Kollel “Chut Shel Chesed” ○ Summary from the Shiur

The Chut Shel Chesed Yeshivah, as is known to all, was founded by the chassidic Rav, Rabbi Shalom Arush shlit"a, following the direct instruction of his teacher and Rav—Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Over the course of many years, the yeshivah also developed into a kollel for avreichim. Some of the avreichim learning in the “Chut Shel Chesed” kollel merited to enter further inward, into holiness, for a shiur in the home of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

At the beginning of the shiur, The Rav shlit"a spoke about the mesirus nefesh of yeshivah bochurim a hundred years ago—how they learned in yeshivos, and slept and ate in the various homes of the townspeople. After that, he spoke about the matter of the day, regarding the terror attacks that took place in recent days, in which holy and pure souls were taken—among them the holy young man Aryeh Shechupak hy"d, who insisted on going to yeshivah even though he did not feel well. The Rav also asked that they pray during the shiur for the recovery of the wounded. He then spoke about how Avraham Avinu wanted to be burned, and did not understand why the fire of Ur Kasdim did not burn him. After that he spoke from the weekly parashah—Vayeitzei—about how Rachel gave up the “signs” to Leah, something that goes against all logic and common sense. He also spoke about how Eliezer, despite the questions he had about Avraham, still went to find a wife for Yitzchak. He also spoke about an aggadah from the Gemara in Sanhedrin concerning King Yeravam.

Later in the shiur, he delved deeply into Torah study on the sugya of whether, in the matter of shidduchim, there is an obligation of honoring one’s father and mother or not. He brought the views of later authorities that a kallah is exempt from the matter of honoring parents. After that, he said that a person must learn Gemara—and if not, he is not called an “ish,” as is brought there in the sefer Chesed L’Avraham. From this topic he moved to the story of Kalba Savua’s daughter, who gave up everything for the sake of Rabbi Akiva. At the end of the shiur, he spoke from Torah 2 about the concept of Nukva d’Pardashka, and he brought the Arizal in Sha’ar HaLikutim: that the aspect of Nukva d’Pardashka—Miriam and Yocheved—drew down life for all the six hundred thousand, as it is written, “and they kept the children alive” ("v’techayenah es hayeladim"). And they are the souls of Rachel and Leah, who merited to bring into the world the Twelve Tribes. After fifty minutes of shiur, The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, said Kaddish and went out to the Maariv prayer with a great crowd, as every evening, from the balcony of his home.

[caption id="attachment_53689" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, in a shiur for Chut Shel Chesed[/caption]