An Amazing Story: When the Rav Revealed the Most Hidden Secrets

A Jew who entered to ask for a blessing for a shidduch (marriage match) was astounded when Rabbi Berland shlit"a revealed all of his hidden deeds to him, which led him to deep regret and complete teshuvah (repentance).

An amazing and inspiring story was recently heard from one of the close students of Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, who was a firsthand witness to a wondrous event. The story illustrates just how far the eyes of the tzaddik see, peering into the depths of every person's soul. It all began when a certain Jew entered the inner sanctum, the room of the Rav shlit"a, to ask for a blessing to find a proper match.

"What do you think, that the world is a free-for-all?"

That Jew stood before the Rav shlit"a, expecting to receive a routine blessing for a shidduch, but the events in the room took a surprising and shocking turn. Suddenly, the tzaddik began to shout at him in a loud voice: "What do you think, that the world is a free-for-all?"

Immediately afterward, the Rav began to list before him, one by one, all the hidden deeds he had done in his past. These were extremely personal and concealed matters that no creature in the world had ever known about, aside from that Jew and the Creator of the world.

The Path to Complete Teshuvah

Upon hearing these precise words, the Jew was completely broken. He rested his head on the table and began to weep bitterly, a heart-rending cry. For ten full minutes, he cried profusely, terrible tears of brokenness and shock, and he could not calm down at all.

Afterward, when the Rav shlit"a noticed his deep brokenness, he began to bring him joy. The tzaddik spoke to his heart, encouraged his spirit, and even joked with him in various ways to pull him out of his sadness. Despite this, the Jew was still distraught, and amidst terrible weeping, he asked the Rav: "How does one do teshuvah?"

The tzaddik looked at him with a compassionate gaze and answered him with piercing simplicity: "This is your teshuvah—this deep regret."

This story teaches us about the immense power of the tzaddik, who not only sees the hidden things but also knows exactly how to awaken the innermost point in a person's heart and lead him to true and purified teshuvah.

From Issue 79 — Parashat Vayakhel

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