Issue (# 23) A Tzaddik, or righteous person makes everyone else appear righteous before Hashem by advocating for them and finding their merits. (Kedushas Levi, Parshas Noach; Sefer Bereishis 7:1) Parshas Pekudei - Vayikra Kedushas Ha'Levi'im THE FOLLY OF FALSE PRIDE And if an individual from among the people of the land shall sin unintentionally by performing one of commandments of Hashem that may not be done, he is guilty. (Vayikra 4:27) The holy Berditchever teaches us in Kedushas Levi that it is well known that the more a person serves HaKadosh Baruch Hu, the more he realizes that he is nothing compared to Hashem. If a person performs a mitzvah, thinking how great he is that he is sincerely serving Hashem, then that mitzvah becomes worthless. This is the meaning of the verse “If an individual shall sin...” — what is the sin that he committed? That “he performed one of the commandments of Hashem that may not be done, [and so] he is guilty” — the mitzvah that he performed should have made him feel like he is nothing and it should have instilled in him a great sense of humility, but instead he thinks that he is serving Hashem properly! That is why he is guilty of a sin. The Tailor's False Pride Reb Avraham of Kaliblatt, the son of the righteous Rav Binyamin Ze'ev HaLevi of Balta, once related a wondrous tale that occurred during the time of the Berditchiver. There was once a tax collector who lived in a certain village. In that village there were certain Jews who were bartenders who rented the privilege of selling spirits and hard liquor and purchased those drinks from the tax collector. Among them was a tailor who also dealt as a bartender. The tailor was a difficult man to get along with, and he caused much anguish and suffering since more often than not he refused to pay for the liquor he was buying. Once when the tailor did not pay up his credit dues to the tax collector's salesman, the salesman (who was simply a middle man who worked collecting the rents from the bartenders) went and called upon some gentiles for help. Together they decided to employ force and scare tactics to extract the rental fees and the payment for the liquor from the tailor. They used whatever tactics were common in those times. However the tailor then went to the tax collector himself and began to berate him and he caused such anguish and embarrassment that the tax- collector ordered the tailor be thrown out. As they threw the tailor out across the threshold, he hit himself against the doorstep and died on the spot. Afterwards he was buried according to the custom. That Shabbos night as the guttering candles were burning low and the tax collector was sitting and studying, he saw the dead tailor open the door to his room in anger saying, “Come inside!” Immediately many departed spirits entered the room and began to seat themselves around the table saying that the tailor wished to have a trial against the tax-collector since his sudden death occurred due to his actions. The tax-collector replied: “You have all come from the world of truth, and even if my embarrassment and harassment means nothing to you, in our world here, it is very real and he has caused me great sufferings. Therefore if he wishes us to be tried it will have to be in an earthly court.” The departed spirits asked him where this judgment would take place and with whom? “At the Berditchiver's,” replied the tax-collector. The spirits agreed and they also established a date for the trial on the coming Tuesday, and they began to leave and depart. The tax-collector told them: “take the tailor with you since I fear him.” So they took him along as well and left. The tax-collector followed them and locked all the doors behind them and lay down in bed to sleep. As he lay there, again he saw the tailor standing before him. The tax-collector turned over in bed and faced the wall and tailor appeared there as well! The tax-collector felt faint and as he thrashed about wildly in fear, he screamed and woke his wife from her sleep. She in turn woke her husband from his nightmares and he felt better once more. After Shabbos he traveled to the Berditchiver and related the entire story to him. The Berditchiver asked his beis din to convene that evening, and ordered that the entire rabbinical court must immerse themselves in the mikva before coming and hearing the tax-collector's arguments. Each member immersed himself seven times and they then heard his arguments till the day broke. They then conducted