The Breslov Chassidim Information Line ○ A Fiery, Flame-Like Lesson for the Many Shiur Maggidim and Activists of the Information Line at the Home of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

There is no one who has drawn close to The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, who does not know about the activity of the Breslov Chassidim Information Line, 9148*. The line was opened about nine years ago, when The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, was in exile. Since then, the line has become a central hub for drawing people close to the light of The Rav shlit"a, together with reliable, up-to-date information that is delivered to tens of thousands of listeners (according to the system’s data). Alongside the information provided on the line, it is also called “the Information and Shiurim Line,” thanks to close to ten daily shiurim. Here is part of the list: Daf Yomi (Bavli), Daf Yomi in Likutey Moharan, Likutey Halachos, Chumash with Rashi, Halachah, Daf Yomi in Mishnah Berurah by the gaon Rabbi Yisrael Saret shlit"a, the daily section in Ketzos HaChoshen, and additional diverse shiurim from all areas of Torah—including a special and fascinating branch devoted to the graves of Tzaddikim and to yahrtzeit days. This is aside from the weekly shiurim on the weekly parashah and other treasures of the holy Torah.

Those shiur maggidim—talmidei chachamim who bring merit to the public each day, their mouths producing pearls—were privileged this past Monday night, the night of 7 Marcheshvan, to enter inward, into the holy, for a special lesson from The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. The Rav shlit"a spoke about matters of the parashah, Lech Lecha, and also about the month of Marcheshvan, which is a month of Techiyas HaMeisim (the Resurrection of the Dead). He also spoke about the next parashah—Vayeira—focusing on the inner meaning of Sarah’s words: “I did not laugh, for I was afraid.” He explained, based on various commentators, including Ha’amek Davar and others, that our mother Sarah cried because she would need to return to contending with the yetzer hara of desire. For a woman must give birth to a child through a struggle with the yetzer hara—because if a person has no yetzer hara, he is not a person; he is an angel. Over this she wept, saying, “I am afraid of this.”

[caption id="attachment_53147" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, in a lesson for the shiur maggidim on the Breslov Chassidim Information Line – Photo: Keren HaTzaddik Institute[/caption]

Within his words, he spoke about the importance of the mother in the home—how she charts the path for the children toward love of Torah and mitzvos through personal example. He also spoke about the greatness of guarding one’s eyes. Below is an excerpt of his words:

“When a person overcomes his yetzer hara, the entire world overcomes. Every time a person closes his eyes, the entire world closes its eyes—the whole world is one thing. A person closes his eyes, and seven billion people close their eyes. A person walks outside and closes his eyes—seven billion people close their eyes. Because the whole world knows that it is forbidden to look! Once, everyone [including the non-Jews] would walk with veils… The whole world knows that it is forbidden to bring children in impurity; it is forbidden to bring children with the yetzer hara, and one must sanctify oneself in order to bring a child. The whole world knows this. But it depends only on us! The moment we close our eyes, we break the yetzer hara. We received, ‘Behold, in iniquity was I formed, and in sin did my mother conceive me,’ and we break that—then the entire world breaks it! The entire world is one single unit, one circle.”

[caption id="attachment_53146" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Rabbi Tzvi Chalmish shlit"a at the completion of Tractate Kesubos together with The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a – Photo: Keren HaTzaddik Institute[/caption]

After the shiur, which lasted more than fifty minutes, the well-known maggid shiur who enlightens thousands of “Information Line” listeners each day with the Daf Yomi—Rabbi Tzvi Chalmish shlit"a—completed Tractate Kesubos in the presence of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, together with the full text of “Hadran Alach.” After the Kaddish of completion, The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, went out to Ma’ariv prayer as on every evening, with a great multitude.