Locked Out – A Sukkot Story
When he learned that Rabbi Levi Yitzchak had ordered the Jews of Berditchev to bar him from their sukkahs, he raced to the Tzaddik's home. "Why?"...
It was only a short time before Sukkot, and in all of Berdichev there could not be found a single etrog. The Tzaddik, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, and the entire congregation, were concerned how they would be able to fulfill the important mitzvah of Lulav and Etrog. They waited, but no etrog arrived. Finally, the Tzaddik instructed his followers to go to the closest main highway – perhaps there they would find some Jew who had an etrog. And so they found a Jew, on his way home after a long journey, who had in his possession a very beautiful etrog. But his home was not Berdichev. He lived in another city, far from Berdichev; he was only passing through on his way home.
The followers of Reb Levi Yitzchak persuaded the traveling Jew to meet with the great Tzaddik, Reb Levi Yitzchak. The great Tzaddik tried to convince the Jew to spend Sukkot in Berdichev which would result in so many Jews having the merit of properly performing the mitzvah of Lulav and Etrog, and of course, Reb Levi Yitzchak too would also have the privilege of performing the mitzvah. The Jew would not agree. After all, he was traveling home to his family, whom he hadn’t seen for so long. How could he deprive them and himself of the simcha of Yom Tov, the joy of the Sukkot holiday?
In order to further persuade the traveler, the Tzaddik, Reb Levi Yitzchak, promised the Jew wealth and great nachat (pleasure) from his children. The Jew responded that he had, thank G-d, both wealth and wonderful children, and was not in need of anything more. Finally, in desperation, Reb Levi Yitzchak told the Jew that if he would fulfill the rabbi’s request, the rabbi would promise him that after 120 years, he would spend eternity together with the rabbi, in the rabbi’s four cubits in the World to Come.
When the Jew who owned the etrog heard this incredible offer from the great Tzaddik, he immediately acceded to the Tzaddik’s request and agreed to remain in Berdichev for the Sukkot holiday. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak and the entire community were delighted, and the Jew with the etrog was ecstatic.
Unbeknownst to the Jewish traveler, a secret command had been issued by the Tzaddik to all the people of Berdichev, that under no circumstances should they allow this Jew who brought the etrog to Berdichev to enter any of their sukkot during the holiday. No one knew why, but the decree of the Tzaddik was an unalterable decree.
On the first night of Sukkot, after services, the traveling Jew returned from synagogue to the inn where he was staying, and found in his room wine for kiddush, candles, challot, and a table covered with food. The guest was perplexed. Doesn’t the innkeeper have a sukkah? He went out to the yard and found a sukkah, beautifully built and arrayed, the owner and all the members of his household sitting around the table. The guest was about to enter, but they barred his way. When he asked why, he received no response.
The traveling Jews went to the neighbors and asked to enter their sukkah. But they, too, refused to let him enter. As much as he begged and cajoled, no one in the entire town was willing to let him sit in their sukkah.
When he learned that Rabbi Levi Yitzchak had ordered the Jews of Berditchev to bar him from their sukkahs, he raced to the Tzaddik’s home. “Why?” he sobbed. “What did I do wrong?”
The Tzaddik replied, “If you nullify the promise I made, that you would sit with me in the World to Come, I will instruct my followers to allow you to enter their sukkahs.”
“What choice do I have?” the guest thought. “I can’t forgo the mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah.” He the renounced the promise that the Tzaddik had made, extended his hand to confirm the agreement, and proceeded to sit in a sukkah.
At the end of the festival, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak summoned the Jew to his home. “Now,” said the Tzaddik: “I am returning my promise, you will sit next to me in the World to Come. Through your devotion to the mitzvah of Sukkot, you earned that place and deserve to be my partner in the World to Come.”
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