The Secret of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's Concealment: The Power of Immersion in Torah
Shiur No. 85 | *29 Adar II 5757 at Sha'arei Torah
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Bender concealed his immense greatness until the age of eighty, being entirely immersed in the study of Gemara. Out of humility and simplicity, he became the central link that continued the chain of tradition of Breslov Chassidut for future generations.
Eighty Years of Silence
This man was entirely Gemara. When speaking about Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, one speaks of the tractates of Bava Kamma, Bava Metzia, Bava Batra, and Sanhedrin. He would not give talks or share his own ideas, even though it was known that he was capable of delivering tremendous discourses. Until the age of eighty, he simply did not open his mouth.
Between Mincha and Maariv, he would sit and read a passage from the book Likutey Moharan. In the summer, and also in the winter, he would add a passage from Likutey Halachot. Beyond that, he said nothing of his own. People would see him and think he was just an ordinary old man who had arrived from Uman, and they respected him solely because of his age. They had no idea what a hidden treasure of novel Torah insights and knowledge was concealed behind his simple appearance.
The Decision to Stop and the Miracle of the Ten Men
Only in the year 5730, when he was already around the age of eighty, did Rabbi Levi Yitzchak begin to deliver his talks. I remember that it started in the month of Cheshvan. At first, almost no one came to hear him. One day, he had already decided that he was stopping and would no longer continue to give the shiur.
"Exactly on the day he decided to stop, ten men suddenly arrived." When he saw them, he said: "Well, if there are already ten men, then we must continue." In the merit of those ten men, the classes continued, and he began to impart the teachings of Breslov to the next generation.
Leadership in the Camps and the Chain of Tradition
Many did not know who he truly was. They did not know that he was the one who sustained all the camps in Germany, and there everyone knew that there was one rabbi, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak, who bore the burden. They did not know that they even wanted to appoint him as the rabbi of the city of Be'er Sheva. In the eyes of the masses, he appeared to be just a simple man, but in reality, he was the link that succeeded in continuing the chain of tradition of Breslov Chassidut, continuing the path of Rabbi Avraham ben Rabbi Nachman.
Even though he knew the entire book of Likutey Moharan and Likutey Halachot by heart, he was always seen only with a Gemara. He would sit and study Mishnayot, and for the rest of the day – only Gemara, Gemara, Gemara. "Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's entire being was only Gemara."
From this wondrous figure, we learn the power of perseverance and immersion in Torah. The greatest blessing one can merit is to follow in his path: "And you shall also merit this, that apart from Gemara, you will know nothing else."
Part 3 of 3 — Shiur No. 85