A Wondrous Story: The Girl Who Almost Lost Consciousness and Astonished the Doctors, Plus 3 More Stories

A young girl who felt unwell and nearly lost consciousness was rushed to the hospital. After her father mentioned her name to Rabbi Berland shlit"a, all her pains vanished as if they had never existed.

A Wondrous Story: The Girl Who Almost Lost Consciousness and Astonished the Doctors

A Jewish man recounts an amazing medical miracle that happened to his daughter.

One night, his daughter began to feel very ill. She suffered from severe dizziness and intense headaches, to the point where she almost lost consciousness. Her panicked parents rushed her to the local clinic. The medical staff was highly alarmed by her condition and immediately called an ambulance to evacuate her urgently to the hospital.

The Melaveh Malkah (post-Shabbat festive meal) Before the Exile

While the mother traveled with the girl in the ambulance, the father hurried to Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. At that time, the Rav was attending a Melaveh Malkah (post-Shabbat festive meal) in the Ezrat Torah neighborhood.

This event took place in the "Beit Yisrael" hall, and it was right before the Rav shlit"a went into his exile. In fact, this was the last time the public merited to be with the tzaddik before that period. The worried father approached one of the gabbaim (attendants) and asked him to mention the girl's name for a blessing and salvation before the tzaddik.

"Why Did You Even Come Here?"

Hours passed, and the father remained to participate in the Melaveh Malkah songs and the tzaddik's Torah class. Later that night, the father called his wife to check on the girl's condition. Baruch Hashem (Thank God), his wife shared wonderful, good news.

She related that suddenly, all the pains and ailments vanished as if they had never existed. By the time they arrived at the hospital, the girl was already feeling excellent, so much so that the doctors stood in shock and asked: "Why did you even come here in the first place?"

A Fascinating Story: The Hint in Parashat Emor About Independence Day and the Blasphemer

Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a referred several times during the week to Parashat Emor, known as the Torah portion that mentions all the holidays and festivals of the Jewish people. During his words, the Rav asked a piercing question in a witty manner that awakened the audience.

The Hint at the End of Parashat Emor

The Rav asked those present: "Where is the holiday of the Zionists hinted at in the Torah portion?" Immediately afterward, he answered that the hint is brought right at the end of the portion, in the section about the Blasphemer. The Rav added and mentioned the words of Rashi there, which also brings down the sin of the wood-gatherer who desecrated Shabbat.

The Rav explained with pain that "the entire State was established only for the desecration of Shabbat and to curse and blaspheme, Hashem protect us." Through the connection to the section of the Blasphemer and the wood-gatherer, the Rav illustrated the perspective that sees an immense spiritual danger in distancing oneself from Shabbat observance and the holiness of Israel.

The Practical Instruction for This Day

In light of these words, the Rav shlit"a declared unequivocally that there is no significance or holiness to this day. He instructed the public that on this day, "one must go to the kollels (Torah study halls) and the Talmud Torahs, and not participate in any festivities, Heaven forbid."

Furthermore, it was revealed that the Rav was even more stringent in a private instruction he gave to one of his students. To that student, the Rav said privately that he must perform "keriah" (tearing one's garment) on this day, as is customary to do as a sign of mourning over spiritual destruction.

These words reflect the resolute stance of Rabbi Berland shlit"a, who places the study of Torah and the observance of its mitzvot above all else. He calls upon his students to cling to the tent of Torah and to strengthen themselves in holiness, specifically during days of spiritual confusion.

An Amazing Story: Rabbi Berland's Cries for Every Jewish Soul

One day, immediately following the Maariv (evening) prayer, our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a stood up and declared loudly before the congregation: "Now we will recite four chapters of Tehillim (Psalms) in order to nullify Independence Day!"

The entire holy congregation present immediately answered and cried out together, "Amen."

