A Story About Rabbi Berland's Wondrous Preparation for the Holiday of Pesach / A Story from the Seder Night

An amazing story about the mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) of Rabbi Berland shlit"a during his preparations for the holiday of Pesach, as he stayed in the forests for days and nights without sleep, returning to the beis midrash (study hall) straight from the field.

A Story About Rabbi Berland's Wondrous Preparation for the Holiday of Pesach

Already several weeks before the holiday of Pesach, Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a would prepare himself with supreme holiness and tremendous enthusiasm. The tzaddik's preparation was not at all routine; rather, it was accompanied by literal mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice).

Crying Out in the Fields and Forests

The Rav shlit"a would go out into nature, staying in the fields and forests for consecutive days and nights. There, far from the eyes of onlookers, he would pour out his heart in cries and supplications to Hashem. He did all this out of immense deveikus (cleaving to God), without eating or sleeping, in order to merit reaching the holiday of Pesach in the highest state of purity and holiness.

The Night the Holiday is Sanctified

One Chassid zt"l from the city of Bnei Brak related an amazing testimony that he remembered well from those days. It was on the night the holiday was sanctified, exactly when the congregation finished the Maariv (evening) prayer. The worshipers began to leave the beis midrash, all dressed in festive and elegant Yom Tov garments, ready to return to their homes to conduct the Seder.

And behold, the sight that revealed itself to their eyes was wondrous and incomprehensible. At those exact moments, the Rav shlit"a was seen returning straight from the field. His shoes were completely covered in mud from the forests, and it was evident that he had spent long hours outside in strenuous avodas Hashem (service of God).

Thus, out of that complete hisbatlus (self-nullification) and detachment from the matters of this world, the tzaddik arrived to prepare himself for the Maariv prayer and the conducting of the holy Seder night. This story illustrates, even if only a little, the magnitude of the yearning of the Rav shlit"a and his inner holy service in preparation for the Festival of Matzos.

A Story from the Seder Night: The Wondrous Peace of Mind of Morinu HaRav

The Gaon and Chassid, Rabbi Shalom Arush shlit"a, related a wondrous fact that testifies to the greatness and holiness of Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a. One year, Rabbi Shalom Arush merited to be hosted for the Seder night in the presence of Morinu HaRav shlit"a. To be present at the Seder night of such a tzaddik is a tremendous spiritual experience that leaves a profound impression on all the participants. The atmosphere was elevated, and every moment was utilized for avodas Hashem in holiness and purity.

A Surprising Halachic Question

During the conducting of the Seder, a halachic question suddenly arose regarding a specific matter related to the mitzvos of the night. As is known, the Seder night is a time packed with mitzvos, and there is often a feeling of time pressure to complete the entire order of the Haggadah. Despite this, the reaction of Morinu HaRav shlit"a was wondrous and inspiring. "The Rav shlit"a sat with wondrous yishuv hadaas (peace of mind), took out books, and delved into them for a long hour until he clarified the halacha," Rabbi Shalom Arush described the special moment.

A Tranquility of Holiness

Instead of rushing or becoming stressed by the passing time, the Rav displayed a deep inner calmness. He immersed himself in study and in-depth analysis of the various books for a long hour, disconnected from all the commotion of his surroundings, until he reached the clarification of the halacha to the absolute truth of the Torah. This story illustrates more than anything the immense trait of yishuv hadaas of Morinu HaRav shlit"a, who, even in sublime and busy moments like the Seder night, is entirely connected to the truth of the Torah with an indescribable tranquility and holiness.

A Story from the Exile in Morocco: 54-Degree Heat on Tisha B'Av

One of the students who merited to stay in the presence of Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a during the period of exile in Morocco in the year 5773 (2013), tells an amazing story about the supernatural strength of the tzaddik. It was on the fast day of Tisha B'Av, a day of mourning and destruction, which took on an additional dimension of difficulty and mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) that year.

A Fearsome Heat of 54 Degrees

On that difficult day, a particularly heavy and extreme heatwave prevailed in Morocco. The thermometer pointed to an incomprehensible heat of fifty-four degrees Celsius (129°F). The congregation of students stayed together with the Rav shlit"a inside a simple shack whose roof was made of tin, which turned the place into a literal furnace.

The heat inside the structure was terrible and dreadful, reaching the point of actual mortal danger. The student who was there describes difficult sights of exhaustion among those present. "People simply lay on the floor out of sheer weakness and total loss of strength," he recalls. The difficult fast, combined with the extreme heat and the blazing tin roof, overwhelmed most of the attendees.

Standing Like a Lion Reciting Kinos

But in contrast, a wondrous sight was revealed that defied the laws of nature. Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a stood on his feet for long hours without any break. He was immersed in reciting the Kinos (lamentations) over the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) with tremendous enthusiasm and an unimaginable spiritual awakening.

Despite his age and despite the inhuman conditions, not a single sign of fatigue or weakness was evident on the tzaddik. His body was, so to speak, exempt from the afflictions of this world, and his entire being was cleaving in love for Hashem and in the sorrow of the Shechinah (Divine Presence).

From Issue 81 — Parshas Tzav

From the series "A Tzaddik Rules in the Fear of God" — "Shapir Amar Nachmani" publications