A Story About Wondrous Advice for Guarding the Holiness of Thought Abroad / A Rare Testimony

A special story about two students who were staying abroad, where they faced difficult trials, and how a single piece of advice from Rabbi Berland shlit"a for the holiness of thought worked wonders immediately.

A Story About Wondrous Advice for Guarding the Holiness of Thought Abroad

A few months ago, two students of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, were staying abroad. As is known to anyone who leaves the Holy Land, the spiritual trials there are terrible and dreadful, especially regarding the impurity of the lands of the nations and the daily struggle with a secular environment.

Advice for the Holiness of Thought

During those days, the students met a local Breslov Chassid who lived in that country. During their conversation about the spiritual difficulties in that place, one of the students of the Rav shlit"a shared with that Chassid a special piece of advice he had heard from the tzaddik.

This was a unique and spiritually potent advice specifically intended for guarding the holiness of thought. Guarding one's thoughts is known to be a very difficult spiritual work to maintain, all the more so in an environment full of trials as found abroad.

Working Wondrous Miracles

The Chassid heard the advice and decided to implement it immediately in his daily life. To everyone's surprise, the amazing results were not late in coming.

Only a few hours later, that same Chassid returned to the students of the Rav, overwhelmed and moved by the immediate effect. He turned to the student who had given him the advice and told him with great enthusiasm: "What can I tell you? This advice works wondrous miracles; it is simply tested and proven!"

This short story illustrates how the advice of the tzaddik, based on pure fear of God, crosses continents and seas. These counsels have the power to illuminate, purify, and protect every Jew, even when he is in the most difficult and challenging places in the world.

A Rare Testimony Story: The Holiness of Our Generation - The Words of One of the Greatest Rebbes

Testimony from the Torah Giants of Israel

Over the years, we have merited to hear many moving testimonies from the Torah giants of Israel and the tzaddikim of the generation regarding the immense spiritual stature of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. True tzaddikim, whose eyes are open and see far into the distance, know how to recognize the greatness of other tzaddikim and their work in the world.

Thus, it is known and famous among Chassidim and men of pious deeds regarding a rare and unique expression. One of the greatest, most important, and famous Rebbes of our generation shlit"a chose to testify about the immense spiritual level of our teacher, the Rav.

An Expression of Supreme Holiness

When that great Rebbe spoke about our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, he used few but extremely powerful words. He said clearly and unequivocally: "Rabbi Eliezer is the holiness of our generation."

This statement, coming from a supreme holy man, testifies more than anything to the pure and inner essence of our teacher, the Rav. To be crowned with such an exalted title by one of the Torah giants of Israel is a tremendous revelation of the great light that illuminates the world through the tzaddik.

Fortunate are we to have merited in this generation, a generation full of trials and struggles, to have such a tzaddik who serves as the pillar of holiness and purity. May the great merit of our teacher, the Rav, protect us and all of Israel, Amen.

A Story About Guarding the Eyes: The Cashier Who Appeared Out of Nowhere in the Merit of the Tzaddik

A dear avreich (Torah scholar) from among the students of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, told of a wondrous Divine Providence he experienced, which testifies to the power of the tzaddik to assist anyone who desires to guard his holiness.

One day, this avreich needed to enter a certain store to make an urgent purchase. When he entered the place, he discovered that all the cashiers in the store were women, and there was not a single male seller to be found. This made things very difficult for him, as he was meticulous about guarding his eyes and did not want to stumble or be brought to a spiritual trial.

A Request from the Depths of the Heart

In his distress, the avreich turned to the Creator of the World and asked for help from a higher source. He lifted his eyes to the heavens and said: "Master of the Universe, help me in the merit of the tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer ben Etiya, that I should not defile my eyes, Heaven forbid."

The answer to his request was not late in coming. Suddenly, out of nowhere, one of the male employees of the store arrived. The employee turned to the staff and asked loudly: "Why didn't you call me to help sell? There is a long line here!"

A Messenger from Heaven

In truth, there was no long line there at all. At that moment, only four people were standing there waiting to pay. Despite this, that employee immediately sat down at one of the empty registers, and called specifically to that avreich to approach him.

He scanned the products, sold the avreich everything he needed, and immediately afterward got up from his place. To everyone's surprise, the employee closed the register, left the area, and refused to sell to any of the other people waiting in line.

This story illustrates how when a Jew insists on his holiness and asks for assistance in the merit of the tzaddik, Heaven sends him special messengers to save him from any stumbling block.

---
From Issue 79 — Parashat Ki Tisa
From the series "A Tzaddik Rules in the Fear of God" — "Shapir Amar Nachmani" publications