Raphael from Bershadi

Rafael was born in 5511 according to the Jewish calendar (approximately 1751 ) in the family of rabbi Yaakov Yakili ^[9] (Yaakov Yukeli) and a mother named Feigel. Raphael's father was Melamed (a teacher) who taught literacy to the children of poor Jews ^[10] . At home, my father, who did not earn much, was not often. At the age of eight, Raphael's mother died, and he went to serve with Melamed. Rafael studied with Dov-Ber from Mezherich until the death of Dov-Ber ^[10] . After that, he studied yeshiva in Berdichev . After graduation, he returned to Bershad as a young unmarried man ^[10] , and then married his daughter Melamed. Subsequently, he studied with Rabbi Pinchas of Korets . According to Martin Buber:

Rabbi Pinchas cannot be considered different from his most distinguished disciple, Raphael of Bershadi. In the whole history of Hasidism, rich in fruitful relations between teacher and student, there is no other example of such pure harmony, such an adequate continuation of work. Reading the notes, sometimes we hardly know what to attribute to Pinchas and what to Raphael, and yet we have a number of Raphael's statements that bear the stamp of independent thinking. But more important than his independence is the dedication with which the student embodied the teachings of his master in his life and, according to tradition, even in his death, which calmly and solemnly sealed the proclamation of the commandment of truth that the master sought so many years ^[11]

After the death of Rabbi Pinchas of Korets, most of the followers of Rabbi Pinchas became followers of Rabbi Rafael ^[8] .

At the beginning of the XIX century. Rabbi Rafael introduced changes in the prayers to exclude the possibility of their reading in the spirit of Shabtai Zvi ^[12] .

Abraham Ber Gotloker narrated in his memoirs that Rebbe Refael suffered from rheumatism in his old age and needed a cane when walking, but because of fear he didn’t use it because of fear ^[13] . Rafael of Bershadi died on January 14, 1827 . According to the surviving legend, the honesty of Rabbi Raphael caused his premature death ^[8] . The day before Rabbi Rafael was forced to testify in court in the case of a Jew about whom he knew that he was guilty and he did not want to make him worse and also could not lie ^[8] . Rabbi Raphael prayed all night and asked for death, but the morning before the trial he died and saved himself from having to give evidence. ^[8]

After the death of the righteous in Bershad, they did not choose another new rabbi for themselves ^[14] . Subsequently, the followers of Rafael from Bershadi, who lived not only in Bershadi but also in Obodovka, Trostyants, Varhivka and other places of Ukraine, proudly called themselves “Bershad Hasidim” ^[14] . Rabbi Rafael influenced many famous religious and cultural figures, including Micah Yosef Berdichevsky ^[14] . The tomb of Tzadik Rafael from Bershadi in Tarashche is one of the famous places of pilgrimage ^[15] , especially during the main Jewish holidays, in particular on Rosh Hashanah . An ohel was placed on the grave.

At the center of the teachings of Rabbi Rafael is excessive modesty and absolute honesty. Rafael of Bershadi left no writings ^[16] (some consider this because of his modesty), but his thoughts have been preserved in a number of sources. Some of the teachings of the rabbi are mentioned in Midrash Pinhas (Ashdod: Yashlim, 2001), pp. 135-145 " ^[17] , others are mentioned in the manuscript" Midrash Pinḥas (1872) " ^[18] . For example, Raphael from Bershadi taught that if someone notices that his neighbor hates him, then he needs to love his neighbor even more ^[19] .

• From the Pages of Tradition
• Two Tzaddiks (English)