their prayers and the Berditchiver commanded them once again to immerse in the mikvah. They then heard the tax-collectors closing arguments. The Berditchiver asked them to write up the judgment, but the rabbinical court was confused since they had only heard the tax collector's side of the story. “Do not fear,” said the Berditchiver, “you should know that this tailor was a sly snake! It was his own false pride that caused his death when he was thrown out and his gall bladder split and he died. Even in death he remains a snake, now he is trying with his sly ways to have the tax collector support his wife and children. Write up the judgment that the tax collector sit and study for the tailor's soul, for the first thirty days from his passing. Let him recite the kaddish on the tailor's behalf and light a Yarhzeit candle every year on the anniversary of his passing.” The beis din wrote up the judgment and Rav Levi Yitzchak asked the tax-collector to place the judgement on the grave of the tailor. After that the tailor's soul did not return and was not seen or heard from again. (Imrei Pinchas Sha'ar Sipurim, # 65). Refuah Sheleima זיסל בת אידל סומא | Zisel Bas Aidel Sima Rivka Bas Malka Gittel Bas Devora Besoch She'ar Cholei Yisroel ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ In Loving Memory of Our Dear Father and Teacher ,of Micula ז״ל ,HaRav HaChassid Avraham Chaim ben Sholom and Frumit Goldenberg Satmar זצ״ל ,A beloved talmid of HaRav Yechezkel Shraga Schonfeld זי״ע ,”and of the Holy Satmar Rav, Ba’al “Divrei Yoel לעילוי נשמת הרה''ח ר' אברהם חיים ב''ר שלום ז''ל ▪ נפטר מוצש''ק כ''א שבט תשס''ו ▪ ת. נ. צ. ב. ה. To subscribe and/or add to the Refuah Sheleima list Please email: [email protected] 7 Adar ~ Starts the evening of March 8th Birthday of Moshe Rabbeinu ben Amram HaLevi [1393 BCE (Sotah 12b)] and his yahrtzeit [1273 BCE] (Kiddushin 38a). Rav Shlomo Ephraim of Lunshitz, author of Kli Yakar (1550-1619). (According to the bio in one of the newer printings of Kli Yakar, this is a mistake that was made on the new matzeiva and 7 Iyar is correct). After serving as rosh yeshiva in Lemberg, he became the Rav of Prague. He was well-known as an inspiring speaker. In addition to Kli Yakar, Rav Shlomo Ephraim also wrote special selichos to be said in memory of the Jews of Prague who suffered horribly during the pogroms of 1611. Rav Avraham Tzvi Patznovski of Piotrokov (1819). Rav Yitzchak Eizik Taub of Kalev, founder of Kuliver Chassidic line in Hungary (1744 (or 1751)-1821). Born to Rav Yechezkel, in Szerencs, Hungary. According to stories of Hungarian Chassidim, Rav Leib Sarahs received permission from the boy’s widowed mother to raise him and took him directly to Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg. Rav Yitzchak Eizik also learned Chassidus from Rav Elimelech of Lizhensk. After his marriage to Feige, Rav Yitzchak Eizik's wife remained in her hometown of Tertzel while Rav Yitzchak Eizik continued away from home for many years. His wife's financial needs were supplied by a wealthy Kaliv Jew, Yaakov Fisch. In gratitude, Rav Yitzchak Eizik blessed Yaakov with good health and he lived for over a hundred years. When Rav Yitzchak Eizik returned home 1781, the Jews of Szabolcs county appointed him as their leader, and he moved to Nagykálló, or Kaliv as it known to Jews. For the next forty years, Rav Yitzchak Eizik pioneered the spread of Chassidus throughout Hungary from Kaliv, and he is regarded as the first Admor to take up permanent residence in Hungary. Rav Yitzchak Eizik is remembered as "the sweet singer of Yisrael" and is famed for his niggunim. Rav Alter Yechezkel Eliyahu ben Rav Yehoshua Horowitz of Dzhikov HY”D. Rav Menachem Mendel Landau of Zabeirtze (1935). Rav Tzvi Kinstlicher, author of Sheilos U’teshuvos Be’er Tzvi (1965). Rav Yaakov ben Rav Raphael Baruch Toledano, author of Chazon Baruch. Rav Yaakov Yissaschar Ber ben Rav Chaim Mordechai Rosenbaum of Nadworna Bnei Brak. 8 Adar ~ Starts the evening of March 9th Rav Shmuel Dovid Ungar of Neitra, a descendent of Don Yitzchak Abarbanel. Rav Gershon of Lotzk, a talmid of the Mezritcher Maggid (1788). Rav Aryeh Leib Hanover (1715-1789). Son of the Pnei Yehoshua, he married the daughter of Rav Yechiel Michel Haplerin, Rav of Berzhan. After posts at Skohl and Sevirz, he was asked to serve as Rav at Hanover at the age of 41. He was a fierce opponent of the supporters of Shabtai Tzvi. His chidushei Torah are printed in the sefer Pnei Aryeh on Maseches Bava Kamma.