A Must-Watch: The Controversy Over the Tzaddikim of the Generations

With Hashem's help, a holy conversation has reached us from Rabbi Yehoshua Dov Rubinstein shlit"a, who was one of the first close associates of our teacher, the righteous Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Anyone who cares for their soul should lend an ear to these extremely important words.

"The Ra'avan writes (Explanation of the Likutim): 'The controversies between the greats of Israel and the true tzaddikim were one of the hardest trials for us. Who is like Yosef the Tzaddik whose brothers opposed him. Moshe Rabbeinu, who was a target for arrows by his generation, the generation of knowledge, who suspected him of the gravest sins. King David, the prophet Jeremiah who was imprisoned several times. The controversy over the Rambam where all his books and manuscripts were burned, forcing him to flee his city. The greats of the generation who wanted to excommunicate the holy Arizal. In which house today is there not the book 'Mesilat Yesharim', yet in his time there was severe controversy over the Ramchal to the point they wanted to kill him, and he had to flee from city to city.'

"The Rabbi shlit"a said about the controversy over the Ramchal: 'Great and elderly rabbis sit, and suddenly a young scholar arrives and does seemingly new things, it was hard for them to accept this.' Afterwards, the controversy over the Baal Shem Tov caused the destruction of entire communities and division within homes."

"The Ra'avan concludes: 'People of our stature should not investigate and judge the reasons for these controversies, as in: "Do not inquire into that which is beyond you." Rabbi Shmuel Shapira used to say: 'We need to be among those who do not speak against anyone. We can never know who is right, who is being spoken about, and what my trial is. Woe to those who have a part in controversy, especially when it begins for the sake of Heaven.' The Rabbi shlit"a once said: 'You don't know how to combine a word in the Gemara, but when it comes to speaking about a Torah scholar, you suddenly become a scholar.'"

"There was an uproar 15 years ago, and at that time the Rabbi shlit"a said: 'Anyone who naturally speaks about others, I suggest they go there and speak about me. I forgive anyone who speaks about me and I even desire it, but anyone who speaks about others with me will be expelled from here like a missile.'"

"It is known that tzaddikim of the stature of the greats of the generation did things that seemed strange to us, but we must be careful not to speak, God forbid, we could lose both worlds."

Video courtesy of Rabbi Yaakov Shabbat

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtDivMSPOeQ&feature=youtu.be