The Life & Times of HoRav Levi Yitzchok

BIRTH

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson, the Rebbe’s father was born on Yud Ches Nissan in 5638/1878, in the town of Podrovnah, to Rabbi Baruch Schneur (a great-grandson of the Tzemach Tzedek) and Rebbetzin Zelda Rochel Schneerson.

• Read about the Rebbe’s paternal grandparents.

EARLY YEARS

As a young child, HoRav Levi Yitzchak displayed prodigious talent, as later noted by the Frierdiker Rebbe, who wrote, "From a very early age, his exceptional abilities were evident." He was a master in Kabbalah, Gemorah, and Chassidus, and received Semicha from prominent Rabbonim of his era, including Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik of Brisk and Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Meizel of Lodz.

• Read about the early years of HoRav Levi Yitzchok.

• Listen to the Rebbe speaking about the Semicha of his father (Chof Av 5722).

• Watch “My Sukkah Is Your Sukkah” - Rabbi Shais Taub on the test Rabbi Soloveitchik gave to HoRav Levi Yitzchok for his Semicha.

MARRIAGE

In 5660/1900, at the age of 22, following the suggestion of the Rebbe Rashab, he married Rebbetzin Chana, the daughter of Rabbi Meir Shlomo Yanovsky, the Rov of Nikolayev and a Chossid of the Rebbe Maharash. The wedding took place on Yud Alef Sivan, in Nikolayev, where HoRav Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana would remain for almost a decade. Together they had three sons: the Rebbe, Reb Yisroel Aryeh Leib, and Reb Dovber.

• Read about the Rebbe’s Maternal grandparents.

• Read about the city of Nikolayev and its Chassidim.

• Read a brief overview from Or Vechom of Rebbetzin Chana’s life, the events of 6 Tishrei 5725, and the ensuing years.

• See a letter from the Rebbe Rashab to Rabbi Boruch Shneur suggesting the match with Rebbetzin Chana.

RABBI OF YEKATRINOSLAV

In 5669/1909, at age 31, HoRav Levi Yitzchak was called upon to serve as Rov of Yekatrinoslav (today Depropetrovsk). Eventually, he assumed the position of chief rabbi and served the community until 5699/1939.

There are countless stories of the Mesirus Nefesh that HoRav Levi Yitzchok and Rebbetzin Chana had during their years of leadership. They never backed down or gave in to the Soviets, building a new Mikvah, officiating secret weddings, and Brisim and anything else the community needed. 

During this time, on Yud-Daled Kislev 5689/1928, the Rebbe married Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka in Warsaw, Poland. Due to the Communist rule over Yekaterinoslav at the time, the Rebbe’s parents were unable to attend the wedding. They did however celebrate this momentous occasion in their own way; Rebbetzin Chana orchestrated a festive celebration in their home. 

Life in Yekatrinoslav 

• Watch Rabbi Mordechai Ashkenazi recount the time that the government summoned HoRav Levi Yitzchok amongst other Rabbis to a conference in Kharkov.

• Read a collection of memories from Yekatrinoslav from the Diary of Rebbetzin Chana: Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, Part 30, Part 31, Part 32, Part 33.

• Watch “Reb Yitzchok the Schochet” a story of HoRav Levi Yitzchok.

The Mesirus Nefesh of HoRav Levi Yitzchok:

• Listen to Rebbe share a story of his father “Self-Sacrifice for Matzos” (18 Nissan 5743)

• Watch in the Farbrengen of Chof Av 5735, the Rebbe spoke about his father’s Mesirus Nefesh, knowing that such activity could lead to imprisonment and hinder his own ability to study Torah and perform Mitzvos, and the lesson we can learn from it.

• Read Against all odds - an excerpt from the Rebbe’s Sicha of Vov Tishrei 5750 on the Mesirus nefesh of his father. 

• Watch ‘Midnight Wedding’ - A story of Reb Levik's Mesirus Nefesh. As told by Rabbi Zushe Winner.

