A Lesson for the Shuvu Banim Kollel Avreichim in the Old City

Last night, Wednesday night, the 24th of Kislev, the avreichim of the Shuvu Banim Kollel in the Old City entered into the inner sanctum for a lesson in the home of the Gaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

Here is a summary of the flow of the lesson:

The Rav shlit"a opened the lesson with the Gemara in Maseches Yoma 29, asking why no Megillah was written for Chanukah. The Rav shlit"a said that the miracles of Chanukah are miracles so great that they cannot be written at all. Afterward, the Rav shlit"a spoke about the burial of Rachel, and he also addressed the dispute between the Rambam and the Ramban regarding why the people of Shechem were liable for the death penalty.

Later in the lesson, the Rav spoke about the special segulah of this year—5784—for Geulah, as brought in the sefer Or LaMeir: 28 multiplied by 28 equals 784—corresponding to 5784—and this is the verse, “He declared the power of His deeds to His people.” The Rav told of the heroism of the Yemenite immigrants, who with mesirus nefesh, when they came up to Eretz Yisrael, despite all the trials, did not surrender to the counsel of Yavan and merited to guard the Torah and the mitzvos. At the conclusion of the lesson, the Rav spoke again about the greatness of the days of Chanukah and shared the chiddush that “Mai Chanukah” is “From the ash-heap He lifts up the needy”—this is the greatness of Chanukah: that it raises every person from wherever he is found.