EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH RAV NATAN BESANSON, THE RAV’S GABBAI: “WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A LEVEL OF WICKEDNESS THAT’S DIABOLICAL”
We recently carried the story of how a number of prominent Israeli politicians in the chareidi world, including the Health Minister Yaakov Litzman and Rabbi Meir Porush, recently visited Rav Eliezer Berland, shlita, in the Hadassah hospital hotel.
Rav Berland recently underwent a number of serious surgeries, including having a kidney removed, and his health is still in a precarious state. He was recently released to the Hadassah hospital hotel, where he’s continuing to undergo additional surgical procedures.
But none of these facts matter to the people who have been persecuting the Rav for many years, and who are continuing to take any opportunity they can to stir up more strife, trouble and machloket.
As word spread that the Rav had been visited by some senior figures in the chareidi political world, the Rav’s persecutors joined forces with some extreme left, anti-Torah MKs from the radical ‘Meretz’ party to launch a vicious verbal attack on the Rav’s recent visitors.
One of the Rav’s main attendants, Rav Natan Besanson tells us more, in this exclusive interview:
(You can hear the interview for yourself in the original Hebrew by clicking HERE.)
Rav Besanson began: “You’re probably aware of the verbal attacks members of the Meretz Party and other leftist MKs launched against Rabbi Litzman, after he came to visit Rav Berland, shlita?
“A wise man once said ‘show me your friends, and I’ll show you who you are.’
“The same people who have been behind the persecution of the Rav up until now are continuing to look for more ways to attack him. It’s interesting that only the people from the most radical, extreme left are participating in their latest [smear campaign].
“But I’m certain that the truth will come out in the end. One day soon, it will all be revealed – who did what, and what they did.”
Rav Besanson continues: “As we all know, Rav Berland, shlita, loves criticism, and looks for ways [that people] will shame and disgrace him. He even tried to calm me down, and he told me: ‘Natan, relax! After all, you know that I like being shamed and disgraced, and that I even encourage it!’ But while it’s permitted for the Rav to forgo the honor that’s due to him, we won’t give up on it.
“One day soon, everything is going to emerge and be exposed, and not a single lie will remain.”
“They are so obsessed with their persecution of Rav Berland, shlita, that they are taking it to the furthest extreme. Everyone who hears them, and then who afterwards really looks at who the Rav, shlita, is, he can clearly see that everything is lies. We all see that they’re talking about a Tzaddik who simply learns Torah all day long, and serves Hashem.
“We all know that Rav Berland, shlita, is kodesh kodeshim (holy of holies), and that an enormous injustice is being done here. The injustice and sin they are perpetrating won’t be excused, they have literally spilt the Rav’s blood.
“One big Tzaddik told me: ‘Rabbi Akiva had his flesh scraped with combs of iron, but this only happened once, right before he died. By Rav Berland, they’re scraping his body, his soul, his honor, his character – every second, of every single day, for year after year. And we’re not talking about Romans, here, like the people who [tortured] Rabbi Akiva, but about people whos grandfathers were righteous people and were engaged in kiruv (outreach), and their grandsons are right now scraping with their combs day and night, and drinking the blood of the Tzaddik.’
Rav Besanson continues: “It’s insane, it’s like a bad dream, we’re talking about a level wickedness that’s diabolical, and that doesn’t end.
I’m waiting for the day when their web of lies will finally be exposed.
“[This injustice] is crying out up to the Heavens! They said they had hundreds of witnesses [against the Rav], but when it came down to it, they didn’t have anyone or anything. Their lies simply didn’t stand up [to any scrutiny].
“Hashem will avenge the blood being spilled here. Usually, a man is only murdered once, but they haven’t calmed down, and they are still thirsting for the tzaddik’s blood.
“Rav Yaakov Litzman [and the other visitors] have known Rav Berland, shlita, for many years. They certainly don’t regret their visit. We know the truth, and we understand what is going on here.”
You can hear the full interview for yourself in Hebrew by calling the information line on:
+44-203-807-333 – From the UK and Europe
+1-845-640-0007 – From the USA
02-800-8800 – From Israel
PLEASE PRAY FOR THE COMPLETE REFUAH OF RAV ELIEZER BEN ETTIA, SHLITA.
