Shlomo Carlebach - R' Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev Dance Backwards At Reb Sholom Shachne Wedding

Reb Shlomo Carlebach ztl Story of R' Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev Dance Backwards At Reb Sholom Shachne of Prohobisht #ShlomoCarlebach #Berditchev #RebLeviYitzchok The 25th of Tishrei is the #yahrzeit —the day of passing and ascent into heaven—of Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (1740-1810). Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev is best known as the advocate of the Jewish people (sanegoran shel Yisra'el). He is famous for his ability to find the positive point in every Jew and in advocating in favor of the Jewish people as a whole in front of the Almighty and His Heavenly tribunal. Birth On the day that the Berditchever was born, the Ba’al Shem Tov conducted a farbrengen with great joy, during which he told his disciples that the soul of one who would be the spiritual defender of the Jewish people has just entered the world. In this respect Rebbe Levi Yitzchak's birth is similar to the Alter Rebbe's (the founder of Chabad-Lubavitch), for whose birth the Ba'al Shem Tov also made a festive farbrengen (it was on his own birthday, chai Elul) and announced the descent of his soul into the world. Three Guarantees It is related that the Satan tried to prevent Rebbe Levi Yitzchak's soul from entering the world, claiming that if he were to be born, he would no longer be able to succeed in his mission of promoting evil. In return for his consent to letting the Berditchever's soul come into the world, the Satan received three guarantees: That he would not be called "Rebbe" together with the name of his city, the Berditchever Rebbe (as was customary to call other tzadikim), but only the Berditchever Rov. That he would be persecuted throughout his life, far more than any of the other students of the Ba’al Shem Tov. That he would never meet the Ba’al Shem Tov, even though he was 20 when the Ba’al Shem Tov passed away. Rebbe Levi Yitzchak was born in the year 5500, which corresponds to the beginning of daylight of the sixth millennium of creation.(1) This was the time that the redemption truly began to shine. There are many tzadikim who expressed their deep spiritual connection to Rebbe Levi Yitzchak of Berditschev. Many tzadikim quote him often, but here we will focus on four tzadikim that related to him and his unique spiritual service in particular. As we will see later, these four and the manner in which they relate to the Berditschever correspond to the four letters of God's essential Name, Havayah.