Rav Raphael was born in the year תקי"א. Well-known as a holy tzadik even before he drew near to chassidus. He eventually made his way to become a disciple of Rav Pinchos of Koretz and became his most avid talmid muvhak. Rav Pinchos also treasured him above all his other talmidim and said about Rav Raphael, “The Baal Shem Tov once remarked that Hashem would thank him ‘for setting up such a Yossel’, referring to the Toldos Yaakov Yosef of Polnoy; and I say that Hashem will one day thank me for having set up such a Raphael!” He also said, “No one understands just how deep my Rahphel’s mind is!”
They say that Rav Binyamin Zev of Balta, another disciple of Rav Pinchos Koretzer, said that when Rav Pinchos said, “No one understands,” he meant: no one at all, not even seraphs, ophanim (angels) understand how deep Rav Raphael is!
In Koretz, Rav Raphael assimilated Rav Pinchos’ ways, purifying his heart from all arrogance, anger, and falsehood. Rav Raphael often used to censure all those he knew about distancing themselves from any falsehood and urged them to be careful to speak only truth. He was exceedingly humble and subjugated himself before all others.
After Rav Pinchos’ passing, many of his chassidim began to follow Rav Raphael. The Bershader Chassidim became known for their practice of minimal speech as they deemed silence a good protection from inadvertently uttering some falsehood.
Their manner of prayer was more visibly composed. Though enraptured in dveykus, they tended not to exhibit excitement but would rather maintain a calm exterior.
Before his passing, Rav Raphael was asked to take a false oath in the gentile courts in order to save the life of a Jew who was wrongly accused of tax evasion. Rav Raphael davened to Hashem that since his entire life was spent sacrificing himself for truth and fleeing from falsehood, he now too wished to give up himself for the sake of truth. His prayers were answered and his pure soul left on 15th of Teves 1827 תקפ"ז. He was interred in Tarashe.
HIS SEGULOS:
The Segula Of Shabbos Observance
In the name of Rav Raphael of Bershad (“Raphael HaMalach”), the main disciple of Rav Pinchos of Koretz, author of Pe’er LeYasharim:
All the troubles that befall a person are due to chillul Shabbos; therefore, one who safeguards Shabbos will be saved from troubles. We know that each mitzvah is associated with its own particular segulos and rewards: for example, Chazal teach that tithing maaser is a segula for wealth (Taanis 8) and that lighting Shabbos and Chanuka candles is a segula for having descendants who are Torah scholars (Shabbos 23). Based on this principle, it follows that every transgression must also have its own specific punishment. How, then, can Shabbos desecration be the source of all troubles? Since one who keeps Shabbos has all of his misdeeds forgiven (machul lo), logically the converse must also be true – one who desecrates Shabbos must have all his other misdeeds counted and remembered! Therefore, keeping Shabbos is truly a segula to be rid of all troubles! (Ohalei Tzaddikim)
