A Rebbe Story: "I Love Hashem!!"

A Rebbe Story: "I Love Hashem!!"

 

Okay; this is a Rebbe Story I just really want to share with you, as it is so inspiring, and it just deserves to be shared!!: 

 

One time, Reb Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev zt”l asked to be able to come over to Rebbe Baruch of Medzbuzh zt”l’s house for Shabbos. Since they held different customs, Reb Baruch zt”l asked Reb Levi Yitzchok zt”l to sort of do things like him, and then he could come over. 

So, Shabbos evening, they Davened Maariv, and the Berditchever zt”l had to try to contain his emotion, because he usually would Daven in a way a lot of us have never seen before. With passion, fervor, and he could not contain his love and passion, so he made lots of motions and movements too.  Sometimes he would get so intense, he would even jump around during Davening!  Wow!

Anyway, he was able to get through Davening without doing things like he usually did.  But when it came to the Shabbos night meal, a man went around serving different kinds of fish - sweet and salty.  This was because some had the custom to eat salty fish, and some sweet, at the Shabbos night meal.

And so, the man who was serving it asked Reb Levi Yitzchok; “Do you like sweet or salty fish?” The Berditchever zt”l could no longer contain himself, and he replied “Like fish?! Like fish?! I love Hashem!!!!!” And he threw up his hands towards Heaven with passion and fervor. 

But this is not yet the end of the story:  When he threw up his hands, they accidentally hit the tray carrying the fish.  Fish went flying, and a big piece of it landed on Reb Baruch's Tallis!!  The Chassidim didn't know what their Rebbe (Reb Baruch) would do.  However, he understood that the Berditchever zt"l was real and true in his service of Hashem, and so he told his Chassidim that he would never wash that Tallis, because the stains on it came from a true Eved Hashem. 


This Tallis was passed down from Rebbe to Rebbe, until it came to the first Munkatcher Rebbe (Rebbe Chaim Elazar Spira zt"l), who lived right before the Holocaust.  He foresaw what was going to happen, and asked to be buried in that holy Tallis.  And so it was.[1] 


Wow!  The Berditchever Rebbe zt"l loved Hashem so, so much, we cannot even imagine!  It is so inspiring to see this high level, for, though it might be hard for all of us to reach it, you never know, maybe we could. 


Let us all try to love Hashem to the level we are supposed to ("And you shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart, and with all your Soul, and with all your might/resources", as we say in Shema every day), and may Hashem help everyone to do this always, Amein, so may it be His Will.  And, in this merit, may Hashem, Blessed is His Name, send Mashiach very, very speedily in everyone's days, Amein, vi'Amein. 


Have a terrific day everyone!


Refoel Berel




[1] YouTube.com©.  'Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev'.  Shiur given by HaRav Avraham Arieh Trugman shlita.  Uploaded by the channel 'Rabbi Trugman'.