A Chilling Testimony on the Journey to Halhul with the Esteemed Tzaddik Rabbi

Every week on Thursday night, a chavurah kadisha (holy gathering) of young men and avreichim takes place at the 'Nachalei Netzach' Beis Medrash in the Mea Shearim market. Each time, a different member of our community arrives to share strengthening words and stories about our teacher, the holy Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, with the crowd. A large public attends each time, becoming elevated and strengthened beyond measure; therefore, this is the place to be on Thursday night to gain strength from the power and greatness of the tzaddik.

The gathering begins about half an hour after the Arvit prayer with our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a, and abundant refreshments are served. Anyone who wishes to merit helping with the expenses of the gathering, or who wishes to dedicate it for a yahrzeit, for the elevation of a soul, or for a refuah shleimah (complete healing), may call 0527-115-687. Here is a taste of a lesson given by Rabbi Dov Rubinstein shlit"a on Thursday night before the gathered crowd.

"The Rav insisted, and in the end, we entered"

"There was a period when every Saturday night we would travel to Hebron; we would conduct the Melaveh Malkah meal until dawn and then set out on the road. The trips continued until the beginning of the Intifada. One night, our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a, said that he would enter Halhul to the graves of Nathan the Prophet and Gad the Seer. On the way to Halhul, soldiers stood and tried with all their might to prevent us from passing, but our teacher, Rav Berland, insisted on it, and what a miracle—the soldiers let us pass. Not before saying, 'We take no responsibility for you; if you call us, we will not enter.'"

The Arab Sheikh befriends the Rav

"We entered Halhul and prayed at the holy graves of Nathan the Prophet and Gad the Seer for half an hour. From then on, for a whole week, we continued to enter Halhul. Miraculously, there was an Arab Sheikh who lived near the holy graves who became very friendly with the Rav shlit"a; he would take him aside and speak with him for long minutes, while with us, he had no contact. About five minutes after our arrival, he would come down and open the gate for us. One night, he did not come down. We were about 12 people, some of whom were Gur Chassidim who followed our teacher, Rav Berland. After about a quarter of an hour, the Rav shlit"a brought a barrel and placed it next to a narrow window. The Rav slipped inside, and we entered after him one by one."

"The Rav turned on the light, and it became dark before our eyes"

"It was pitch black inside until the Rav managed to turn on the light, and then it truly became dark before our eyes; the entire floor was filled with Arabs lying like sardines. We were very afraid and did not know what was going to happen, but our teacher, Rav Berland, began to recite the Tikkun HaKlali slowly and aloud. One of the things for which we have no answer to this day is how the Arabs, who woke up one after another, lifted their heads and went back to sleep—not one of them rose to his feet."

Fear of what was expected outside the holy graves

"Our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a, said three Tikkun HaKlalis, each for a quarter of an hour, and did not look at the Arabs for a moment. We were afraid of what awaited us outside, until the Rav finished and instructed us to leave before him; he turned off the light and left—outside there was not a single person, an open miracle. Then we also understood that the Sheikh was afraid for us; he knew that the Arabs had a holiday and did not want to open the door for us to enter. We told the story of the trip at the Yeshiva, and in the evening, several avreichim traveled alone to Halhul and reported that the Arabs had blocked the window with bricks."

The Arab Sheikh lets the Rav read from a book in classical Arabic

"Once, the Arab Sheikh arrived with a book and gave it to the Rav shlit"a, who began to read from it. Suddenly, the Sheikh began to run toward us and say, 'I cannot handle him, I cannot handle him! Every week I ask him the most difficult questions, and he answers them for me immediately. I wanted to trip him up and hear him say once, "I don't know," so I brought him a book in classical Arabic. Most Arabs do not know how to read this book,' the Arab Sheikh continues and tells us, 'but the Rav read from the book before me.'"