Rabbi Levi Yitzchak was born on the 29th of Iyar of the year 5500, which corresponds to May 25 or 26 1740
CE to Rabbi Meir (who was the
Av Beit Din (head of a rabbinical court) of
Zamosc) and Sarah-Sasha Ruskov in Husakiv (), now in
Yavoriv Raion, Lviv Oblast (
region) of
Ukraine. In his youth he was known as the
Illui from
Yaroslav. He married Perel, the daughter of Rabbi Israel Peretz of
Levertov. After his wedding, he studied for several years under
Dov Ber of Mezeritch. In 1784, he settled in
Berdychiv,
Nachman of Breslov called him the
Peér (glory) of Israel. Levi Yitzchok composed some popular Hasidic religious folk songs, including ''
A Dude'le and "The Kaddish of Rebbe Levi Yitzchok (A din Toyre mit Gott'')." He died on the 25th of
Tishrei, 5570 (October 5, 1809) and is buried in the old Jewish cemetery in
Berdychiv. The second of his three sons, Israel, succeeded him as leader of the Hasidic movement. One of Levi Yitzchok's grandsons married the daughter of
Dovber Schneuri, the second
Chabad-Lubavitch rebbe and the first to live in
Lubavitch. == Works ==