An Amazing Story: Two Hours of Tears That Canceled the Doctors' Decree / A Story of Holy Fire

A Jew whose daughter fell ill with a severe disease and was given only a few weeks to live came to Rabbi Berland shlit"a. After two hours of the Rav's cries and tears, the illness vanished as if it had never existed.

An Amazing Story: Two Hours of Tears That Canceled the Doctors' Decree

One of the students of Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a shared an incredible story he heard from a reliable source, testifying to the immense power of the tzaddik to annul harsh decrees.

The Bitter News and the Doctors' Despair

Once, a broken and shattered Jew came to the Rav shlit"a. He shared with immense pain that his daughter had contracted the terrible disease, may Hashem protect us. The situation appeared critical and hopeless according to the laws of nature. The doctors treating her had determined in despair that she had, Heaven forbid, no more than a few weeks left to live.

Two Hours of Tears and Cries

When the Rav shlit"a heard this, he immediately grasped the pained father's hand. With tremendous emotion and terrible weeping, the Rav began to cry out the words: "And who among all the works of Your hands, in the upper realms and the lower realms, can tell You what to do and how to act?"

The Rav repeated these holy words over and over again, as copious tears streamed from his eyes. This continued uninterrupted for two solid hours! After those two hours of complete self-nullification to the Creator of the world, the Rav turned to the father and told him with absolute confidence, "With the help of Hashem, the blessed One, there will be salvations."

The Medical Marvel

Indeed, the great miracle was not late in coming. The illness vanished from the daughter's body as if it had never been, through the loving-kindness of Hashem, the blessed One. The doctors treating her stood shocked and astounded in the face of the medical marvel that had occurred right before their eyes.

This incident proved to everyone who witnessed it that there is a Creator and Guide to the world. Everyone saw tangibly that Hashem, the blessed One, alone did, does, and will do all deeds, and that flesh and blood determines nothing.

A Story of Holy Fire: Two Continuous Hours of Likutey Halachos

The infinite devotion of Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a to the light and holy fire of the holy and awesome Rebbe Nachman zy"a (may his merit protect us all, Amen), is renowned. As is known, the holy Rebbe said the famous phrase: "Mein feierl vet shoin tloyen biz Mashiach vet kumen" (My fire will burn until the coming of Mashiach).

The Fire That Passes to the Hearts of the Students

The fulfillment of this promise is seen tremendously in the tzaddik of the generation, who continues this awesome holy fire and ignites it in the hearts of tens of thousands of Jews. Anyone who draws close to Morinu HaRav shlit"a immediately begins to burn in his heart with a holy fire of yearning and longing for the holy Rebbe, his books, and his holy advice.

This is especially evident among the students of the Rav shlit"a, who are so devoted to reciting The Tikkun HaKlali several times every single day. For the vast majority of them, reciting the Tikkun less than three times a day is a reality that simply does not exist, stemming from that immense devotion that the Rav instills within them.

Two Continuous Hours of Likutey Halachos

The intensity of the Rav shlit"a's thirst for the Torah of Rebbe Nachman can be learned from the testimony of his son-in-law. He related that once, Morinu HaRav shlit"a asked him to read aloud to him from the holy book Likutey Halachos.

The son-in-law began to read and studied a few passages, and when he stopped, the Rav shlit"a immediately told him, "Continue." He read a few more passages again, and once more the Rav turned to him and asked him to keep reading.

This continued uninterrupted for two solid hours! The son-in-law read more and more passages, and the Rav shlit"a eagerly drank in every word, until the son-in-law was finally forced to stop reading for some reason. This story illustrates more than anything the love of Torah and the infinite devotion of the Rav shlit"a to the Torah of the Flowing Brook, the Source of Wisdom (Rebbe Nachman).

A Story About the Surprising Advice: Eighteen Hours of Study a Day

A young Torah scholar, one of the students of our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, shared a profound spiritual experience he went through. Recently, this student approached the Rav shlit"a and asked him for advice regarding a certain matter that was weighing heavily on his heart and disturbing his peace of mind.

The Rav shlit"a listened to him with great attention, and responded with wondrous advice: "You should study for eighteen hours a day, and out of those, make sure to study for two hours in the holy book *Likutey Halachos*".

Discovering the Light in Prolonged Study

The student related that it had never occurred to him that one should study Likutey Halachos for more than a page or so at a time. Nevertheless, he decided to devote himself entirely to this advice and began studying many pages consecutively, out of a burning desire to fulfill the directive of the tzaddik.

Very soon, he began to feel how this study was healing his soul in an awesome and wondrous way. He testified that one literally tastes the Garden of Eden through this learning. Specifically through the prolonged study of several consecutive pages, one begins to feel the light, pleasantness, and sweetness of the holy words of Reb Noson (Moharnat) zy"a.

These are words of pure emunah (faith) in Hashem, illuminating the soul in a way that cannot be experienced anywhere else, reflecting the verse, "No eye has seen it, O God, besides You."

The Shechinah (Divine Presence) Speaks Through His Throat

Through his personal experience, the student saw tangibly how the tzaddik shlit"a heals the souls of the Jewish people with his awesome advice. One can literally see how the Shechinah (Divine Presence) speaks through his throat, providing each and every person with the most accurate and precise advice for their unique situation. Fortunate is the nation that has it so!

In this context, it is known that Reb Noson zy"a said that his book is literally an aspect of the Garden of Eden. One of the students of the tzaddik added a wondrous hint regarding the verse in Parashas Bechukosai: "And I will walk among you... and I will lead you upright (komemiyus)." The holy Rashi explains these words, saying: "I will stroll with you in the Garden of Eden."

The tremendous wonder here is that the gematria (numerical value) of the word "komemiyus" is exactly equal to the value of "Likutey Halachos" plus the letter Dalet (which equals four). One could say that this additional letter Dalet alludes to the four sections of the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), upon which the holy book Likutey Halachos is based and structured.

From Issue 79 — Parashas Devarim

From the series "Tzaddik Moshel Yiras Elokim" — "Shapir Amar Nachmani" publications