Today is the 200th Yartzeit of the holy Badichever Rebbe, R' Levi Yitzchak (passed away in 5570). See this page for a few beautiful stories about this holy Tzadik. I particularly found this story ("Shmerel's Seder") inspiring, because as addicts, we can all relate to the drunken stupor that we often find ourselves in when lust fills our minds, and yet Hashem finds our simple avodah - when it is real and sincere - more precious than the avodah of the greatest Tzadikim!
We have a member on our forum who is a direct descendant from the holy Bardichiver Rebbe, and he calls himself "bardichev" (with a little "b"). You can see more of his story in Chizuk e-mail #506 on this page, and you can see his 38 page thread over here.
In his inimitable style that everyone loves (CAPS-LOCK ON of course), his posts always focus on the positive and uplift everyone - in the same style of his ancestor, the Bardichever Rebbe. In honor of the yartzeit today, I would like to bring some recent posts from his "einikle" below.
"bardichev" writes in honor of the Yartzeit:
TODAY IS THE 200th YAHRZTIET OF THE HEILIGEH REB LEVI YITZCHOK OF BARDICHEV, ZECHUSO YAGEN ALEINU.
HE WAS CALLED "SINAGORYON SHEL YISROEL - THE DEFENSE ATTORNEY OF KLAL YISROEL". HE ONLY SAW YIDDEN IN A GOOD LIGHT, AND HE WOULD "CHALLENGE" HASHEM TO DO THE SAME.
I FEEL IN MY HEART OF HEARTS THAT I FOUND THIS FORUM IN HIS ZECHUS. HE WOULD HAVE USED THIS FORUM TO SHOW HASHEM HOW BELOVED HIS CHILDREN ARE!
IT IS KNOWN BY CHASSIDIM, THAT ON THE DAY OF THE YAHRZIET, ONE CAN HAVE A "SHAYCHUS" TO THE TZADDIK. WHAT CAN WE DO TO HAVE SHAYCUS TO THIS GREAT TZADDIK?
1. AHAVAS YISROEL, NO MATTER WHAT:
FORGET ALL THE SILLY JUDGMENTAL OPINIONS THAT WE HAVE OF PEOPLE.
WHEN YOU SEE A "YID", SEE THEIR NESHAMA! NOT KIPAH COLOR OR FABRIC TYPE, HAT SHAPE OR COLOR, OR IF THEY HAVE (OR HAD) A HAT, ETC...
2. IVDU ESS HASHEM BESIMCHA:
SERVE HASHEM WITH JOY JOY JOY!!!!
BRING JOY INTO OUR DAILY LIVES
BRING JOY INTO OUR STRUGGLE
SMILE AT PEOPLE.
DANCE AT PEOPLES WEDDINGS (NO, NOT THE SLOW DANCE. REALLY GET INTO IT)
3. LEARN KEDUSHAS LEVI. IF YOU DON'T OWN A COPY, BUY ONE:
JUST HAVING THE SEFER IN THE HOUSE IS A SHEMIRA
4. SAY THE TEFILLA "GUT FIN AVRAHAM" ON MOTZEI SHABBOS:
WHAT A WAY TO START THE WEEK!
5. AND LAST - BUT NOT AT ALL LEAST:
FEEL THAT HASHEM LOVES YOU!!!
"bardichev" writes to someone on the forum:
WHAT SHOULD I TELL YOU? I ALMOST ENDED UP IN GEHENNOM! BUSHA VACHERPA!!!
YES, ME; AN UPSTANDING BEN TORAH, MARBITZ TORAH, ASKEN PAR EXCELLANCE, FATHER, HUSBAND, SON, TALMID OF THE BIGGEST ROSHEI YESHIVA, ETC...
I WAS AT THE DOOR OF GEHHNOM!!
AND I ONLY GOT THERE BY BEING "CURIOUS".
ON YOM-KIPPUR THIS YEAR, I CRIED MY EYES OUT BY "VCOL HARISHAA KI-ASHAN TICHLEHHH": OY HASHEM, YOU ARE A KOL-YOCHOIL. GET RID OF YOUTUBE, IT'S A WMD!
ALSO YOU SHOULD KNOW MY FRIENDS,
THAT OTHER PEOPLE'S WIVES ARE NOT A TRIGGER.
NO MATTER HOW - OR WHY - SHE DRESSES THE WAY SHE DOES.
SHE IS NOT SHAYACH TO YOU!!!!!
SHE HAS AS MUCH SHAYCHUS TOO YOU AS THE MONA-LISA
WE ARE OUR OWN TRIGGERS.
BOTTOM LINE: I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY ACTIONS AND REACTIONS.
SO SHE IS WEARING BOOTS IN JULY,
OR EARRINGS THAT SPARKLE!
YES, HER MAKE-UP AND PERFUME MAKE ME WILD TOO!
BUT THAT IS HER BUSINESS.
OUR REACTIONS ARE OUR BUSINESS
FUGGEDABOUDIT!!!!!
OK, YOU LOOKED. SHOIN!! NU NU!!!
MOVE ON!! KEEP ON TRUCKING!!!
HABAAH LITA-HER MISAYIN OSO!!
bardichev