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By: Chaya Sora Jungreis-Gertzulin
My mother, the Rebbetzin a”h, would often lead Hineni tours to Israel. Instead of doing the typical tourist sightseeing, Hineni tours had a mission. A mission of prayer and spiritual growth. The itinerary was filled with stops at holy sites, historic shuls, and the resting places of great rabbis and tzaddikim. Whoever joined, returned home spiritually invigorated.
Hineni tours to Israel often had an additional European country or two added on. My husband and I had the good fortune to accompany my mother on one such tour, which included Russia, Ukraine and Israel. A highlight of the European leg of the trip was our stop in Barditchev, Ukraine.
It was late night when our tour bus pulled into Barditchev. We were greeted by our hosts, Rabbi and Rebbetzin Breuer, a most amazing couple. After their youngest child married, they felt it was time to give back to Am Yisroel. With the encouragement of their mentor, the Skverer Rebbe, they moved to Barditchev, where they became the rabbi and rebbetzin.
The Breuer home was open 24/7, open to the people of the community, open to travelers, open to us. Their focus was to bring a Torah way of life to a Jewish community that had been robbed of their heritage by decades of communist rule. They would gather youth from all over Ukraine, infuse them with Yiddishkeit, and then send them to either the United States or Israel to continue their Torah studies. We actually met several elderly Barditchev residents whose grandchildren were brought back to Torah by the rabbi and rebbetzin and were studying in various yeshivos and seminaries abroad.
Though the hour was late, Rebbetzin Breuer prepared a sumptuous meal for our entire group, and while we dined, both the rabbi and rebbetzin shared stories about Jewish life in Ukraine.
It was past midnight by the time we left the Breuer home, and proceeded to the kever, the burial place of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Barditchev (1740-1809). Guided by the light of the single flashlight of Rabbi Breuer, we made it through the pitch black pathways of the centuries-old cemetery.
As we entered the ohel (mausoleum) of the holy Barditchever, there, hanging next to his tombstone was a prayer that he composed. “Lomir machen a beyt – Let us make a deal.” It is said to be Rabbi Lev Yitzchak’s Din Torah mit Gut – Court case with G-d.
As my mother read Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s prayer aloud, there wasn’t a dry eye amongst the group. We were in a cemetery in the middle of the night, and listening to the stirring, pleading words of the Barditchever created an indelible memory.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was known as the advocate of Am Yisroel, the defender of the Jewish people. With his pure eyes, he saw only the good in each and every person. He looked at every Jew with kindness and compassion. No wonder that the Holy Barditchever composed a prayer pleading with HaShem on behalf of his beloved people.
The Barditchever’s tefilla opens with him humbly introducing himself as Levi Yitzchak, son of Sora Sasha. He pleads before HaShem: “Ribbono Shel Olam, lomir machen a beyt – Master of the Universe, let’s make a deal. Ich vel dir gebben, chatoim, avonos un peshayim – I will give You all our intentional and unintentional sins. And my dear Father, perhaps you will ask, what should You give me in exchange for this? Du vestr mir gebben – You will give me mechila, selicha, un kappara – You will give me forgiveness, cleansing and atonement… Oy vei Tatte…
The prayer is also known as Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s Kaddish, for it in concludes with the words Yisgadal, v’yisgadash shemei rabbah…. May His great Name grow, be exalted and sanctified….
On Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak would lead his congregation in prayer. It is said that prior to the Kaddish, the Barditchever would make his “plea” with HaShem.
The Holy Barditchver’s prayer was written in a different world, but the words resonate with us to this day. Every year on Yom Kippur, we too stand in shul and beseech HaShem, as we pound our chest, saying Selach lanu, mechal lanu, kaper lanu – Forgive us, pardon us, atone us. We too, ask HaShem for complete forgiveness.
The Talmud teaches, Kol ha’maavir al midosov, ma’avirim lo al pasha’av – Whomever looks away from wrongs done to him, will merit to have his misdeeds overlooked. (Yoma 23a). Simply put, if we truly seek forgiveness from HaShem, we must be forgiving of others. Let go of the grudges, the pettiness, the resentment and negativity that we may be harboring.
Yom Kippur is approaching. It’s time to be forgiving. Not always an easy task. But when we are – it’s so liberating, and so rewarding.
Forgiving doesn’t make a wrong right, but it does mean understanding and accepting that we are all human, we all make mistakes. We should find it in our hearts to not only forgive others, but to forgive ourselves. To stop living with the would’ves, could’ves, and should’ves of life.
Looking away and forgiving others is only one side of the coin. We must also be proactive in asking for forgiveness. To apologize for wrongs we may have done. To simply say I’m sorry, without any “buts”, explanations and excuses.
“I am so sorry”. Words that at times are difficult to say. Unfortunately, we often find it easier to say I’m sorry to those who are a little removed from us. It has become a trend before Yom Kippur to blast out generalized “I’m Sorry…please forgive me” texts or emails. At the same time, to those who are nearest and dearest, our spouses, parents and children, we may find the words hard to come by.
Sometimes, it is the children who show us the way. “And a young child shall lead them…” (Isaiah 11:06)
My friend’s daughter found a note in a pile of paper that her little six-year-old asked her to mail.
“I am sorry I did this. It is my fault. I hope you will come to my birthday party. Are we still friends?”
A little six-year-old wrote this letter on her own. A little girl with a special neshamah. She felt that she had to right a wrong. A small note that speaks volumes. A little girl from whom we can all learn.
May the Holy Barditchever continue to defend us from Above. May HaShem hear our prayers and give us selicha, mechila and kappara – forgiveness, pardon and atonement. May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life.
Shabbat Shalom and G’mar Chasima Tova!
Chaya Sora
This article was written L’zecher Nishmas/In Memory Of HaRav Meshulem ben HaRav Osher Anshil HaLevi, zt”l and Rebbetzin Esther bas HaRav Avraham HaLevi, zt”l
