains (ibid) regarding Tu BeAv that it is a time [of
happiness since it is] when the tribes were allowed to intermarry. . . Study
it at length.
. . . Each and every tribe has its own special way and path, (Pri Etz Chaim
Shaar Tefillah). Down here below this is represented by a hue for each tribe
as the colors of the precious stones found in the Choshen, the Kohen Gadol's
breastplate. Each color of each stone represented the unique character of
each tribe as is known. (Rabbeinu Bachaya Shemos 28:15)1

When all the tribes reach the level of self nullification and effacement
known as Ayin then all the colors mix and intermingle together with
eachother. Now when the Jewish people grasp the understanding that (though
we are different and unique individuals) we all have one father, this is the
meaning of [Tu BeAv being] a day when the tribes were allowed to intermarry.
It alludes to what we explained.

Notes:
1. The Rabbeinu Bachaya in his commentary to Shemos 28:15 explains that it
is a Kabbalistic wonder how each one of the tribes was given a colored stone
for the Choshen which matches their attribute up above. He then matches the
stones and their colors to the attributes and characteristics of each tribe
according to Kabbalah.

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022 / eFax: 1-832-213-3135
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The Kedushas Levi and Rav Moshe Bostoner Zt"l

 

I was zoche to spend some time with Rav Meir of Boston Har Nof Shlit"a tonight at a simchah in Jerusalem,

 

we were (off course) discussing the Kedushas Levi project I am imy"h printing and during the conversation he told me the following story about his uncle Rav Moshe of Boston Zt"l

 

Rav Moshe once suffered cardiac arrest and he was Baruch Hashem revived. At the seudas hodaah - the festival meal he conducted thanking Hashem for His kindness and mercy in granting him life he told the following remarkable story:

 

"When I was unconscious my soul left my body and I found myself at a long table serving and giving out Kugel to guests. I then noticed a distinguished looking older Yid with a red beard sit down at the table beside me. I turned to my father and asked him who that Yid is. "That is the Berditchever Rav," answered my father. I turned to him and he grasped my wrist and said, "Yungerman! - Young man, you are too young to be here!" With that I awoke and found myself back in this world. I looked down at my wrist and there was a red hand mark there, where the Berditchever had grasped me!"

 

 

Kol Tuv,
R' Tal Moshe Zwecker
Director Machon Be'er Mayim Chaim
Chassidic Classics in the English Language
www.chassidusonline.com
chassidusonline@gmail.com
Phone: 972-2-992-1218 / Cell: 972-54-842-4725
VoIP: 516-320-6022
eFax: 1-832-213-3135
join the mailing list to keep updated about new projects here:
http://groups.google.com/group/beermayimchaim
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