{"id":421,"date":"2021-05-20T16:19:43","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T19:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/wordpress\/?p=421"},"modified":"2021-05-20T16:19:43","modified_gmt":"2021-05-20T19:19:43","slug":"the-soul-and-body-of-a-tzadik","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/index.php\/2021\/05\/20\/the-soul-and-body-of-a-tzadik\/","title":{"rendered":"THE SOUL AND BODY OF A TZADIK"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Berditchev the Grand Rabbi\u2019s lighting of the menorah was a public event.\u00a0 Students of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok, other great sages, and simple townsfolk would all gather to witness his devotions when he would kindle the Chanukah flames.\u00a0 One year, right when Rabbi Levi Yitzchok was to begin, the Rebbe (Grand Rabbi) seemed to needlessly delay.\u00a0 Eventually, Chatzkel the unsophisticated attendant of the<\/em>\u00a0Poritz (the Russian landowner) entered the room.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  \u201cChatzkel, where are you coming from?\u201d R. Levi<\/em> Yitzchok called out. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI just arrived from the home of the Poritz.\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow\u2019s the Poritz doing?\u201d asked the Rebbe.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cOh, life is good for him.  He has expert chefs from Germany, Italy, and France who prepare for him the finest delicacies.  And his table, what a table! The cutlery glitters and shines, and his plates are the finest china.\u201d Chatzkel enthused.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cHow does the Poritz sleep?\u201d continued the Rebbe. \u201cWow!  The Poritz sleeps well, he has it good\u201d, gushed Chatzkel.  \u201cRebbe, you sleep on a pile of<\/em> straw.  The Poritz has a mattress like the czar and a beautiful bed, with beautiful sheets, warm blankets, and soft pillows.  And what a room!  The floor is covered with antique Persian rugs, the walls are adorned with antique art and tapestries, and the ceiling supports the most exquisite chandeliers.  Rebbe, the Poritz has it good!\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok asked \u201cDoes the Poritz light Chanukah candles?\u201d \u201cOf course not,\u201d replied Chatzkel with a laugh. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rabbi Levi Yitzchok grew animated and shouted with fervor, \u201cThe Poritz stuffs himself with food, sleeps with feathers instead of hay? That is the good life?  Without Chanukah candles!?  We have it good!  We have the joy of God\u2019s Menorah!\u201d  With that, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok began to shout with delight the words of the blessings for lighting the Menorah.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

  Reb Levi Yitzchok\u2019s<\/em> nefesh habahamis<\/em> was transformed. For him pleasure from Mitzvah observance dwarfed the physical comforts of the Poritz<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rav Aharon Karliner\u2019s Poritz loved sleigh riding.  One summer he brought thousands of bags of sugar (a rare commodity) to simulate snow and he rode in his sled on the mounds of the confection.  A Chasid once wistfully told the Rebbe about the pleasure the Poritz must experience when riding a sled in the heat of August.  The Rebbe responded, \u201cThat pleasure is not nearly as powerful as the enjoyment I feel when I recite on Shabbos the prayer of \u201cNishmas Kol Chai Tivarech Es Shimcha Hashem Elokeinu\u201d (\u201cThe souls of every living creature will bless your name God our Lord.\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the Talmud, holidays are times when half of one\u2019s day should be spent for oneself, engaged in physical pleasure, chetzyo lachem.<\/em>  The other half of the day should be dedicated to God and His service, chetzyo lahashem.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In Berditchev the Grand Rabbi\u2019s lighting of the menorah was a public event.\u00a0 Students of Rabbi Levi Yitzchok, other great sages, and simple townsfolk would […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=421"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":422,"href":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421\/revisions\/422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/berdichev.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}