Bringing Down a Soul from the Upper World – The Gaon and Tzaddik

As they do every week, Anash (our community) from all over the country join to listen to words of chizuk (strengthening) from the holy group of the Netzach Netzachim house. Every week, a different guest arrives—a Torah scholar with new stories that no ear has ever heard. These stories are about our teacher, the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days), and each time the listeners are introduced to a new perspective of the Tzaddik.

To the meeting we are presenting before you came the "merit of the masses," Rabbi Avraham Edri, who told a chilling story that he saw with his own eyes. With trembling and awe, he shared with the public the sight he witnessed—how the Tzaddik brought down a soul from the Upper World right before the eyes of those present.

These are his words:

The story took place about ten years ago; it involves a family consisting of a father and his three sons, whose mother, Chana bas Yehudis z"l (of blessed memory), had passed away, and the Rav brought her soul down directly before their faces.

The father's name was Ron Barkai, a secular Jew, an F-16 fighter pilot in the reserves, and a senior mathematics teacher in the central region who has since passed away—may his rest be in Eden. He was a wise, humble, and simple man. His wife, at the age of 40, fell ill with the "illness" (cancer) and it began to turn malignant. He loved our teacher, Rabbi Berland, and believed in him. He heard about Rabbi Berland through one of the women in the community who referred him to me; they told her they should perform a Pidyon (redemption of the soul).

Our teacher, Rabbi Berland, said to Ron Barkai: "Your wife will recover, it will be good, but you must not move from her side." Ron stayed with his wife for a week, but after a week, he felt he had to refresh himself. He intended only a short trip to his home in Rishon LeZion, but as soon as he reached the Telshe-Stone area, they called and told him he should return because the situation was grave.

Ron continued driving home. When he returned to the hospital, he discovered his wife was no longer among the living. He immediately called me and said: "Reb Avraham, the Rav promised!"

I didn't know everything that was happening, but I asked him, "Perhaps you broke your watch (failed to follow the instruction)?" "I went home!" he answered.

I replied: "Forgive me, but the Rav told you not to move from her; one must be a guardian."

He continued: "But I had no choice, I had to move." I told him: "The patient was left vulnerable here." I called the Rav through the attendant, and the Rav said to bury her and to come to him after the Shiva (seven-day mourning period). On the 7th of Adar, the Shiva ended, and we came to Rabbi Berland.

Our teacher, Rabbi Berland, came out to meet us wrapped in Tefillin and a Tallis (prayer shawl) and greeted us with peace. The little four-year-old boy began to cry that he missed his mother; it was also difficult for the middle child, aged 9.

"The Rav asked the little boy, 'Do you want me to bring Mommy to you? Yes, I want Mommy! Good, I will bring Mommy to you! Soon Mommy will come and I will bring Mommy to you!'"

"The Rav was at the center of the table; on the right side was the father, and next to them were the children in order—the oldest, the middle, and the youngest."

"The Rav spread a Tallis and everyone joined hands; I was in the back not understanding anything, hearing the Rav breathing and gasping, like rasping sounds."

"I will bring Mommy, Mommy will come, and suddenly he shouts—Chana bas Yehudis, Chana bas Yehudis, stay back, stay back, no one touch her, she is pure, she is white. She is holy, do not touch. Chana bas Yehudis, the Rav is gasping and rasping."

"I touched the husband's back and felt that everything was like stone. For no less than twenty minutes, the Rav was gasping and rasping. It is known that when a prophet prophesies, his whole body convulses and foam comes out."

"While the Rav was in this state, Naftali Biton the attendant opened the door, shouted 'Wow!', closed the door, fled, and disappeared. I think someone else opened the door as well, but no one entered anymore."

"Every moment the Rav shouts: 'Chana bas Yehudis, do not touch her, white, pure, clean, innocent, white, pure.' The Rav shouts in stages, each time the same cry."

"Suddenly the children shouted—'Mommy!' with a great cry. And the Rav shouted to the father—'You do not touch, you do not come close. One kiss for each one, one kiss,' and the children shouted—'Mommy!'"

"The father shouted 'Chana,' and the Rav shouted to him—'You do not come close, do not touch, you do not touch.' The Rav repeated—'One kiss for each one.' Suddenly the Rav fell, collapsed from the chair and lay on the floor, roaring—'My eyes, my eyes are burning!' The Rav shouted, and I believe Naftali entered with water and put it on him."

"The Rav remained on the floor, and they sat without moving. Ten minutes passed until the Rav sat up, and then he said to me, 'Avraham, I am sending you with her to Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. Take them, she will be with you, and from there she will return back.'"

Our teacher, Rabbi Berland, continued and said: "The whole way is open, I am opening the whole way for you," and added, "You come to me after Bedikas Chametz (the search for leaven on the 14th of Nissan, a month and a week later)." We went down to the stairs of the building and the father grabbed me and said: 'Reb Avraham, I am a normative, secular man, I am not a fool—I saw her, she stood in front of me, I saw her.' The children said: 'Abba (Father), she kissed me.'

The father continued and asked me: "What did the Rav say, who is Rabbi Shimon? Will he receive us at any hour?" I told him about Rabbi Shimon, and he said we would do everything the Rav said. Throughout the entire journey to Meron, there was torrential rain, and in Meron, everything was blocked, because the 7th of Adar is the Hilula (anniversary of passing) of Moshe Rabbeinu and everyone comes to Meron. The whole way was filled with buses and shuttles with iron barricades, and people were walking on foot. But, when I arrived with my private car, they lifted the barricade for me. I stopped before the gas station because I saw a barricade to Meron; everyone in the car was asleep. I went out to the policeman who told me he only acts according to instructions.

I returned to the car and the father said to me: 'Reb Avraham, I am not imagining things, my wife is sitting here with me the whole way.' The children woke up and shouted, 'Abba, Abba, Mommy is sitting with us in the back.'

I didn't have time to react before the policeman opened the iron barricade for us. Through miracles, we managed to reach the entrance of the Tzion (holy gravesite) of Rabbi Shimon with the car.

To participate in the holy group - Thursday, gates open at 7:00 PM (2 Hachnasat Orchim St.), light refreshments on site.

For donations, call 052-7115687