Yom Kippur: Please bless Your children
There is a most beautiful story, before Yom Kippur, the heliger Reb Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev (Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (1740-1810)) 1 gave notice to the whole city of Berditchev that he wants everyone to come and receive his blessings — but that it would cost one Ruble. Everybody came. One way or another, they either had a ruble, they borrowed a ruble, and everybody came. It was getting later and later, and Rebbe Yitzhak was not going to Shul yet. People were saying, it’s late, it’s late, but obviously he was waiting for somebody. Very late, very late — and all of us are so late. The secret of life is to know it’s never too late. But gevalt are we late. Finally, a very poor woman came. And she said to him, Heileger Reba, here is my Ruble, please bless me. And Rebbe Yitzhak blessed her and she went on to say, “Rebbe, believe me it was so hard for me to get this ruble. But here is my little girl with me. I don’t have a ruble for her. Could you please bless her for free? So Reb Levi Yitzhak says, “I’m sorry, the price is one ruble. What can I do? If you don’t have a ruble, I can’t bless your daughter.” The woman burst out crying and said, “Rebbe, I have only one ruble. Take away the blessing you gave me. I don’t care what happens to me ever. But please bless my child, heilege Reba, bless my child”. Rebbe Levi Yitzhak couldn’t control himself any more. He got up and he went to shul. He opened up the Holy Ark and said, “Ribono shel Olam, Master of the Universe. Did you here what this woman said? ‘I don’t care what happens to me, but please bless my child.’ Ribono shel Olam, how can You not do the same? I don’t care what happens to me, but please bless Your children.”
Brooklyn, 5749
Transcribed by Miriam Rubinoff for Connections Magazine
Copyright (C) 1989, Inner Foundation
Reprinted with permission.
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- Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (1740-1810), known as the Berdichever Rebbe was a rabbi and Hasidic leader. He was one of the main disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch. Reb Levi Yitzchok was known as the “defense attorney” for the Jewish people, because it was believed that he could intercede on their behalf before God. Known for his compassion for every Jew, he was therefore one of the most beloved leaders of Eastern European Jewry. He authored the Hasidic classic Kedushas Levi, which is a commentary on many Jewish religious books and laws, and is arranged according to the weekly Torah portion.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak wrote some popular Hasidic religious folk songs, including Dude’le and “The Kaddish of Rebbe Levi Yitzchok.” Reb Levi Yitzchak also composed a prayer in Yiddish, “God of Abraham”, that many Jewish people recite at the close of the Sabbath. He is buried in the old cemetery in Berdychiv, Ukraine. [↩]
