A Story of Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration): The Wondrous Figure in the Living Room and the Chilling Dream / Story

A collection of wondrous stories about the power of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, ranging from rare revelations of Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration) to the saving of souls in their very last moments.

A Story of Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration): The Wondrous Figure in the Living Room and the Chilling Dream

Many Jews merit to see Divine Providence and the power of the true tzaddikim eye to eye. When people gather together, awesome and moving stories of literal Divine revelation rise and surface. Praiseworthy are those who merit to publicize the truth and sanctify the Name of Heaven, just as precious Jews publicize miracles without omitting a single detail, thanking Hashem, may He be blessed, with immense emotion by reciting the "Nishmas Kol Chai" prayer. Here are a few of those wondrous stories about our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

"Who is the Third Person Standing Here?"

At one of the regular Thursday night gatherings at the "Nachalei Netzach" yeshiva, three baalei teshuvah (returnees to Judaism) arrived from the city of Bat Yam. One of them stood up and shared an amazing story that he had experienced firsthand. These avreichim (Torah scholars) would regularly travel throughout the Holy Land to raise funds for the Shuvu Banim institutions, as well as to bring distant Jews closer to their Father in Heaven.

It is known that Rabbi Berland shlit"a would always tell the avreichim that he accompanies them wherever they go. Indeed, they always strove to conduct themselves with fear of Heaven, as if the tzaddik was literally right there with them. On one occasion, they arrived at a home that was very distant from Judaism. The homeowner opened the door for them and they stepped inside, leaving the door wide open to avoid the prohibition of yichud (seclusion with a woman).

They sat down on the couch and began speaking to the woman about strengthening her emunah (faith). Suddenly, the woman interrupted them and asked in amazement: "Who is the third person standing here? He has the appearance of a tzaddik, is it Rebbe Nachman?" The avreichim were very startled, as only the two of them had arrived, and they were unaware of anyone else in the room with them.

They immediately understood that she was likely seeing the Rav shlit"a in the spirit. To verify this, they showed her three different pictures of the Rav. In the first picture, he appeared wearing a tallis, and in the second, in regular clothing, but she said it was not him. The third picture was of the Rav shlit"a dressed in a shtreimel and Shabbos garments. The moment she saw it, she cried out: "That's him! That's him! This Jew, he is the one I see here!"

"Today You Can Learn Until Five"

A precious avreich who had recently drawn close to our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, once approached him with a question regarding his learning schedule on Erev Shabbos Kodesh. The avreich shared that he very much wanted to learn on Friday, but since he had to prepare the Shabbos necessities and help out at home, he did not know how to conduct himself. The Rav shlit"a instructed him to learn in the kollel until twelve noon, and afterward, to go home to help with the preparations for the holy Shabbos.

The avreich accepted the Rav's words and did this every week. One week, Hashem, may He be blessed, orchestrated it so that by Thursday night, almost everything was already prepared for Shabbos, leaving him with very little work for the following day.

On Friday morning, when the avreich arrived for the Shacharis prayer, the Rav shlit"a suddenly turned to him and said: "Today you can learn until five o'clock." The avreich was left stunned and awestruck by the revealed Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration) of the tzaddik, who saw and knew exactly what was happening in his home without him having said a single word.

A Last-Minute Reconciliation

Another awesome story was told by a Jew of Persian descent, who had also recently drawn close to our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a. One day, in the early hours of the morning, this Jew had a dream that shook his world. In his dream, he saw the tzaddik standing before him, telling him clear and urgent things.

The Rav told him in the dream: "You have a relative in such-and-such country. Call him right now, tell him that you forgive him, and reconcile with him, because today at four o'clock he will no longer be here in this world." The Jew woke up in tremendous panic. The vivid dream banished sleep from his eyes, and he decided not to delay. He immediately called that relative, spoke with him, and the two reconciled and forgave each other with a whole heart.

That same day, at three-thirty in the afternoon, a horrifying phone call was received at his home. On the other end of the line, he was informed that this same relative had been in a severe car accident; his vehicle was completely crushed, and he was killed on the spot, may Hashem protect us.

These stories awaken the heart and make one's hair stand on end. They remind us time and again of what is truly happening here in this world, and within what a concealment within a concealment the true tzaddikim operate in order to save and guide the souls of Israel.

Story: Master of the Universe, Give Me the Most Severe Humiliations

A few months ago, two avreichim were in the United States and met a young man from the Satmar chassidus. Since he heard that they were students of the tzaddik, he told them that his grandfather had shared with him that he merited to have our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, stay at his home for a period of time (along with two other tzaddikim).

yibadel lechaim tovim (may he be distinguished for a long life), the holy tzaddik of Ribnitz and the holy tzaddik Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Kramer from Kfar Gidon, zt"l (and the Rav shlit"a would do hisbodedus behind

their house, and this Jew heard how the Rav shlit"a was begging, 'Master of the Universe, please grant me the merit that they should shame me with the most severe humiliation,' and this

was already forty years ago. And who can imagine and who can describe what the tzaddik is accomplishing here in this world, and what sweetenings and mercy he draws down

upon the Jewish people through his suffering and his humiliations.

And it is known that tzaddikim said that if there had been such a tzaddik during the time of the Holocaust, he would have nullified the Holocaust.

And may Hashem already shine a new light upon Zion, Amen.

From Issue 79 — Parashat Shlach

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