A Story of the Fire Burning in the Heart: The Mesirus Nefesh (Self-Sacrifice) of the Rav's Student

A story about a veteran student of Rabbi Berland who, during a seudat mitzvah (festive meal), chose to focus on mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) for Hashem from the book "Noam Elimelech" instead of the delicacies on the table.

One individual recounts a deep spiritual experience he witnessed during a seudat hoda’ah (thanksgiving meal) in which he participated. At that meal, meat, fish, and all sorts of fine delicacies were served, as is fitting for a festive and honorable seudat mitzvah (festive meal). Among the participants sat one of the veteran students of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days), but instead of focusing on the physical delicacies on the table, the holy book "Noam Elimelech" was laid out before him.

Throughout the entire meal, that student turned to the person sitting next to him and enthusiastically shared the deep words of Torah he was reading. He repeated over and over the high spiritual level mentioned in the book, according to which "a person must imagine in his soul as if a great and awesome fire is burning to the heart of heaven, and out of his immense love for Hashem—he throws himself into the fire."

Self-Sacrifice in Simplicity and Humility

This thought of mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) was his entire focus and his whole "seudat mitzvah." While the other guests enjoyed the food being served, he barely tasted a kezayit (an olive-sized portion) of all the delicacies and pleasures there. He was entirely immersed in deveikus (cleaving) to the Creator and in the desire to nullify himself before the Divine Light.

The most impressive thing about the story was the way that Chassid conducted himself. He did so with wondrous simplicity and innocence, out of true humility and lowliness of spirit, without even a hint of arrogance. Thus, amidst the commotion of the meal, he burned with the fire of holiness that he received from his teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a.