A Story of Faith: The Police Officers Who Retreated in Terror and the Open Road to Uman / Story

A collection of wondrous stories about the power of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days), ranging from saving the yeshiva in the Old City from the police to his self-sacrifice in traveling to Uman.

A Story of Faith: The Police Officers Who Retreated in Terror and the Open Road to Uman

A chain of miracles and wonders has accompanied the path of Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a throughout the years. These stories, which testify to immense self-sacrifice, burning faith, and devotion to the Creator, continue to illuminate the path of his students and those who hear his teachings. Before you is a collection of wondrous testimonies about the power of the tzaddik (righteous one).

Terror and Fear: The Police Retreat from the Yeshiva Study Hall

The following story took place in the year 5742 (1982), when Rabbi Berland shlit"a entered the holy yeshiva in the Old City with his students, right opposite the site of the Holy Temple. In those days, the mayor at the time declared a massive war against the tzaddik and made up his mind to evict the Rav shlit"a and his students from the premises. Despite the many threats, the Rav was not afraid at all; he proceeded with self-sacrifice and did not pay attention to any threat.

One day, a massive force of police and Border Patrol officers was brought to the site. The entire Western Wall plaza was filled with security forces, who prepared exactly as if for a major war. Their goal was to invade the holy yeshiva and forcefully remove the tzaddik and his students from there.

At that very hour, inside the yeshiva study hall, life went on as if nothing was happening. Rabbi Berland shlit"a stood and delivered a class with a voice striking flames of fire from the holy book 'Likutey Halachos'. The holiness of the place was well-known, as the Tosh Rebbe zy"a (may his merit protect us) once expressed to a Satmar chassid from Monsey: Since the Zionists took control of the Temple Mount, all prayers today ascend through this study hall. He said this in his holy tongue: "Through the study hall of Reb Eliezer."

Suddenly, the order came to storm the premises. The police officers, led by the chief commander, began to ascend to the holy sanctuary and entered the study hall to carry out the eviction. And then, an awesome and terrifying thing happened: the moment they saw the face of the holy tzaddik, an inexplicable fear and terror fell upon them.

The commander and all the officers with him immediately began to retreat backwards and go back down. One of the bystanders heard the commander say on his two-way radio to his colleague: "Look, I am going back now, we will talk later." Within a few moments, they all disappeared from the holy yeshiva. After the danger had passed, the Rav shlit"a responded pleasantly and said: "We saw the power of Rebbe Nachman eye to eye, and there was a tremendous Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of God's Name)."

The Testimony of the Gaon Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach zt"l

Another wondrous testimony about the immense diligence of the Rav was received from the holy genius, Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach zt"l (of blessed memory). On one occasion, when he visited the Breslov yeshiva in Bnei Brak, Rabbi Auerbach was honored to deliver words of Torah.

During his sermon, he spoke with great enthusiasm about the holy Rebbe Nachman zy"a, and amidst his words, he shared a special personal memory. He recounted how he saw with his own eyes Reb Eliezer shlit"a, who was then a young married scholar, sitting and delving into Torah together with the holy tzaddik Rabbi Zev Cheshin zt"l.

Rabbi Auerbach testified that the two were studying 'Torah 10' in the book Likutey Moharan. They sat and learned continuously for many long hours, with wondrous depth and unparalleled diligence.

The Road to Uman is Open: Self-Sacrifice in Soviet Russia

Another story from that era illustrates how the tzaddik is entirely faith and devotion to Hashem, blessed be He, and does not take into account any obstacle in the world. In the days when Russia was completely closed off behind the Iron Curtain, the only way to reach the holy gravesite in Uman was by using forged American passports.

Before one of the trips, which was planned for the Shabbos of Chanukah, a certain individual went to the American consul and informed them that Rabbi Berland shlit"a and his students intended to travel with forged passports. This greatly angered the Americans, who viewed it as a severe offense.

They sent a special messenger to the tzaddik Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Bender zy"a, with a stern warning: if the group travels, they will all be caught and dealt with very severely. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak immediately called for Rabbi Berland shlit"a, explained to him that the matter was a life-threatening danger, and instructed him to cancel the trip.

The Rav shlit"a, who truly always nullified himself to the opinion of his faithful teacher, did not give up hope. That night, which was the first Shabbos of Chanukah, he went out to the field in the Meron area. He cried out tremendous screams to Hashem there throughout the entire night.

In the morning, the Rav shlit"a came to Rabbi Levi Yitzchak zy"a and told him with absolute confidence: "There is nothing to worry about or fear, the road is open." And indeed, the trip took place as planned on the second Shabbos of Chanukah, without any obstacles or delays, all in the merit of the pure faith and immense power of Rabbi Berland shlit"a.

Story: Why did Rabbi Berland return three times to the KGB checkpoint?

It is impossible to fathom the extent of the battle of the tzaddik of the generation, Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, to instill pure and clear emunah (faith) within the Jewish people. His constant goal is to break every shadow of fear from the hearts of people. The Rav shlit"a has repeatedly said more than once that fear is the most severe kelipah (spiritual impurity).

The entire matter of the dangerous journeys of the Rav shlit"a in those days was intended to break the kelipah of the Communist regime that denied Hashem, may He be blessed. Through the very act of traveling, the Rav declared that there is none besides Him. Only through this did that kelipah crumble and break, revealing that they truly have no power at all, and all their terror is nothing but a false illusion.

The Terror of the KGB and the Forged Passports

On one of the historic journeys, the passengers were forced to use forged passports to cross the border. Anyone who was there remembers well the immense fear that the KGB agents cast upon anyone who passed through their hands. Everyone who successfully passed the inspection without being caught breathed a sigh of relief and rejoiced that they were already safe on the other side.

When the turn of Morinu HaRav shlit"a arrived, he handed the passport to the inspectors. The border guards examined the document meticulously, looked at it from all sides, and investigated thoroughly. Finally, by the grace of Hashem, they approved the crossing and let him pass to the other side.

Three Times Facing Mortal Danger

But then, something incomprehensible occurred. Suddenly, the escorts saw that the Rav shlit"a was retracing his steps and standing in line for inspection again! Once again, he underwent rigorous checks and interrogations, and once again they let him pass. Yet the Rav shlit"a did not stop; he returned and exited again, and once more went through the threatening inspection. The Rav did this no less than three times in a row!

Afterward, the Rav shlit"a explained the meaning of this wondrous act. He recounted that during the first inspection, he felt a little fear in his heart. Therefore, he wanted to completely shatter the kelipah of fear, since for him, fear of flesh and blood is considered a terrible prohibition of a flaw in emunah. To uproot the fear from the root, he returned to the place of danger three times.

Who can fathom and who can describe the magnitude of the events we merit to see in our generation. What a tremendous revelation of emunah we have merited through the tzaddik of the generation, the Tzaddik Yesod Olam, who teaches us in practice how to live with complete faith without any fear.

From Issue 79 — Parashas Devarim

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