Brutal and Shocking Arrest of Breslov Shuvu Banim Leader During Gemara Lesson and Mass Prayer - Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

Shocking, infuriating, brutal, and detestable. Searching for words to define the unnecessary arrest of the esteemed Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

In the middle of the regular Gemara lesson as part of the daily Daf Yomi, which Rav Berland shlit"a delivers to a large audience that awakens every night to study Gemara and strengthen their service of Hashem, close to the Shacharit prayer at sunrise as the early risers, dozens of security forces raided the home of Rav Berland shlit"a.

These forces entered the prayer hall in a detestable display, presented the Rav shlit"a with an arrest warrant, and arrested him during a regular lesson. Yes, this is the absolute truth, could they not have waited until the end of the lesson and prayer with the congregation that regularly filled the prayer hall?

The most infuriating detail of the story is that the Israeli police have been trying with all their might for two months to gather testimonies against the esteemed Rav Berland shlit"a (as stated by the attorneys, which we will bring later), without any success. The Rav had previously given his testimony and was willing to fully cooperate with the legal authorities. There was no reason to conduct the arrest in such an infuriating and brutal manner as was done.

At the end of the discussion, the attorneys of the esteemed Rabbi Berland shlit"a, and of other victims explained that the police are trying to recruit a state witness in the case. This detestable method, where after the police fail to find witnesses to their claims, they create unnecessary and excessive pressure, hoping that someone might provide them with some lead.

Attorney Rotem Tubul, representing Rav Berland shlit"a, spoke harshly and refuted the police's claims: "We saw in court how premature the Israeli police's declarations were, different from what was discussed in court. No large sums were seized, as they declared. Dozens or hundreds of cases were not opened, as the police tried to claim. I regret that they came armed and prepared for an arrest just to make it interesting for the media. At the end of the day, they arrested him, he cooperated, and we found out it was a very small number of cases, with not high amounts. No money was seized, and there are no accounts, as the police tried to mislead in the media."

"Moreover, all the cases the police tried to claim were known to them for a long time, and until now they chose not to investigate Rabbi Eliezer Berland. We learn that the investigation will likely not lead to the indictment as the Israeli police are trying to present."

 

From the testimony of Nachman, a relative of the esteemed Rav Berland shlit"a, as published today in the general media, there is full trust in the Rav.

"The media and the police are trying to portray Rav Berland negatively, but I know a different story (one of many) of a person from Kfar Saba, who brought the Rav a pidyon with three herniated discs and he returned to walk."

"The placebo - just like Baba Sali and other rabbis who gave blessings, like Baba Sali who blessed the arak - so this time it could be anything else, so this time it was Mentos that Grandpa distributed."

"He said, "We believe that these rabbis can transfer their salvation to these things."

"Where are those 200 people? I want to see the 200 people who said this, I don't believe it, the police are telling stories. First of all, these are just suspicions and there will always be those who believe this side and those who believe that side. Of course, the media will always broadcast that side, surely it will turn out that there is nothing in the suspicions."

The true testimonies about the pidyonot of Rav Berland shlit"a