On Wednesday night, the eve of the 9th of Teves, our community members from the city of Beit Shemesh came for a lesson at the home of the Gaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

Below is a summary from the lesson, which was delivered over more than forty minutes:

The Rav shlit"a opened the lesson with a question brought in “Ma’ayanah Shel Torah”: Why did Yosef interpret the matter of grain on Rosh Hashanah (the day he was released), when the time when grain is judged is actually on Pesach? In the course of his words, The Rav shlit"a mentioned the article published each month in the magazine “Hitchadshus” about the period of exile, and about the month of Teves when The Rav shlit"a was at Victoria Falls. He related what was written there about the snow that was in Eretz Yisrael at the time of the yahrtzeit of Moharan"t, as described in the article. He then told, in the name of R’ Grossberg, about a man who went to the Kosel, and at that very moment a woman arrived to donate 5,000 shekels. She had already put 2,500 into the charity boxes, and precisely when he arrived she gave him the rest. After that, he spoke about the war of the Chashmona’im against the Greeks, and about how even earlier the Romans and the Greeks fought over Egypt—as brought in Avodah Zarah 9—regarding what the Romans said to the Greeks: “A Sefer Torah is with us” (meaning, they made an alliance with the Chashmona’im).

Later in the lesson, he spoke about Yitzchak’s blessings to Yaakov, and cited the Heichal HaBerachah: that in truth, Eisav was on a higher level than Yaakov Avinu. That is why he cried out—“And he cried a great and exceedingly bitter cry”—a cry like this is not found anywhere else in Tanach, because he wanted a blessing from the World of Atzilus: “Have you not reserved a blessing for me?” Within these words, he again mentioned the above article in Hitchadshus and described at length how he did Hisbodedus in the vast expanses of the jungle at Victoria Falls.

After that, he brought the story of Nachum Ish Gamzu, who brought a chest full of diamonds, and the diamonds were switched while he went out to do Hisbodedus. In his holy way, The Rav described the tremendous Emunah of Nachum Ish Gamzu, who said about everything, “Gam zu l’tovah—this too is for the good.” And because of this, the dirt turned into arrows and swords, and only in this way was the decree against the Jews annulled. Diamonds would not have changed the decree, because the king does not lack diamonds. Only this dirt—through his complete surrender to Hashem’s guidance, and through his joy and his ability to see in everything “Gam zu l’tovah”—had the power to annul the decree.

After that, he spoke about the 10th of Teves—the yahrtzeit of Moharan"t—and said that on the 10th of Teves the Third Beis HaMikdash was meant to be built. One must know that Rabbi Nosson is literally the soul of Moshe Rabbeinu, and Rebbe Nachman is above that. Within his words, The Rav strengthened everyone that it is forbidden to call any Jew—even one who has sinned greatly—a rasha.

At the end of the lesson, he brought the story of the Baal Shem Tov on his way to Eretz Yisrael—how he was saved because his attendant said the letters. He concluded that the Baal Shem Tov, his daughter Udel, and his attendant R’ Hersh’l arrived in Istanbul on the eve of the Seventh Day of Pesach; therefore, until today it is customary to tell this story on the Seventh Day of Pesach.

[caption id="attachment_59540" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] The chassid R’ Shlomo Almaliach sharing stories of miracles before The Rav shlit"a entered his holy residence to deliver the lesson[/caption]