The Rebbe & Rebbetzin’s Wedding:

• Watch Mr. Israel Adamski remembers the celebration that took place the night of the wedding in the Rebbe’s parent’s home.

• Read recollections of the wedding in a 1953 diary entry where Rebbetzin Chana reflects on the joyous occasion.

• Read “Dancing from a distance” - a letter penned by the Rebbe's uncle, Reb Shmuel Shneersohn on the joyous wedding celebration. 

• Read the heartfelt telegram consisting of 101 words that Reb Levi Yitzchok sent the Rebbe on the day of the wedding.

ARREST & TRIAL

On Tes Nissan 5699/1939, at three o'clock in the morning, four NKVD agents arrived at the home of HoRav Levi Yitzchok and conducted a thorough search. The search lasted about three hours, and at approximately six o'clock, they confiscated his Semicha certificates, a petition from the community of Jaffa requesting his emigration to serve as their chief rabbi, visas for his entire family, and then arrested him for his activities on behalf of Yiddishkeit in the Soviet Union. After more than a year of torture and interrogations in Stalin's notorious prisons, HoRav Levi Yitzchok was tried in Moscow and sentenced to five years of exile in Central Asia. Rebbetzin Chana subsequently followed him to his remote place of exile to be with him during his Golus.

• Listen to the Rebbe on his father’s Reshima explaining his imprisonment according to Kabbalah (Chof Av 5725)

• Read from the memoirs of Rebbetzin Chana: Part One - the arrest on Tes Nissan, Part Two - the interrogations in prison, Part Three - the trial, Part Four - reuniting with her husband and preparations for the Galus. 

GALUS IN CHI’ILI

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana's first home in Chi'ili was a single room in the dwelling of a crude Tartar couple who had a young child. The room had no door and was damp, muddy, and filled with swarms of mosquitoes. They lived in extreme poverty and discomfort, with no privacy. Though they never discussed it, pangs of hunger tormented them. Once, they did not taste a piece of bread for an entire month.

With World War II ravaging Europe, many refugees and displaced people ended up in the Kazakhstan region where HoRav Levi Yitzchak had been exiled. He soon became well-known among the Jewish refugees. Large groups of men and women, especially those women whose husbands were taken away for the war effort, would visit the esteemed Rov and his wife, seeking counsel on various matters.

With meager resources at their disposal, and facing a constant threat to their very lives, they heroically reached out to their brethren in need, helping in every which way—physically and spiritually.

• Watch: “In the footsteps of Rebbetzin Chana’s diaries.” Rabbis Lazer Zaklikovsky & Mendel Feller explore the locations and stories of HoRav Levi Yitzchok’s exile. Episode one, episode two, episode three, episode four, episode five, episode six, episode seven.

• Watch Rabbi Nochum Kaplan shares what was on Reb Levik's mind during his first Pesach in exile - 5700

• Listen to an excerpt from the farbrengen of Vov Tishrei 5746, where the Rebbe elaborated on his mother's exceptional dedication to preserving his father’s teachings during his exile for the sake of dissemination.

• Listen to an excerpt from the farbrengen of Chof Av 5728 on the extent of the Galus. In the Farbrengen of Chof Av 5739, the Rebbe spoke about his father's leadership in Galus.

• Watch lessons from the Golus of HoRav Levi Yitzchok shared by Rabbi Zushe Winner

• Read parts 5 through 18 of Rebbetzin Chana’s Memoirs, she recounts countless stories and details of her husband’s exile in Chi’ili. Read them here. 

• Read "the Telling Picture" - the pictures of the Rebbe's father.

HISTALKUS

In 5704/1944, as HoRav Levi Yitzchak's sentence was nearing its end, his physical condition began to deteriorate. Meanwhile, friends in nearby Alma Ata were working on his release. They put together thousands of rubles, to acquire the proper permits for the relocation. After six weeks, they were finally able to obtain the release documents.

