A Disaster Unlike Anything Since the State Was Founded; The War Will Continue

Holy words, a cry from the heart of our teacher, the holy gaon and Tzaddik, The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, about the horrific massacre of Simchas Torah — 24 Tishrei 5784

Now it is, “And it is a time of trouble for Yaakov, and from it he will be saved” (Yirmiyahu 30:7). Now the Jewish people have received a blow the likes of which we have not received since the founding of the state, from 5 Iyar 1948. There has never been such a blow. We are already approaching a thousand murdered—because of that accursed party they held in the middle of the festival, when all the young men and young women came to dance there instead of making hakafos for Simchas Torah.

This accursed government—the most accursed Zionist government of all the governments of Israel—stripped all the communities of their weapons. The gatekeepers had no weapons, because the Left said the land belongs to the Arabs.

And this is the very first Rashi on the parashah, which opens by saying, “You are robbers” (on Bereishis 1)—for the Left says we are robbers who stole the land. Everyone needs to learn this Rashi.

The war is destined to continue for at least 30 days. Therefore every boy and every girl must say the entire Tehillim (every day). There is no time to play around, to amuse oneself, or to throw stones. Every father must guard his children with the utmost vigilance and make sure they say Tehillim.

Right now this is the most terrifying moment, like a Holocaust. The terrorists went from house to house and “cleansed” homes—finding children and mothers riddled with bullets. They took mothers and children captive—something that has not been since the creation of the world. Such a terrible ordeal is what the Jewish people are experiencing now.

It is all because of this accursed government that is against religion, against the Torah, against the hakafos of Simchas Torah. But what can save us is only the hakafos—dancing, niggunim, and holy songs. There is no other counsel. Therefore every girl from age 6 and every boy from age 7 must finish the entire Sefer Tehillim every day. There are 24 hours—it is not a problem; it is the easiest thing. And if they can say it straight through, that is best.

The boys must finish 10 pages of Gemara every day—every day from 8 in the morning until 8 in the evening. It is easy to read and understand them; all the Gemara is just stories and simple halachos. Every boy from age 9 must finish 10 pages of Gemara every day, until the war ends. I myself have been learning Gemara every day for several hours since age 9—learning Gemara is the sweetest thing.

Instead of talking nonsense and listening to the news—which is all nonsense. All the news is against religion, against the Torah, against Eretz Yisrael.

We are in the greatest time of trouble. Therefore one may also say now, in Chatzos, the section of Tikkun Rachel; and on Rosh Chodesh, say only Tikkun Leah. We must sit on the ground and weep over the terrible Churban—this is literally a Holocaust. As the Chazon Ish said, after 70 years everything will repeat itself; and now we are 75 years after the Holocaust, and they have murdered children and mothers.

We do not know if they will even return the captives. (Palestine) is not a state—it is merely bandits, terrorists, predatory beasts like the Nazis.

All children from age 7 should already know the weekly parashah—it is only stories.

Sweetening the judgments is only through niggunim. For the rainbow has seven colors, and the “color” of prayer and learning comes only through niggunim. “And He saw in their distress, when He heard their song” (Tehillim 106:44). Any prayer without niggunim does not ascend Above. Therefore one must “color” the prayer—sing the prayer slowly and with a niggun.

There is a government that wants to uproot Judaism; therefore they did not allow hakafos in Tel Aviv. And it is impossible to do anything, because the High Court is with them. The judges eat on Yom Kippur; they do not understand why there is a Yom Kippur. But if there is no Yom Kippur, then Hashem annihilates the Jewish people—He owes us nothing. Half the nation already does not fast on Yom Kippur, and some travel to the Caribbean on Yom Kippur—so there is nothing to atone for the Jewish people, for the sins of every day.

A person thinks there is no judgment and no Judge, but “Anyone who says the Holy One, blessed be He, is indulgent—his life will be relinquished” (Bava Kamma 50a). Hashem does not overlook anything—not a thought, not an improper sight. And it makes no difference whether it is a boy or a girl; He brings calamity upon the Jewish people. If a girl raises her sleeve, at that very moment several soldiers are killed; if she goes with something transparent, several dozen soldiers are killed.

If we say Tehillim, it destroys the missiles; it destroys all the nations of the world.

This is what the Gaon of Vilna said: “If the ships of the kingdom of Russia cross the Bosporus Strait (the Dardanelles), Moshiach will come immediately.” Now we are truly right before Moshiach. This terrible disaster says that we are before Moshiach—it means that Moshiach must be revealed already this week, without a doubt.

And may the complete Geulah be speedily in our days

Amen