The great Rebbe of Berditchev, R’ Levi Yitzchok (Roskov) zt”l, was renowned for his tremendous erudition in Torah, his love for every single Jew, and his advocacy before the Heavenly court on behalf of the Jewish people. R’ Levi Yitzchok was known as the “defense attorney” for the Jewish people, because it was believed that he could intercede on their behalf before Hashem. He was, therefore, one of the most beloved leaders of Eastern European Jewry, and he made the name of the little village of Berditchev everlastingly famous.
The story of how R’ Levi Yitzchok came to Berditchev is no less wondrous than the man himself. R’ Levi Yitzchok had been appointed to lead a number of towns before he arrived in Berditchev, including Ritchvol, Zelichov, and Pinsk. While still in Zelichov, he had constant run-ins with the local population who did not appreciate his brand of chasidic thought. For the length of time that he and his family lived in Zelichov, they did not know from tranquility.
One year, on the night of Pesach, a prominent member of the Zelichov community was hosting his relatives at the Pesach Seder, who had come to him from the distant city of Berditchev. The guest was a wealthy man who had clout and importance in his city, and he was curious to meet this young rabbi, who had not long ago been chosen as the Rabbi in Zelichov. When their Seder had concluded, relatively early in the night, he asked his host if he could take him to the Rebbe’s home, so he can get to meet him. The host was not a fan of R’ Levi Yitzchok and refused to go along with his guest; however, he did show him where the young rabbi’s house was and told him he can go by himself if he pleased.
The guest from Berditchev did just that, and when he reached the rabbi’s home, he stealthily stood by an open window and listened in to R’ Levi Yitzchok’s Seder. He heard the young rabbi discussing the story of the Exodus and answering the questions that his children posed to him.
All seemed normal and routine until the rabbi got up to the part about the Ten Plagues that were inflicted on Egypt. As he listened from the window, he heard R’ Levi Yitzchok reciting the plagues loud and clear, but each one with an addition.
“Dam (Blood) – the Russian Czar; Tz’fardei’a (Frogs) – the Emperor of Austro-Hungary; Kinim (Lice) – the German Kaiser; Arov (Wild Animals) ... Dever (Pestilence) ... Sh’chin (Boils) – the King of Saxony; Barad ... Arbeh ... Choshech ... Makas B’choros.” With each plague recited, R’ Levi Yitzchok mentioned a different head of state, or country. The man at the window was amused and shook his head as if to say, he understood why his host and the other townspeople had a problem with this rabbi. After that, he left the window and went back to his lodging.
As mentioned, this man was quite a wealthy businessman, and his business interests took him to various parts of the European continent, and beyond. Within a few short weeks after Pesach, an interesting thing happened: Wherever he traveled, he learned that the ruler of that province had come down with a mysterious and secret ailment. Whether it was a rare blood disorder of the Czar of Russia, or an infestation of lice at the palace of the German Kaiser, strange and unusual things were happening all over the world. Countries were being overrun by hordes of wild animals, frogs or locusts, hailstorms that seemed to pop up out of nowhere, and even a solar eclipse that brought darkness to one region of the world. It was when he found himself in Saxony, and he learned that the constitutional ruler of Saxony came down with a rare case of leprosy, that produced boils and skin infections all over his body, that he realized that the young rabbi he had seen and heard in Zelichov most definitely had something to do with these phenomena. The man was no ordinary Torah scholar.
It wasn’t long before R’ Levi Yitzchok was forced to leave Zelichov, and after that, Pinsk. When it became known that he was looking for a new position, the rich man used his personal wealth and connections to bring R’ Levi Yitzchok to Berditchev, where he remained as the Rav and eminent defender of his people for the next 25 years.
Rabbi Dovid Hoffman is the author of the popular “Torah Tavlin” book series, filled with stories, wit and hundreds of divrei Torah, including the brand new “Torah Tavlin Yamim Noraim” in stores everywhere. You’ll love this popular series. Also look for his book, “Heroes of Spirit,” containing one hundred fascinating stories on the Holocaust. They are fantastic gifts, available in all Judaica bookstores and online at http://israelbookshoppublications.com. To receive Rabbi Hoffman’s weekly “Torah Tavlin” sheet on the parsha, e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