Immediately after Pesach, HoRav Levi Yitzchak and Rebbetzin Chana left Chi’ili and arrived in Alma Ata. There, their living conditions improved somewhat, and they continued to help others in need while HoRav Legion Yitzchok’s health continued to deteriorate. That summer, a young friend made a special trip from Leningrad to Alma Ata, together with a well-known doctor, but there was no cure to save him. 

Even during these heartbreaking days, HoRav Levi Yitzchok continued to write Torah and they continued to welcome any depressed or broken person into their home, attending to his or her specific needs and providing food when necessary.

On Chof Av, HoRav Levi Yitzchak's condition turned critical. Although he was no longer able to speak, he continued to murmur words of Torah or Tehillim. That evening, Rebbetzin Chana took a short rest so that she would have the strength to continue caring for him; when she awoke, she found the house filled with people. Her husband had returned his pure soul to its Maker.

• Read parts 19 through 24 of Rebbetzin Chana’s Memoirs, where she writes about their time in Alma Ata, leading to the final days of HoRav Levi Yitzchok. Read them here. 

• Read details of the Histalkus from A Chassidisher Derher.

• Watch The Rebbe Talk About His Father’s Legacy.

• Watch Reb Gedaliah Mazal shares his memories of the arrival of the Rebbe’s father, in Alamty, Kazakhstan.

• Watch Rabbi Leibel Raskin shares memories from the Rebbe’s parents in Alma Ata. 

The Torah of HoRav Levi Yitzchok

Over the years we merited to see the Rebbe's special care for his father's Torah. When publishing the first Seforim of Likkutei Levi Yitzchok, the Rebbe wrote: “Thank G‑d, I was privileged to have the great, wondrous Zechus, in receiving some of the writings of my father..." The Rebbe would speak about his father's Torah very often and it was clear to all how important these teachings were to Him.

The Torah of HoRav Levi Yitzchok is no doubt a central theme of Chof Av and the Rebbe personally requested that Chassidim study from his father's Torah in groups in connection with the Yahrtzeit.

Click here for a collection of booklets, Shiurim and more in Hebrew and English on the Torah of Horav Levi Yitzchok.

• Listen to “Credit for Torah Knowledge,” an excerpt from the Farbrengen of Chof Av 5739, available on the Chof Av Playlist from Ashreinu.App.

• Watch the Rebbe speak about the eternal influence of his father on Chof Av 5745

The Legacy of HoRav Levi Yitzchok

Although the Rebbe generally avoided discussing personal matters during Sichos, there were quite a few occasions where the Rebbe did speak of his illustrious father. Aside from the Torah writings of his father which were discussed at almost every Shabbos farbrengen, there were those times when the Rebbe related a story or anecdote from him, casting light on the immense reverence and esteem the Rebbe accorded him with. Click here to read a collection from A Chassidisher Derher of stories or anecdotes the Rebbe shared about his father. 

The Rebbe Farbrenged every year on Chof Av. After 5748, when the Rebbe stopped Farbrenging on weekdays, he instead said a Sicha on Chof Av. The Rebbe would make a Siyum or Hadran every year, except for when it fell out on Shabbos. When Chof Av was on Shabbos, the Rebbe often said a Maamar at the Farbrengen as well. (In 5737, the Rebbe said a Maamar at the Chof Av Farbrengen even though it was during the week.)

• Read about the Rebbe's Peulos in memory of his father from A Chassidisher Derher.

• Read "Increasing Torah learning in the golden age" - the Kolel the Rebbe founded for elders (in memory of his father).

• Read articles about Chof Av with the Rebbe. 

• Watch Rabbi Levi Garelik share memories from the 30th Yartzeit when the Rebbe thanked them for coming. 

• Watch the Rebbe to caretakers, “Thank you for taking care of my father’s gravesite in the past and for your help in the future, as well.”

• Watch, “The synagogue carries my father’s name, so it has a connection to me, also.”