Class by Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a to the Residents of Bat Yam — Rosh Chodesh Tammuz 5786
**On Rosh Chodesh Tammuz, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a delivered a long and rich class to the residents of Bat Yam. For about an hour and a half, Rabbi Berland shlit"a covered many topics — from the weekly Torah portion and Talmudic subjects, through chapters of history and miracles, to burning current events; and at the center of his words: the ceasefire agreement, the miracle of the falling planes and helicopters, and the spiritual abundance descending upon Jerusalem.**
Rosh Chodesh Tammuz — "The Mind is Opened"
Rabbi Berland shlit"a opened by discussing the great virtue of the month of Tammuz, the month in which the Torah was given, when "the mind is opened" and one can merit Torah study and *dveikus* (cleaving to Hashem) with renewed strength. From here, the class took its listeners through many subjects, with a common thread running through them: faith in the Sages (*emunas chachamim*), the anticipation of the Geulah (Redemption), and the recognition of the revealed miracles we are living amidst.
From the Weekly Torah Portion to the Chapters of the Generations
Rabbi Berland shlit"a wove into his words commentary on the Torah portion and topics from the Talmud and Midrash — including the dispute of Korach and his claims, and the yearning for the Geulah (Redemption) (even expressing a wish to organize planes and fly immediately after the class to Shechem, Sinai, and Uman). From there, he moved to a broad historical overview: about Haim Farhi, the Jew who served as vizier and finance minister and managed the Sultan's wars; about the early days of the Yishuv — the "Journey of the Rabbis," Joseph Trumpeldor and Tel Hai, the Balfour Declaration, and Jacob de Haan; and about how "they took the symbols" — the blue and white and the Star of David.
Later, Rabbi Berland shlit"a wove chapters of faith and Divine Providence from world history — the miracle of Dunkirk and the sinking of the Spanish Armada, the World Wars, and the atomic bombs on Japan — emphasizing that behind everything stands Hashem, and "the tzaddik does everything." He connected this to the story of Samson and the three hundred foxes that burned the fields of the Philistines, and to the parable of the tzaddik who saves a person "from the belly of the wolf."
On the Ceasefire Agreement
Rabbi Berland shlit"a addressed the ceasefire agreement that followed the war, cynically quoting the approach of the nations of the world — as if the Iranians "deserve" to get everything they want:
"Now there is no more war, we're done, fold it up. They give the Iranians everything they want — 'they deserve it,' supposedly. They made the deal, 'they get everything.' And immediately they fired a shot back — they fired in the morning at Shlomi, at Metula."
The Miracle of the Falling Planes and Helicopters
At the heart of the class was a revealed miracle that occurred during the war. Rabbi Berland shlit"a described how — contrary to all assessments — not a single Israeli plane fell, whereas for the Americans, who have the strongest army in the world, three planes and a helicopter fell, carrying six pilots:
"They were certain that two hundred planes would land, and that twenty would fall — and in the end, not even one plane fell. For them, three planes fell, and Hashem brought down a helicopter with six American pilots who were killed on the spot. One pilot parachuted into the sea and was pulled out with a rope, and one fell on the cliffs — in minus thirty degrees cold, without food, until they found him after two days. And for us — not even one plane fell. This is an unnatural thing, such a thing cannot be."
"All the Abundance Descends in Jerusalem"
Rabbi Berland shlit"a explained that Jerusalem is the conduit of abundance for the world — and all that is required of us is to be a worthy vessel to receive it:
"In truth, everything descends in Jerusalem — the dew descends in Jerusalem, the rain descends in Jerusalem, all the abundance descends in Jerusalem. We just need to gather it. If you bring a sack full of holes — it falls out, it goes down to the nations. The abundance descends to the Jews, it descends in Jerusalem, the Holy City; Jerusalem is in heaven, when you come to Jerusalem you are in heaven, in the World of Atzilus."
With the Blessing of Rabbi Berland shlit"a
At the conclusion of the class, Rabbi Berland shlit"a blessed the residents of Bat Yam, encouraging them to strengthen their Torah study and their faith and trust in Hashem, may He be blessed. May the merit of Rabbi Berland shlit"a protect us and all of Israel.
Photo Gallery from the Class
From the Weekly Torah Portion to the Chapters of the Generations
Rabbi Berland shlit"a wove into his words commentary on the Torah portion and topics from the Talmud and Midrash — including the dispute of Korach and his claims, and the yearning for the Geulah (Redemption) (even expressing a wish to organize planes and fly immediately after the class to Shechem, Sinai, and Uman). From there, he moved to a broad historical overview: about Haim Farhi, the Jew who served as vizier and finance minister and managed the Sultan's wars; about the early days of the Yishuv — the "Journey of the Rabbis," Joseph Trumpeldor and Tel Hai, the Balfour Declaration, and Jacob de Haan; and about how "they took the symbols" — the blue and white and the Star of David.
Later, Rabbi Berland shlit"a wove chapters of faith and Divine Providence from world history — the miracle of Dunkirk and the sinking of the Spanish Armada, the World Wars, and the atomic bombs on Japan — emphasizing that behind everything stands Hashem, and "the tzaddik does everything." He connected this to the story of Samson and the three hundred foxes that burned the fields of the Philistines, and to the parable of the tzaddik who saves a person "from the belly of the wolf."
On the Ceasefire Agreement
Rabbi Berland shlit"a addressed the ceasefire agreement that followed the war, cynically quoting the approach of the nations of the world — as if the Iranians "deserve" to get everything they want:
"Now there is no more war, we're done, fold it up. They give the Iranians everything they want — 'they deserve it,' supposedly. They made the deal, 'they get everything.' And immediately they fired a shot back — they fired in the morning at Shlomi, at Metula."
The Miracle of the Falling Planes and Helicopters
At the heart of the class was a revealed miracle that occurred during the war. Rabbi Berland shlit"a described how — contrary to all assessments — not a single Israeli plane fell, whereas for the Americans, who have the strongest army in the world, three planes and a helicopter fell, carrying six pilots:
"They were certain that two hundred planes would land, and that twenty would fall — and in the end, not even one plane fell. For them, three planes fell, and Hashem brought down a helicopter with six American pilots who were killed on the spot. One pilot parachuted into the sea and was pulled out with a rope, and one fell on the cliffs — in minus thirty degrees cold, without food, until they found him after two days. And for us — not even one plane fell. This is an unnatural thing, such a thing cannot be."
"All the Abundance Descends in Jerusalem"
Rabbi Berland shlit"a explained that Jerusalem is the conduit of abundance for the world — and all that is required of us is to be a worthy vessel to receive it:
"In truth, everything descends in Jerusalem — the dew descends in Jerusalem, the rain descends in Jerusalem, all the abundance descends in Jerusalem. We just need to gather it. If you bring a sack full of holes — it falls out, it goes down to the nations. The abundance descends to the Jews, it descends in Jerusalem, the Holy City; Jerusalem is in heaven, when you come to Jerusalem you are in heaven, in the World of Atzilus."
With the Blessing of Rabbi Berland shlit"a
At the conclusion of the class, Rabbi Berland shlit"a blessed the residents of Bat Yam, encouraging them to strengthen their Torah study and their faith and trust in Hashem, may He be blessed. May the merit of Rabbi Berland shlit"a protect us and all of Israel.
Photo Gallery from the Class
