The Admor of Strapcov visits Rav Berland

THE ADMOR OF STRAPCOV VISITS RAV BERLAND

After the well-publicized visits of a number of leading figures in the chareidi world, Rav Eliezer Berland, shlita, was recently also visited by the Admor of Strapcov, shlita. Breslov communal activist, Aharon Boymil was there, and he shared the following insights, plus other words of chizzuk on the Breslov Information Line.

“We had to wait 14 hours [before we could see the Rav],” begins R’ Boymil. “It was a whole night of tears and prayers. Only after all that did the Admor of Strapcov, shlita, who is one of the elders of the Jerusalem Rabbonim, and I finally manage to gain entry [to see the Rav].”

R’ Boymil continues to describe the mesirut Nefesh (self-sacrifice) involved in arranging the meeting between these two Torah giants:

“The Admor of Strapcov, shlita, was waiting there with me for hours before they’d let us in, but I explained to him that there was nothing we could do [to speed things up], and that in the meantime you need a lot of official approvals to get through all the procedures set up by the State [of Israel]. But ultimately it was all worth it, in order to get the holy [Admor of Strapcov] inside.

“Moranu Rav Berland, shlita, told me when we entered that he forgave me that I hadn’t visited him over the last four and a half years, that he’d been in galut (exile). The Rav told me that he forgave me, and that he also forgave all of the people who’d been persecuting him and hurting him. From here, we can see the Rav’s humility, by how he immediately and quickly forgives people.”

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"][https://www.shuvubanimint.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG-20170430-WA0004.x65002.jpg] The Admor of Strapcov, shlita, in the Hadassah hospital hotel[/caption]

R’Boymil continues: “I told the Rav, shlita, that the Admor of Strapcov, shlita, had come to request a bracha (blessing) from him, so then the Rav with his customary humility, turned things around, and said that he’d like to receive a bracha from the Admor.

“I have to tell you that when I saw Moranu Rav Berland, shlita, I simply burst into tears. I fell on to his shoulders, gave him a kiss, and then simply started crying my eyes out. I said to him: ‘Rav, you are mamash like a holy angel.” The Rav looked mamash like a holy angel, as though he hadn’t been going through all the exiles and suffering he’s endured, as though he just now stepped out from the beit hamidrash (house of study) where he’d been studying for 400 days. The Rav looked like Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai looked, when he left the cave.

“I only had a minute and a half with the Rav, shlita, because the Admor of Strapcov, shlita, wanted to talk privately with him, but that minute was priceless. It’s worthwhile for AN’SH to wait, and to see the Rav, and to understand that this must have been how the Kohen HaGadol must have looked, mamash.

“You just melt when you’re next to Rav Berland, shlita, and then you say to yourself, ‘what a merit we have in this generation, that we merited to have a Jew like this.’ Here's a person who’s undergone such shame and humiliation, so much bloodshed, and yet he continues to just sit and learn Torah, and to pray, and to forgive everyone.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="644"][https://www.shuvubanimint.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG-20170430-WA0006.x65002.jpg] R' Aharon Boymil with Rav Berland[/caption]

“Rav Berland, shlita, doesn’t have any animosity towards anyone. If someone, for example, cuts you up when you’re driving, even in the smallest way, you immediately have a grudge against him. Here, we have a Jew who they literally spilled his blood, and cut him up into pieces, and he just continues to forgive everyone, and to love everyone, he doesn’t feel any hatred towards anyone. The Rav, shlita, all he wants is Hashem, and that another Jew will do teshuva, he just wants to do another kindness for his fellow Jew.

“Moranu Rav Berland, shlita, told me that in another fortnight, he’ll already be out, bezrat Hashem. [The Rav said],

> ‘I’ll return to lead the kehilla (community), and everyone will be able to see me. The whole community will get a blessing from me, and there will be peace, brotherly love and friendship.’”

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280"][https://www.shuvubanimint.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IMG-20170430-WA0007.x65002.jpg] Rav Berland blessing R' Aharon Boymil[/caption]

R’Boymil concludes: “Clearly, we can’t publicize all the Admorim and all the Rabbis who have been coming recently to see the Rav, shlita. It’s truly mesirut Nefesh on their behalf, to come at the moment. In the near future, we’ll publish a picture of all the Gedolei Yisrael (leaders of Israel) who’ve come to see Rav Berland.

“People won’t believe which [Torah] greats have been queuing up here simply in order to enter and see the Rav, shlita. Everyone wants to receive a bracha from Rav Berland, shlita. They know that a bracha from a Jew like this can even revive the dead.

“I stood outside for 14 hours, and I saw something amazing: Even the guards, who aren’t from a Torah background, were sharing divrei Torah with each other, and telling each other stories about the Tzaddikim. One of them told me that the Rav recited the Berkot HaShachar (morning blessings) with him, and also told me that the Rav was praying with him.

“I asked him, ‘Tell me something, are you religiously observant?’ He replied: ‘What does it mean, ‘religious observant’? Every day, we’re hearing divrei Torah, until we got to a stage where we got a new soul.’”

You can hear Aharon Boymil’s words for yourself on the Breslev Information Line by calling:

In Israel:              02-800-8800

In the USA:         1-845-640-0007

In Europe:           44-203-807-3333