The yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi zt"l (of blessed memory) falls on the 20th of Cheshvan. We bring before you wonderful holy words related to the Tzaddik (righteous person).

"This story is from my early years at the Shuvu Banim Yeshiva. At that time, we had a certain issue with the Ministry of Religions. We went there to settle it, and the clerk who handled our case told us the following story, while showing great enthusiasm to help the Yeshiva," Rabbi Avraham Hajbi shares with us his wonderful story.

"Several years after my marriage, we still did not have children. Therefore, I turned to the Kabbalist Rabbi Sharabi zt"l, who was famous then for his blessings and the tikkunim (rectifications) he would perform," the clerk from the Ministry of Religions told us. "Rabbi Sharabi told me that he could not help me because my tikkun (rectification) was very difficult, and he added that no one in the world could help me. 'I have only one piece of advice for you,' Rabbi Sharabi told me. 'Go to the Lederman Synagogue in Bnei Brak. You will see a young avreich (Torah student) there who prays with loud voices and moves his entire body—if you merit to extract a blessing for children from him, you will be saved.'"

Rabbi Kahaneman of Ponevezh is Amazed by Rabbi Berland's Prayer

"This refers to the period after the time when our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days), would go up to the roof of the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak and pray there from five in the morning with very loud voices. Students who were disturbed by the Rav's actions went to the Rosh Yeshiva (head of the yeshiva), Rabbi Kahaneman zt"l, and told him this. Rabbi Kahaneman went to check on Rabbi Berland shlit"a's actions, and after seeing his dveykus (cleaving to Hashem), he said that to such a person, he could not say a word."

[caption id="attachment_47414" align="alignnone" width="482"] Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman - The Rav of Ponevezh zt"l[/caption]

"Imagine what great figures were in that generation, like the Baba Sali, etc., and yet Rabbi Sharabi zt"l sent him to our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, to receive a blessing," Rabbi Hajbi returned to his story. "And indeed, just as the Kabbalist Rabbi Sharabi told him, Rabbi Berland put on a performance while trying to avoid publicity, but when he [the clerk] persisted and stood his ground, the Rav finally blessed him, and children were born to him."

How fortunate we are to have merited this

At this stage, Rabbi Hajbi shlit"a continues and tells the story of clinical death that he heard 15 years ago, which has since become very famous under the title 'The End.' It is unnecessary to mention that Rabbi Hajbi did not see this video; rather, all his words are first-hand testimony from the narrator who came to Shuvu Banim back then to tell his story.

Rabbi Hajbi adds that in first-hand testimony, the narrator, Rabbi Moshe Levy, told them that after all the suffering he underwent Above in the Heavenly Court, Rabbi Berland shlit"a suddenly arrived. He stopped all the terrible mazikim (damaging spirits) that approached to tear him to pieces, while calming his grandfather and telling him that he would take care of his grandson. "Afterward, Rabbi Berland identified himself by name and told him that Hashem, may He be blessed, appointed him to rectify souls and that he would help me."

"At that time, Rabbi Moshe Levy, who had meanwhile awakened to teshuvah (repentance), did not know who it was that saved him. One day, after he had already immigrated to Israel from Paris and was studying in a yeshiva for ba'alei teshuvah (returnees to the faith), he went to visit the Kotel (Western Wall). He arrived at the Kotel plaza and saw a group of people, but as he drew closer, he recognized the figure of our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, just as he had seen in Heaven."

"Rabbi Moshe Levy told us that as soon as he saw Rabbi Berland shlit"a, he turned around and fled from there despite the pleas of his friends. 'I told them that I am unable to approach this Tzaddik (righteous person).'"

Members of a Secret Unit Come to Rabbi Berland

"The third story was heard by my brother, may he live, also from a first-hand source," Rabbi Avraham Hajbi continues with stories of the 'nullification of choice' (supernatural insight). "It concerns a member of a secret unit who testified about classified operations he conducted in the unit. He did not identify himself by name in any way and did not reveal any details, but he said that their operations were among the most secret. At that time, our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a lived in Tiberias, and those members of the secret unit who were passing through the area tried to enter to visit the Rav after hearing about his holiness."

"As soon as they entered to see the Rav shlit"a, he received them with a shining countenance. 'The friends appointed me as the spokesperson because I was the only one with any connection to Judaism within a group of 12 fighters from the secret unit,' the classified individual told my brother. "They asked for chizuk (spiritual strengthening), and the Rav began with enthusiasm, saying to them, 'Do not be afraid, know that Hashem is with you and goes with you.' Suddenly, our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a began to detail for them all the secret operations they had conducted, until they were literally in shock and were curious to know how he knew things that, besides them, even those closest to them did not know."

"I asked Rabbi Berland how he knew this. The Rav opened a Gemara (Talmud) for me and said, 'One who studies Gemara in holiness knows everything, because everything is written there.' He told my brother that such fear fell upon all these heroes; they truly saw a revelation of Godliness."

[caption id="attachment_47415" align="alignnone" width="575"] Rabbi Berland shlit"a studying Torah[/caption]