How did more than thirty avreichim—Torah scholars—draw close to The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a? ○ A report from the shiur delivered to the participants ○ How The Rav’s stay in Zichron Yaakov influenced their coming closer

More than thirty G-d-fearing avreichim—Torah scholars, the very finest of the city of Zichron Yaakov—merited to draw close to the Light of lights of Rebbe Nachman zy"a, and to his unique path as revealed through The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

This closeness began about two years ago, when a Kabbalah shiur on the order of the Etz Chaim began taking place in the community near Zichron Yaakov—Or Akiva—given by the chassidic Rav Rabbi Shlomo Almaliach shlit"a, one of the students of The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, and the author of the commentary “Atteres Shlomo” on the Etz Chaim. As the Kabbalah shiurim continued, Rabbi Shlomo Almaliach shlit"a began to speak from the Torah teachings and explanations of The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a—whose vast scope and tremendous mastery in the inner chambers of the secrets of Kabbalah are known to all.

The avreichim in the group, who began to hear a little of The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a’s words and novel insights, asked—like thirsty people longing for water—to receive more from that flowing spring. In this way they merited to draw closer and closer, with the highlight coming last year, when The Rav shlit"a stayed in the city of Zichron Yaakov. As one of the city’s prominent Torah scholars told us: “There is no doubt that The Rav’s arrival in the city gave a serious push to this whole movement of coming closer here.”

Those avreichim merited to enter further inward, into a special shiur given by The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a. In the shiur, which lasted close to an hour, The Rav shlit"a spoke new Torah insights from the weekly parashah, Shelach-Lecha, along with other topics—seasoning his holy words with treasures from every chamber of the holy Torah.

[caption id="attachment_51422" align="aligncenter" width="768"] The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, delivering a shiur for the residents of Zichron Yaakov[/caption]