April 2014

A Passover Story: Shmerl the Tailor

Dear Friends,
Passover is approaching, and with it comes a Jewish season of storytelling. On Passover, we are invited to retell the ancient story of the Israelites Exodus from Egypt, and also to tell stories of struggle and liberation in our own lives and world.

This month, I want to share a Chassidic Passover story with you that I shared at our school participation Shabbat. I have adapted the story from a version told by from Rabbi Tuvia Bolton, via the Chabad.org website, which is a wonderful resource for Jewish stories and resources for Passover and the rest of the year. About 200 years ago in the Ukraine, the great Chassidic leader Reb Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev had just finished his Passover seder, right around midnight. They had spent hours reading the Hagadah, drinking the four cups of wine, dipping parsley in saltwater, eating bitter herbs, charoset, and matzah. They retold the story of how God freed the Jews from slavery in Egypt, and discussed the laws and meanings surrounding the holiday. Everyone agreed that this had been the best seder Reb Levi Yitzchak had ever led. And as they contemplated how holy the seder had felt, a heavenly voice came down and boomed, “Levi Yitzchak’s seder was pleasing to G-d, but there is a Jew in Berdichev called Shmerl the Tailor whose seder reached even higher!” But when Rebbe Levi Yitzchak looked around, and noticed that everyone else was still talking about the seder, he realized that no one else had heard the voice. “Has anyone heard of a great tzaddik (righteous person) named Shmerl the Tailor?” Rebbe Levi Yitzchak asked.

After a few minutes of silence, one man finally said, “Well, there is a man named Shmerl the Tailor who lives at the edge of town, but you wouldn’t call him a tzaddik! He barely goes to synagogue, hardly knows anything about Judaism, and is often seen wandering drunk around town.”

“Aha!” thought Rabbi Levi Yitzchak. “This must be one of the 36 hidden tzaddikim (righteous people) who, without knowing it, keep the world going even in times of evil. And he lives right here in Berdichev! We must go find him!”

So he and his Chassidim got up, and journeyed to the edge of town. By the time they got to Shmerl the tailor’s house, it was almost morning. Reb Levi Yitzchak knocked softly at the door, and a woman answered.

“Good yuntiv, Rebbe! Happy holidays!” said Shmerl’s wife, who had grown up in a traditional Jewish home and knew of the great rabbi’s reputation. “What an honor to have you come to our home.”
“Good yuntiv,” said the rabbi. “I am sorry to bother you at this late hour, but is your husband Shmerl at home?”

So Shmerl’s wife went to their bedroom, and poured a bucket of water over her husband’s head to wake him up.

When he emerged, sopping wet, he said, “Reb Levi Yitzchak, I know I have been a terrible Jew. I am so sorry! Please don’t punish me!”

“Heaven forbid!” said the rabbi. “I am not here to punish you. Please go put on dry clothes, and then we’ll talk.”

A few minutes later, Shmerl the tailor emerged looking warmer and drier. Rebbe Levi Yitzchak asked, “Shmerl, can you please tell me about your seder tonight?”

“Well,” said Shmerl, “I’m sorry to say I didn’t even realize Passover was coming until this afternoon, when a man told me the vodka I was drinking wasn’t kosher for Passover and that I would have to get rid of it.

“Passover?” I said. “Which one is that, again? Is that the one with the matzah?”

‘Yes,’ said the man, ‘where we remember how God freed us from bondage with a strong hand and an outstretched arm. Run, go home! Passover is starting soon, and you must make a seder!’
When I got home, I arrived at a beautifully set table. My wife had the candles ready like she did growing up, set up a seder plate with parsley, a shank bone, an egg, matzah, bitter herbs, and charoset, and set out four cups of wine. She also put out a pitcher of water and a bowl for hand-washing. ‘Thank God,’ she said. ‘Every year I get ready for the seder, but every year you just fall asleep. Now, come, please lead our Passover seder.’

“Well, Rabbi, the truth is I had no idea what to do. But since the man in town had told me to lead a seder and my wife asked, too, I figured it must be a sign. So I just took everything on the seder plate, dumped it into the hand-washing bowl, and then poured all the wine on top of it.

“Then, I lifted up the seder bowl and started talking to God, just like I’m talking to you now. I said, “God, listen, I don’t know you, but you know me. You know that when I was young, my parents died, and I had to work all the time, so that I never had the time to learn. I can’t read Hebrew, and actually, I can’t read anything. And, come to think of it, I have no idea what I am supposed to do with all this stuff, either!

“‘But one thing I do know — a long time ago you helped the Jews leave Egypt and become free from bondage. Now, I ask you, please help us to become free, too. You see, I have become trapped in bad routines, drinking too much, being short with my wife and children, and I need your help to become a better person, free from my bad habits. And please help my family free ourselves from quarrelling all the time. And please help us Jews remember that we must care for each other and make the world better, even though we are poor.’

“Then I gulped the whole bowl down, wine, matzah, bitter herbs, everything. And then I went to bed and passed out from all the vodka and wine. That was pretty much our seder.”

“Thank you,” said Rabbi Levi Yitzchak. “You have given a great gift to God and to Israel. I wish you a wonderful holiday. Good night.”

With that, the rabbi left, with his disciples in tow, bewildered as to why the rabbi had dragged them to see this man who had led such a ridiculous seder, if you could even call it that.

After walking in silence for a long time, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak proclaimed, “Sometimes the holiest prayers come from those who know little. For even the simple child — even the child who doesn’t know how to ask — can talk to God from his heart, and truly pray for freedom. We must all learn from Shmerl the tailor.”

This Passover may we all take time to talk to God from our hearts, and pray for freedom for ourselves, our loved ones, the Jewish community and the world. And may we all be blessed with a meaningful and uplifting Passover.