A Lesson for Yeruham at the Residence of the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer

On Monday, the night of the 17th of Teves, Parshas Shemos, a lesson was held at the holy residence of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, for the avreichim (married Torah students) and students of the Rav shlit"a from the Shuvu Banim synagogue in the city of Yeruham.

The lesson lasted nearly forty minutes. Before you is a summary of the topics mentioned by the Rav shlit"a during the lesson:

1. Abraham's warning not to descend from the camel and the spiritual significance of seeing a "pillar of fire."
2. The question of Ishmael versus Isaac; the four hundred years we suffer from the Ishmaelites as a hint to the four words, "Lu Yishmael yichyeh lefanecha" (If only Ishmael might live before You).
3. The story of Rabbah bar Nachmani and his flight, and the conclusion of the story in Gemara Berachos (the Talmudic tractate on blessings).
4. The story of the cows that sang and walked backward, and the song of Kabbalas Shabbos (welcoming the Sabbath) in nature.
5. The descent of fire in the generations of the Tannaim and Amoraim (Sages of the Mishnah and Talmud): Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabbi Zeira.
6. The story of Elisha ben Abuya and the root of his spiritual downfall from his mother eating non-kosher meat during pregnancy.
7. The words of Shir HaShirim (Song of Songs): Torah that is studied amidst fire and surrounds the learner.
8. An attempt to purify the Kishon River and the prevention of this due to Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) identity.
9. The war of Elijah the Prophet against the prophets of Baal.
10. Hints of the word "Itti" (with me) which alludes to the month of Teves, "Itti miLevanon kallah" (With me from Lebanon, my bride)—the time for shidduchim (marriage matches).
11. The reason for Joseph's silence before his father, so as not to cause the death of the Tribes.
12. Jacob's recital of the Shema upon meeting Joseph—the lack of desire to derive pleasure from this world.
13. The Ten Martyrs (Asarah Harugei Malchus) as an atonement for the selling of Joseph and lashon hara (evil speech).
14. The creation of a calf through Sefer Yetzirah (The Book of Creation), the law of a ben pekuah (an animal found alive inside a slaughtered mother), and the disputes regarding the law of ever min hachai (a limb from a living animal)—the dispute between the brothers and Joseph.
15. The laws of shechitah (ritual slaughter): libun (purification by fire), slaughtering before libun, and the methods of the Chasam Sofer and the Hafla'ah.
16. Maimonides' ruling that a person whose two "signs" (trachea and esophagus) have been severed is still considered alive regarding ritual impurity, divorce, betrothal, and yibum (levirate marriage).
17. The Tombs of the Patriarchs and Jewish ownership of the Cave of Machpelah in the merit of Shuvu Banim.
18. Jacob said to Joseph, "I know you have a grievance against me for burying Rachel on the way," but it was "al pi hadibbur" (by Divine command).
19. Today we see that the wall—where the state's control of the Jerusalem area ends—reaches exactly until Rachel's Tomb.
20. The issue of "shachtei Rabba l'Rabbi Zeira" (Rabba slaughtered Rabbi Zeira) and the power that the Tannaim and the true Tzaddik have to resurrect the dead.