A Window into the World of the Tzaddikim - Rav Salama shlit"a Explains Why the Esteemed Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a Struck His Student

At the amazing gathering held in the city of Eilat, the esteemed Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a struck one of his students. Those familiar with the ways of the tzaddikim know that this act conceals hidden secrets and mysteries. The tzaddikim, with their holy eyes, see things that are not clear to us, and they dedicate their lives to nullifying decrees, sweetening judgments, and bringing the souls of Israel closer to their purpose. Rav Yaakov Salama shlit"a, head of the 'Netzach Netzachim' kollel in Bnei Brak, gathered holy words that open a window into the world of the tzaddikim, these are his words.

"I heard from Rav Reuven Elbaz shlit"a that the wicked do not seek answers, the wicked come only to provoke. One should not answer such a person because he is not seeking answers, only questions. He will finish with this question and seek to challenge Judaism with another question. My words now are not for those who harbor hatred and resentment towards the esteemed Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, as they are not seeking answers and come with preconceived notions. My words are for those who truly seek answers."

There were tzaddikim who behaved as the Rav did to that Jew at the gathering in Eilat, like Shammai who pushed someone with the builder's cubit, and even tzaddikim in our generation. As happened with Rav Chaim Cohen shlit"a, the Milkman, when one day a student came to his lesson and the Milkman severely rebuked him and expelled him. However, the student understood that the Milkman was not merely humiliating him, but intended to bring him salvation through it. Therefore, he went outside with a bowed head and waited outside the door until the Milkman finally told him he was trying to annul a severe decree over him. Although he did not succeed, as he said, he managed to postpone it. Time passed, and his ten-month-old baby died of crib death. On the day it happened, he came to the Milkman, who told him he knew it in advance, but he only managed to postpone the decree. We see that tzaddikim act to sweeten judgments over the people of Israel and save them.

"A Jew came to the Rav on his 21st birthday to receive a blessing. Our teacher Rav Berland sent him to bring a sum of money for a redemption of the soul. As soon as the Jew brought the redemption, the Rav took the envelope and threw it on the table while shouting, 'Do you think I need your money? Get out of here!' Then, with both hands, the Rav forcefully expelled him from the house and slammed the door. The young man, who was not a Breslov chassid and was unfamiliar with such behavior from tzaddikim, was hurt by this. However, the Rav sent his attendant to run after him and ask him to bring another redemption. The Jew, although secular, returned to Rav Berland again with a redemption, but to his amazement, the same story repeated itself, including the attendant who returned and asked him to bring a redemption, this time for the third time."

"The last time, the Rav revealed to the young man that a death decree was hovering over his head, and the humiliation he caused him was actually a bloodletting that came in place of his death. The young man, moved by this, returned home and told his mother, who was utterly shocked, as she told him. '21 years ago, when we still lived in Georgia, there was a fortune teller who told me I would have a son, but he would not live past 21. Now, anyone who does not understand the whole picture can enter into doubts and questions. Since then, the young man has returned to teshuvah (repentance) and is now a student of the Rav."

"Rav Moshe Tzanani shlit"a recounted, many years ago we came from the yeshiva with the Rav to Hebron. The Rav wanted to immerse, but the mikveh was locked. One of the students told him he had a key that could open anything. The Rav seemed to be waiting for this, began shouting loudly, 'What a community of thieves,' while the students followed him and the Rav humiliated them. When they reached the cave, the Rav began reciting the Tikkun HaKlali with such delight, as if nothing had happened. Immediately after the recitation, the Rav told everyone present, 'When there is judgment, the tzaddik acts with judgment, and know that 500 terrorists were waiting for us to leave Hebron."

"Rav Tzanani continued to say that everyone thought Rav Berland was speaking in exaggeration, after all, when have we heard of 500 terrorists together? But immediately upon their exit, the army stopped them, telling them there had been a very serious incident. It turned out that the Arabs of the local villages had received information about a bus of Breslov chassidim on their way to the Cave of the Patriarchs and planned to ambush them at the exit and lynch them. 'Suddenly a soldier tells us,' Rav Tzanani continued, '500 Arab terrorists are waiting for you at the exit, and the army is dealing with it now."

"A Jew told me that during his stay with the Rav in Johannesburg, the Rav slapped him just like the incident in Eilat, and he felt that the Rav was sweetening decrees over him. The next day, he passed through a deserted area when suddenly ten large black men jumped on him, intending to rob and murder him. 'I have no idea how I got out of it,' the Jew told me, 'I am sure I was saved from murder, and it is even clearer to me that it was all thanks to the slaps from our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a. 'I later told the Rav about the miracle, and the Rav was very happy and smiled.'"