On Monday night, the 15th of Iyar, 5785 (2025), Parshas Emor, a lesson took place at the home of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, for our community members (Anshei Shlomeinu) from the city of Safed.

Before you is a summary of the topics about which our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, spoke during the lesson:

If a person does not study, even if he was at the Standing at Mount Sinai, he makes a [Golden] Calf. "The sons of Aaron" (Bnei Aharon) – the Ba'al HaTurim notes precisely that it does not say "the daughters of Aaron," because in a woman there is no impurity. There is a dispute whether the seven blessings (Sheva Brachos) are recited from the erusin (betrothal) or from the nissuin (marriage ceremony). Lag BaOmer is the actual day of the Geulah (Redemption); therefore, we travel to Safed because Mashiach (the Messiah) will come from the land of the Galilee. It is written that the exile would last one thousand two hundred years, and indeed, after one thousand two hundred years, the Jews were permitted to enter the Land. The tzaddik (righteous person) is the Tree of Life; the tzaddik can revive the dead. Every time a person comes to the tzaddik, he merits to be in the World of Atzilus (Emanation - the highest spiritual realm). Jephthah's daughter merited to be in the World of Atzilus because she would dance all day. She insisted that her father fulfill his vow and sacrifice her. Balak ben Tzippor was called "son of a bird" (Tzippor) because he had a bird of sorcery that would reveal to him what was happening. Pharaoh performed teshuvah (repentance) while he was already in the water and became the king of Nineveh. King David was a captive in Gaza, and Abishai released him using the Shem HaMeforash (the Explicit Name of G-d). The Rebbe [Nachman], on his journey to the Land of Israel, was also a captive; when he arrived in the Land, he was in Akko and Tiberias. At that time, Napoleon ruled; he had a plan to abolish the Jewish people through the French Revolution. He wanted to convene a Sanhedrin (high court) on Shabbat. Everyone said they must attend because it was pikuach nefesh (a matter of life and death), but Rabbi Yosef David Sinzheim stood firm that they should not come on Shabbat. In the end, only the Reform rabbis came, but Napoleon realized they weren't authentic. Finally, Napoleon failed when he wanted to conquer Akko, because if he had conquered Akko, he would have conquered the entire world. The Baal Shem Tov was also kidnapped and was saved because Reb Hirsch shouted the Aleph-Beis (alphabet), as the story is known. The Zohar brings that during the Geulah (Redemption), a doe will be revealed that will come from Gan Eden (Paradise) and will first arrive at the tomb of Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our Teacher). How could Moshe Rabbeinu say that Nadav and Avihu are higher than Moses and Aaron? After all, they are Netzach and Hod (victory and splendor), and Aaron is only Yesod of Ima (foundation of the Mother), and he is higher than Moses. On Pesach Sheni (the Second Passover), we merit [the level of] Atika (the Ancient One/highest level of Keter). The Lilit (a demonic force) delayed the Jewish people and drowned in the sea, and Miriam, by taking the drum in her hand, subdued the klipah (shell/impure force). Every year there are prophets who arrive and say the world is being destroyed. Regarding "that man" (Jesus), they asked him if he was the Mashiach; one source says he remained silent, but in our sources, it is written that he said, "You say so." Therefore, the Romans crucified him; in truth, the Jews did not hang him, and there were even clergymen who admitted that the Jews had no connection to it. On the same day that her father passed away, Melech HaMashiach (the King Messiah) was born. Today, it is possible to give birth even at the age of fifty. For nine months, they will need to hide in the mountains; in Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer, it is written that [this will occur] twenty-eight years before the end of the sixth millennium, according to the calculation of "two parts of an hour" (shtei yadot sha'ah).