Shuvu Banim Activity in the City of Ashdod ○ Summary from the Class

The Shuvu Banim community in the city of Ashdod has developed in recent years. In particular, with the return of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, to the Holy Land after years of exile, it received a tremendous boost. Today the community numbers more than one hundred bnei Torah from all backgrounds—avreichim and bochurim, Chassidim, Litvaks, and Sefardim. In recent years, a minyan was established for prayer with vitality, together with the life-giving and awakening niggunim of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, on Friday night. Even people who are not among the regular members of the community come to take part in this special minyan. One of the city’s residents told ‘HaMechadesh’: “You can say that literally every week a new, unfamiliar face shows up—even at the height of the humiliations and persecutions against The Rav. For example, three months ago, suddenly someone new came and said, ‘I’ve just recently drawn close to the Rav.’ It’s an enormous wonder to see the Rav’s great light in the city.” During the terrible period of The Rav’s imprisonment, a weekly gathering took place to say three of The Tikkun HaKlali with a niggun, for the salvation of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, at the grave of the tzaddik Rabbi Moshe Aharon Pinto zt"l. Often in the middle of the week, classes are given by The Rav’s great students, who come to strengthen the residents.

Last night, on Monday night, 9 Shevat, about fifty people from the holy community in Ashdod merited to enter further into the inner sanctum and hear words of the living G-d from The Rav shlit"a.

The Rav began the class with the Mishnah that says, “And did Moshe’s hands make war…?” The Rav shlit"a began to sing these holy words in the well-known melody, with great vitality, for several minutes. Afterwards he said that the parashah begins with Moshe taking Yosef’s bones—and that even Moshe needed to be bound to Yosef. From this he said that a person must be connected to the Tzaddik every single second. He then told the story that the Arizal invited all the Seven Shepherds for Parashas Beshalach; the Seven Shepherds came and gave their blessings. Before David approached to recite Birkos HaTorah, he said that whoever laughs will not make it through the year. The Rav spoke at length about dancing and prayer with niggunim, and he expanded on teachings 41 and 178, and he spoke about the holiness of a person.

Afterwards he spoke about using time well and learning Gemara. He spoke about the sugya of “Two are holding a garment,” and also about the sugya of “a kav within four amos” in Eilu Metzi’os. Afterwards he spoke about Megillas Esther and the secret of why she called Achashverosh a “dog.” He then spoke about Avraham—“and the matter was very bad in his eyes”—how he grieved over sending away Yishmael. He also explained at length that the disagreement between Sarah and Avraham came from a dispute over whom a person must distance himself from, in the sugya of mustard and bees. Later in the class he spoke about Menashe’s return in teshuvah, and on this topic he elaborated on the entire story. Later he spoke about Iyov who said, “Feet to the lame I was…” etc., and said that the point is that there should not be any “lame” people in the world—and this is what the Tzaddik accomplishes. He also spoke about Lemech, who killed Kayin and Tuval-Kayin, and what Adah and Tzilah claimed. Afterwards he spoke about the episode of Yavesh Gilad, and that Gilad is destined to be redeemed first. With this he concluded the class.

After a class of more than an hour and a half—holy words of fire, like a blazing flame—The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, concluded with Kaddish.