A Wonder: Receiving the Funds for Architecture Studies

A young couple went in to receive a blessing from Rabbi Berland, who recommended that the bride study architecture instead of interior design, despite the high cost of the studies. On the final day of the Sheva Brachos (seven days of wedding celebrations), a woman who had recently drawn close to the community repeated the Rav's exact words and volunteered to pay all the expenses of the costly studies.

In the year 5778 (2017-2018), an especially joyous wedding took place, attended by many students of Rabbi Eliezer Berland. The bride's father was one of the Rav's students and close followers, and the groom was a precious and distinguished young man who had drawn close to Breslov Chassidus and to Rabbi Berland shlit"a a few years prior. The young couple merited to have Rabbi Berland officiate the Chuppah and Kiddushin (wedding ceremony), and the joy soared to the heavens. However, as with the building of any new home, a question arises sooner or later: where will their parnassah (livelihood) come from?

The young bride, who married at a young age, sought to learn a profession that could provide them with a respectable parnassah in the future, so that her Kollel-student husband could diligently immerse himself in his Torah studies without interruption.

The profession closest to her heart was interior design. This is a highly sought-after field that does not take a long time to learn, and the tuition is not overly expensive. Furthermore, since it is common in the Haredi community to build and expand apartments as the family grows, she felt this was an in-demand and suitable profession.

She Should Study Architecture

A few days later, the groom and bride went in to Rabbi Berland to receive his blessing for their new life together. Suddenly, the Rav asked them what the bride planned to do for work. The groom replied to the Rav that she intended to study interior design. The Rav heard the answer and said, "If she already wants to study interior design, she should study architecture. It is more in demand and provides a better parnassah."

The groom replied, "With Hashem's help," but in his heart, he knew this would be difficult to accomplish. Architecture studies are several times more expensive than interior design, in addition to the fact that they take several years to complete—much longer than interior design studies.

Divine Providence on the Day of Sheva Brachos

On the final day of the Sheva Brachos celebrations, a lively conversation developed between the bride's mother and a woman who had only recently drawn close to Breslov Chassidus. This newcomer had come from afar, but her soul had bound itself to the bride's soul, and she had helped her throughout the entire engagement and wedding period. She even took care to decorate her car with ribbons and flowers to bring the bride to her Chuppah with honor.

On that final day of Sheva Brachos, during their conversation, the woman asked the bride's mother what the bride planned to do for work. The bride's mother replied that she was likely planning to study interior design, with Hashem's help. Suddenly, the woman replied to the bride's mother using the exact same phrasing that Rabbi Berland had used in his blessing: "Why shouldn't she just study architecture? It is a more prestigious profession that brings in more money." But before the bride's mother could even answer the question and explain that this would involve extraordinary expenses and the like, the woman said: "You know what? I will take it upon myself to pay for all of the bride's tuition costs, and she should study architecture." [As told by the groom to the Pele Elyon editorial team]

From the book *Pele Elyon, Part 3*