19 Sep LET’S MAKE A DEAL

My mother, the Rebbetzin a”h, would often
lead Hineni tours to Israel. Instead of doing
the typical tourist sightseeing, Hineni tours
had a mission. A mission of prayer and
spiritual growth. The itinerary was filled with
stops at holy sites, historic shuls, and the
resting places of great rabbis and tzaddikim.
Whoever joined, returned home spiritually
invigorated.
Hineni tours to Israel often had an additional
European country or two added on. My
husband and I had the good fortune to
accompany my mother on one such tour,
which included Russia, Ukraine and Israel. A
highlight of the European leg of the trip was
our stop in Barditchev, Ukraine.
It was late night when our tour bus pulled into
Barditchev. We were greeted by our hosts,
Rabbi and Rebbetzin Breuer, a most amazing
couple. After their youngest child married,
they felt it was time to give back to Am
Yisroel. With the encouragement of their
mentor, the Skverer Rebbe, they moved to
Barditchev, where they became the rabbi and
rebbetzin.

The Breuer home was open 24/7, open to the
people of the community, open to travelers,
open to us. Their focus was to bring a Torah
way of life to a Jewish community that had
been robbed of their heritage by decades of
communist rule. They would gather youth
from all over Ukraine, infuse them with
Yiddishkeit, and then send them to either the
United States or Israel to continue their Torah
studies. We actually met several elderly
Barditchev residents whose grandchildren
were brought back to Torah by the rabbi and
rebbetzin and were studying in various
yeshivos and seminaries abroad.
Though the hour was late, Rebbetzin Breuer
prepared a sumptuous meal for our entire
group, and while we dined, both the rabbi and
rebbetzin shared stories about Jewish life in
Ukraine.
It was past midnight by the time we left the
Breuer home, and proceeded to the kever, the
burial place of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of
Barditchev (1740-1809). Guided by the light
of the single flashlight of Rabbi Breuer, we
made it through the pitch black pathways of
the centuries-old cemetery.
As we entered the ohel (mausoleum) of the
holy Barditchever, there, hanging next to his

tombstone was a prayer that he
composed. “Lomir machen a
beyt – Let us make a deal.” It is
said to be Rabbi Lev Yitzchak’s
Din Torah mit Gut – Court
case with G-d.
As my mother read Rabbi Levi
Yitzchak’s prayer aloud, there
wasn’t a dry eye amongst the
group. We were in a cemetery
in the middle of the night, and
listening to the stirring,
pleading words of the
Barditchever created an
indelible memory.
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was known as the
advocate of Am Yisroel, the defender of the
Jewish people. With his pure eyes, he saw
only the good in each and every person. He
looked at every Jew with kindness and
compassion. No wonder that the Holy
Barditchever composed a prayer pleading
with HaShem on behalf of his beloved people.
The Barditchever’s tefilla opens with him
humbly introducing himself as Levi Yitzchak,
son of Sora Sasha. He pleads before HaShem:
“Ribbono Shel Olam, lomir machen a beyt –
Master of the Universe, let’s make a deal. Ich
vel dir gebben, chatoim, avonos un
peshayim – I will give You all our intentional
and unintentional sins. And my dear Father,
perhaps you will ask, what should You give
me in exchange for this? Du vestr mir
gebben – You will give me mechila, selicha,
un kappara – You will give me forgiveness,
cleansing and atonement… Oy vei Tatte…
The prayer is also known as Rabbi Levi
Yitzchak’s Kaddish, for it in concludes with
the words Yisgadal, v’yisgadash shemei
rabbah…. May His great Name grow, be
exalted and sanctified….
On Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, Rabbi
Levi Yitzchak would lead his congregation
in prayer. It is said that prior to the Kaddish,
the Barditchever would make his “plea”
with HaShem.
The Holy Barditchver’s prayer was written
in a different world, but the words resonate
with us to this day. Every year on Yom
Kippur, we too stand in shul and beseech
HaShem, as we pound our chest, saying
Selach lanu, mechal lanu, kaper lanu –
Forgive us, pardon us, atone us. We too, ask
HaShem for complete forgiveness.
The Talmud teaches, Kol ha’maavir al
midosov, ma’avirim lo al pasha’av –
Whomever looks away from wrongs done
to him, will merit to have his misdeeds
overlooked. (Yoma 23a). Simply put, if we
truly seek forgiveness from HaShem, we
must be forgiving of others. Let go of the
grudges, the pettiness, the resentment and

negativity that we may be harboring.
Yom Kippur is approaching. It’s time to be
forgiving. Not always an easy task. But when
we are – it’s so liberating, and so rewarding.
Forgiving doesn’t make a wrong right, but it
does mean understanding and accepting that
we are all human, we all make mistakes. We
should find it in our hearts to not only forgive
others, but to forgive ourselves. To stop living
with the would’ves, could’ves, and should’ves
of life.
Looking away and forgiving others is only
one side of the coin. We must also be proactive
in asking for forgiveness. To apologize for
wrongs we may have done. To simply say I’m
sorry, without any “buts”, explanations and
excuses.
“I am so sorry”. Words that at times are
difficult to say. Unfortunately, we often find it
easier to say I’m sorry to those who are a little
removed from us. It has become a trend before
Yom Kippur to blast out generalized “I’m
Sorry…please forgive me” texts or emails. At
the same time, to those who are nearest and
dearest, our spouses, parents and children, we
may find the words hard to come by.
Some times, it is the children who show us the
way. “And a young child shall lead them…”
(Isaiah 11:06)
My friend’s daughter found a note in a pile of
paper that her little six-year-old asked her to
mail.
I am sorry I did this.
It is my fault.
I hope you will come to my birthday party.
Are we still friends?
A little six-year-old wrote this letter on her
own. A little girl with a special neshamah. She
felt that she had to right a wrong. A small note
that speaks volumes. A little girl from whom
we can all learn.
May the Holy Barditchever continue to defend
us from Above. May HaShem hear our prayers
and give us selicha, mechila and kappara –
forgiveness, pardon and atonement. May we
all be inscribed in the Book of Life.
Shabbat Shalom and G’mar Chasima Tova!