Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev’s Kaddish
Commemorating the yahrzeit (anniversary of death) of the “defense attorney of the Jewish People,” Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev z”l.
By: Yaakov Rosenfeld
The people of Israel now need the mercy of heaven. Bad news torments the soul and the fear does not rest. Tzadikim (righteous ones) said that the mere mention of the name of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev z”l is an omen for preservation and success.
The tomb of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (Kiyanka)
This exhalted tzaddik, whose name raises a feeling of admiration in the hearts of chassidic people and people of faith from generation to generation, his power and the power of his Torah and poetry still influence to this day even Jews who are still “far” from a life of Torah and mitzvot, as we learned from this wonderful story that happened in Moscow exactly sixty-five years ago.
It was the merit of the holy rabbi to protect Jews near and far, who are in trouble and in need of G-d’s mercy.
In the fifties, the African-American singer and actor, Paul LeRoy Bustill Robeson (April 9, 1898 – January 23, 1976), who was known worldwide for his resounding performances against slavery and oppression, appeared in Moscow, and millions crowded the events where he sang and played.
Paul Robeson (courtesy of Wikipedia)
At that time, Soviet Russia was full of Jews who for many years knew nothing about their Judaism beyond the point of Israel that throbbed in their hearts, and at a mass event where Paul Robeson appeared in 1958, he decided to perform Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev’s tune for the “Kaddish” (or, by its other name: “A (religious) Court Case with G-d”), a tune that he performed frequently in front of different audiences of every nation and language.
At that concert, military, academic, cultural, and government officials filled the hall completely. They were the representatives of Russian society and influential in every field and interest. The organizers of the event, when they heard from Paul Robeson’s about his intention to perform the song of the Rebbe of Berdichev, they were amazed by the program. They were sure that this was neither the place nor the time. One of the organizers wrote him a small note: “No one in the audience here understands Yiddish, so it is not suitable for singing at the evening; this is a Jewish tune.”
However, the famous actor, celebrated singer, and gentile, knew from his experience that this melody would touch the hearts of countless people, and decided to ignore this request and began to perform the heart-wrending Kaddish song.
“This song,” declared Paul Robeson, “perhaps you haven’t heard it yet… it was written one hundred and fifty years ago by a Russian man, and his name is Levi Yitzchak from the city of Berditchev…”
And he began:
Angels of high with angels of low
Everyone will tremble and be afraid, oh the terror of your judgment,
And I, Levi Yitzchak ben (son of) Sasia, sing of a maggot and a worm,
I came to ask for Your people Israel, what do You want for Your people Israel?
What do You desire from Your people Israel?
It seems that what you need is “Speak to the children of Israel”,
What you want is “say to the children of Israel”,
No matter what – “Command the children of Israel”,
How many nations are there in the world?
Arabs, Babylonians, Chaldeans, Persians
But what do we have to say then? That the Jews are called
Children of G-d! – Yitgadal (exhalted)
Shmuel Dresner described (Berditchev, pg. 212, pg. 23):
“After Robeson sang the first and second part of the Kaddish, the hall shook, and here and there sighs and subdued sobs were heard.”
“And at the end of the song, as well, with the cry of ‘Yitgadal.'”
“Crying was heard from all sides. Streams of tears flowed from dozens of pairs of eyes. The applause that was first scattered and hesitant soon turned into a deafening noise that shook the walls of the hall. The song became a cry of strengthening hands and embracing the heart for the Jews of Moscow who would be bereaved for many weeks after the concert.”
This testimony was published in various sources, and in one of the lessons given by Zev Kitzis as part of the course “Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev – Reality, Literature and Folklore”, one of the students told the story of the “Kaddish” in Moscow:
“According to her, the student’s parents immigrated to Israel from Moscow and they would tell about an African-American singer from the United States who performed in communist Moscow in the 1950s in front of a large audience, many of whom were Jews who had strayed from the traditions of their ancestors. Surprisingly, the singer sang Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s song “Kaddish”, or in Yiddish “Din Torah Mit G-tt”, and made the Jewish audience tremble with tears. This event caused many to rekindle the extinguished and repressed Jewish spark and became a founding myth during the struggle for immigration to Israel from the Soviet Union.”
There are different versions of this song, and the version presented here is from the Chabad chassidic version. In other chassidic communities, they would sing the opening version with the words “Good morning to You, Master of the world”:
Good morning to You, Master of the world
I, Levi Yitzchak ben Sarah of Berditchev
I came to you with a din Torah (religious court case)
For Your people Israel
And what do You have for Your people Israel?
And what have You done to Your people Israel?
That which is only one thing, is “to the children of Israel”,
And what is just one thing, “say to the children of Israel”,
And just like any other thing, it is “speak to the children of Israel.”
Tateynu (Our father!) How many nations of the world!?
Babylonians, Persians, Edomites
And the Russians, what do they say?
“Our Kaiser is a Kaiser!”
The Germans, what do they say?
“Our king is a king!”
The English, what do they say?
“Our kingdom is a kingdom!”
And I, Levi Yitzchak ben Sarah Berditchev say:
“Yitgadal v’yitgadash Shemay raba!” (Exalted and hallowed be His great Name!)
And I, Levi Yitzchak ben Sarah of Berditchev say”
“I will not move from my place!”
I will not move from the place!
Without an end it should be!
Without an end it should be the Name!
Yitgadal v’yitgadash Shemay raba!
The character of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev has captured the hearts of Jews ever since. He was the defense attorney who defended his arguments in the face of the Jewish People’s problems, but at the same time he did not for a moment neglect his love for his Creator, his pure faith and his worship of the “above-human” G-d. The Berditchever Rebbe had a constant dialogue with G-d. He taught merit to the Jews and came with words, difficult and poignant, in contrast to the slander that passed over them, sometimes also ordered a so-called “din Torah” (religious court case). The famous writer and Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel, whose testimony was connected in the veins of his soul to the character and legacy of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, wrote wonderfully: “I owe them a lot. Sometimes I dip my pen in the tenth time before I write”, in his reference to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak’s “Din Torah”:
“… As soon as he unloaded what was on his heart, he returned to freely praying the ancient Kaddish prayer with great majesty. The questions remained, but he was able to continue…”
And later he concludes about the stories of the Rebbe of Berdichev:
“They accompany us, and give us strength and courage to embrace them into our hearts as if they were our own.”
Over the years, this song has been performed by many world-renowned artists, and millions around the world were moved to tears by its mournful sounds.
Jan Peerce, the great cinema singer from the United States, in his interview for the documentary made about him by the American television networks CBS and NBS (in 1990), devotes emotional words to his famous performance of the song “Kaddish” by Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev in front of crowds in communist Russia and tells of the shock, the “momentary hush”, and their enthusiastic applause that her merited after the performance of the song. At the same time, world-reknowned violinist Isaac Stern, who took part in the production of the film, excitedly explained in the background: Russia was a country where Yiddish culture was banned!
The English version of the song, as sung by Paul Robeson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vIjCH30wt4.
Thanks to the Chair for the Study of Chassidism (Bar Ilan University), Tzvi Mark, and Zeev Kitzis for the details of the story.