The Power of the Tzaddik of the Generation

In this gathering, one could tangibly see the immense power of the tzaddik of the generation. Hashem, may He be blessed, grants success to the path of Rabbi Berland shlit"a to extract the precious from the worthless, and to return many hearts to their Father in Heaven. After all, the majority of the public surrounding the Rav is composed of baalei teshuvah (returnees to the faith), a large portion of whose families are still deeply immersed in the falsehood of this world.

Many of them lived this way themselves for many long years. But suddenly, the tzaddik illuminates within them the light of holy emunah (faith). The Jewish heart begins to burn with love for Hashem, may He be blessed, and they can no longer tolerate the uprooting of religion and the spirit of heresy of the wicked regime.

Immense Compassion for Every Jewish Soul

On the other hand, it is impossible not to notice the tzaddik's immense compassion for all Jewish souls. In this regard, the chilling story about the holy tzaddik of Satmar, zy"a (may his merit protect us and everyone, amen), is well known. During one of the Zionist wars, the Satmar Rebbe asked how many Jews had fallen in battle. They told him that two hundred soldiers had been killed, even though the true number was much higher.

When he heard this, the holy tzaddik entered his room and wept for many long hours. Even though these were soldiers of the secular army, he saw them as precious Jews and tinokos shenishbu (captured infants, raised without Torah knowledge), and his heart broke within him.

Terrible Cries for the Jewish People

That same immense trait of mercy is also evident in our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a. Whoever merits to hear his voice sees how the tzaddik cries out terrible, heart-rending cries over those holy souls who were killed solely for being Jews.

Rabbi Berland shlit"a constantly reminds us that all these troubles come upon us because of our iniquities. The clear conclusion that arises from this is that only by all of us returning in complete teshuvah (repentance) will all the decrees and troubles be nullified from upon us.

A Story of Rabbi Berland's Cry Shattering the Walls of Heresy

When one contemplates the path of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, one sees the infinite and boundless depth of his wisdom. The tzaddik shatters and breaks the iron walls of heresy, something no one else manages to do with the same intensity.

As is known, the terrible falsehood of the monster of heresy has been confusing multitudes of lost souls for some seventy years. On Memorial Day, which is held for the soldiers who were killed, slaughtered, and burned in terrible agony, Hashem protect us, they educate the public that all one needs to do is stand at attention during the siren. This custom is a non-Jewish practice, Heaven spare us, and it is akin to 'Have you murdered and also inherited?'

It is not enough that they pulled multitudes of souls out of the holy yeshivas and distanced them from the Torah; they continue to confuse them further. They prevent them, Heaven forbid, from reflecting truthfully on why all these troubles come, for they stem solely from abandoning the holy Torah and uprooting religion. They turn everything into a national ceremony, and this is only to uproot every spark of emunah (faith) from the hearts of the bereaved families.

The Tzaddik's Cry That Awakens to Teshuvah

In contrast, the holy tzaddik fights the battle of Hashem through these prayers, which certainly reach many distant Jews and awaken them to the true point. The tzaddik cries out terribly there and explains that all the troubles come for one clear reason.

"Because I did not keep the Torah and its mitzvos properly, and I followed the stubbornness of my evil heart, adding the watered to the thirsty (adding intentional sins to unintentional ones)," he says. He continues and cries out from the blood of his heart: "And I added day by day, hour by hour, second by second, sins upon transgressions. The unintentional sins turned into intentional ones, and the intentional ones turned into acts of rebellion."

From this, he leads the public to a genuine cry to the Creator of the world: "Please Hashem, grant me merit on this holy and awesome day, and please atone for Your entire nation, the House of Israel, for the transgressions and the rebellions that I have sinned, committed iniquity, and transgressed before You."

In the merit of his piercing words and pure prayers, we merit to accept upon ourselves now the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven in truth and sincerity. Thus, we merit to do true teshuvah (repentance) that tears through all the barriers and brings closer the complete Geulah (Redemption).

From Issue 79 — Parashat Behar

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