Breslov Yeshivah Chochmah V’Daas — An Exam and a Shiur for the Bochurim at the Home of Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

An Exam for the Shiur Alef Bochurim on Tractate Berachos ■ A Fiery, Flame-Like Shiur on the Greatness of the Days of Purim and Additional Topics — A Special Summary of the Shiur

After toiling throughout this past winter reviewing and mastering Tractate Berachos, the pure-hearted Shiur Alef bochurim of the holy yeshivah for young men, “Breslov Chochmah V’Daas,” under the leadership of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, entered into the inner sanctum for an exam and a shiur last night—Sunday night, the eve of 11 Adar II, 5782.

[caption id="attachment_49953" align="alignleft" width="300"] The maggid shiur, Rabbi Eliyahu Weiss shlit"a, examines the outstanding bochurim[/caption]

At first, the maggid shiur, Rabbi Eliyahu Weiss shlit"a, tested the students in the presence of The Rav shlit"a on Tractate Berachos. From the clear answers of these precious young bochurim, it was evident that they had truly labored and that they have strong command of the material learned in the holy yeshivah.

After the exam, The Rav shlit"a immediately began singing “Vatossef Esther vatdaber lifnei hamelech…” for about five minutes. After that, he began a shiur on the exalted greatness of the days of Purim, and on Mordechai HaTzaddik, who was “crowned in his Jewishness”—as the Ben Ish Chai says, he had thick, coarse peyos, and that is what infuriated Haman. The Rav then spoke about the Jews in communist Russia who were not afraid, and who circumcised their children with self-sacrifice. He spoke about the “Nekeras HaTzur,” and then raised the question: Why is it specifically Shema Yisrael that is written in the mezuzah? He answered that wherever a person goes, he must go with Hashem—knowing that Hashem is One in every place. From there he moved to the avodah of Chanoch, who was “stitching shoes for the Shechinah.” The Rav said that everything we learn and everything we pray must be used to enthrone Hashem over every detail—like Chanoch, who would say on every stitch and every stitch, “Baruch Shem kevod malchuso l’olam va’ed.”

After that, he spoke from Torah 37—that one must merit the “breath of the mouth” of “tinokos shel beis rabban,” for through prayer with that pure breath one merits to bring about all salvations. He also spoke about the wife of On ben Peles, who saved her husband by giving him to drink, and in this way he was spared from Korach and his assembly; she went with simple faith after the Tzaddik. The Rav shlit"a said that we must learn from this to go through our entire lives with temimus (simple, wholehearted sincerity). After that, he returned to the matter of the “Nekeras HaTzur,” and to the difference between Moshe Rabbeinu and Eliyahu: with Moshe Rabbeinu, not a single drop of food or drink remained in his body from which he could have been sustained—unlike Eliyahu, who, although he fasted forty days and forty nights, still had something in his body from which he was sustained. After that, The Rav moved to the story of Sisera and Yael, who gave over her life to save the people of Israel, and he connected it to the story of Avner ben Ner: because he was able to take revenge and, in the final seconds of his life, kill Yoav ben Tzeruyah in return—but did not do so—he merited to be buried at the feet of Adam HaRishon. The Rav then moved to a practical halachic implication regarding a get and kohanim: even though a person is already in the final seconds of his life, he is still defined as alive, as brought in the Rambam.

With these words of the Living G-d, The Rav concluded the shiur after about half an hour, and ended with a fiery, flame-like Kaddish. And the moved and inspired bochurim left the beautiful, holy home of Rabbi Berland shlit"a strengthened. On their pure faces it was clear—without a doubt—that this shiur gave them strength to persevere in their learning toward the end of the zeman and the beginning of the upcoming bein hazmanim, speedily and in our days.

[caption id="attachment_49956" align="alignright" width="618"] Rabbi Berland shlit"a giving a shiur to the Shiur Alef bochurim of Yeshivas “Chochmah V’Daas,” Sunday night, the eve of 12 Adar II, 5782[/caption]