The Legacy of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev with Rav Shlomo Katz

3. R’ Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and Parshat Bereishit

On the yahrzeit of R’ Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev—the defender and best friend of Am Yisrael—Rav Shlomo Katz and the chevra of Shirat David sing his niggun and open Kedushas Levi on Bereishit. Through stories of radical humility and boundless love (the “spit and smile,” being buried deep beneath the tzion, the Heichal HaZechut, the Chafetz Chaim insisting on hosting his descendants, and the Baal Shem Tov & Maggid at his bris), we taste the soul of the Berdichever. Then we learn his teaching on “V’ha’aretz haytah tohu va’vohu.” Our daily avodah—done with dechilu u’rechimu (awe and love)—awakens the supernal middot and literally sustains and re-creates all worlds.  When we “think bigger” than box-checking, material cravings fade to tohu va’vohu, and the ikar shines. In a generation yearning for protection, may “Levi Yitzchak ben Sarah Sasha” open the gates of merit for Am Yisrael. ---------- For more Shuirim and Music from Rav Shlomo Katz, visit: https://ravshlomokatz.com Join Rav Shlomo Katz's WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/KHKOhhPaeHx5Kb74WL9L9a?mode=ems_copy_t

2. Pesach or Matzot? How Hashem Speaks of Our Love | The Berditchever’s Teaching

On the yahrzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, Rav Shlomo Katz explores a luminous Torah from Kedushas Levi on the names of Pesach. Why do we call it Pesach while the Torah calls it Chag HaMatzot? With the Berditchever’s signature vision, we discover that this is the dialogue of two beloveds: Hashem praises Israel’s faith in running out of Egypt with matzot, while we praise Hashem’s mercy in passing over our homes. From here, Reb Levi Yitzchak opens a window into what Hashem really thinks about us — as if His tefillin are inscribed with our praises, just as ours hold His. The teaching becomes deeply practical: every faculty we were given — eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet — is meant for holiness, to see Hashem, hear Torah, speak words of merit, lift the world upward in love, and stand firmly on faith. A timeless reminder from the Sanegoran shel Yisrael: to speak, see, and live in ways that mirror the pride and love Hashem already feels for us.

1. From Misfit Stones to Cornerstones: The Berditchever’s Vision of Love

On the yahrzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev (25 Tishrei), Rav Shlomo Katz delves into a luminous teaching from Kedushas Levi. Moving from stories of the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid at the Berditchever’s bris to his lifelong mission as the “defender of Israel,” we explore the chamber he built for us all—Heichal HaZechut (the Chamber of Merit). Centering on “Even ma’asu ha-bonim hay’tah l’rosh pinah” and “Zeh ha-yom asah Hashem,” Rav Shlomo reframes miracles: the real joy isn’t the event itself, but the revealed love behind it. With “Berdichev eyes,” we learn to see misfit stones—people, moments, even our own flaws—become head cornerstones, and to live in the only time we truly have: today.