A Chilling Testimony on the Journey to Halhul with the Esteemed Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

Every week on Thursday night, a holy group of young men and scholars gathers at the Beit Midrash 'Nachlei Netzach' in the Meah Shearim market. Each time, someone different from among our community comes to share strengthening words and stories about the esteemed tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Each time, a large crowd gathers, elevating and strengthening themselves beyond expectations, making it the place to be on Thursday night to draw strength from the power and greatness of the tzaddik.

The gathering begins about half an hour after the evening prayer with our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a, and there is an abundance of refreshments. Anyone who wishes to merit helping with the expenses of the gathering, or to dedicate it to a yahrzeit, for the elevation of a neshamah (soul), or, God willing, for a complete recovery, can call 0527-115-687. Here is a taste from a lesson given by Rabbi Dov Rubinstein shlit"a on Thursday night in front of the group.

"The Rabbi Insisted and We Finally Entered"

"There was a period when every Saturday night we would travel to Hebron, conducting the Melaveh Malka meal until dawn and then set out on our journey. These trips continued until the beginning of the Intifada. One night, our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a said we would enter Halhul to the graves of Nathan the Prophet and Gad the Seer. On the way to Halhul, soldiers stood trying with all their might to prevent us from passing, but our teacher Rav Berland insisted, and miraculously, the soldiers let us through. Not before they said, we don't take responsibility for you, if you call us, we won't come in."

The Arab Sheikh Befriends the Rabbi

"We entered Halhul and prayed at the holy sites of Nathan the Prophet and Gad the Seer for half an hour, and for a whole week after, we continued entering Halhul. Miraculously, there was an Arab sheikh living near the holy sites who became very friendly with the Rabbi shlit"a. He would take him aside and speak with him for long minutes, but had no connection with us. About five minutes after our arrival, he would come down and open the gate for us. One night he didn't come down. We were about 12 people, some of whom were Gur chassidim who followed our teacher Rav Berland. After about fifteen minutes, the Rabbi shlit"a brought a barrel and placed it by a narrow window. The Rabbi squeezed in, and we followed him one by one."

"The Rabbi Turned on the Light and We Were Blinded"

"Inside, it was completely dark until the Rabbi managed to turn on the light, and then we were truly blinded; the entire floor was filled with Arabs lying like sardines. We were very afraid and didn't know what would happen, but our teacher Rav Berland began to recite the Tikkun HaKlali slowly and aloud. One of the things we still have no answer for is how the Arabs, who woke up one by one, lifted their heads and went back to sleep—none of them stood up."

Fear of What Awaits Outside the Holy Sites

"Our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a recited three Tikkun HaKlali, each lasting fifteen minutes, and did not look at the Arabs even once. We were afraid of what awaited us outside until the Rabbi finished and instructed us to exit before him, turned off the light, and left—outside there was not a single person, a revealed miracle. We then understood that the sheikh feared for us; he knew the Arabs had a holiday and did not want to open the gate for us to enter. We told the story of the journey at the yeshiva, and in the evening, some scholars traveled alone to Halhul and reported that the Arabs had sealed the window with bricks."

The Arab Sheikh Allows the Rabbi to Read from a Book in Fluent Arabic

"Once, the Arab sheikh came with a book and gave it to the Rabbi shlit"a, who began to read from it. Suddenly, the sheikh started running towards us, saying, I can't handle him, I can't handle him, every week I ask him the hardest questions, and he answers them immediately. I wanted to catch him off guard and hear him say once, 'I don't know,' so I brought him a book in fluent Arabic. Most Arabs don't know how to read this book, the Arab sheikh continued to tell us, but the Rabbi read from the book in front of me."