Following Rabbi Berland's Expulsion

In the year 5774, during the stay of Rabbi Eliezer Berland in Zimbabwe for several months, we witnessed a tremendous amount of rainfall with which the African nation was blessed, the magnificent Victoria Falls, and a thriving Zimbabwean economy.

During that period, the Rav loved to practice hisbodedus (secluded prayer) every day in the fields, and he would frequently go out to the vast fields adjacent to his hotel. At times, he would go out to the fields near Victoria Falls, and like the practice of King David, he would learn Torah, pray, practice hisbodedus, and serve his Creator in the embrace of nature.

[caption id="attachment_798" align="alignright" width="300"] Rabbi Berland at Victoria Falls March 2014[/caption]

The students of the great Rav rejoiced exceedingly when a relative sent them a spectacular photo of the Rav against the backdrop of the immense Victoria Falls, along with other photos of the Rav walking and practicing hisbodedus in the rain. This photo aroused a bit of wonder, for the Rav never liked being photographed, yet here the Rav stands and smiles at the camera.

[caption id="attachment_800" align="alignleft" width="300"] The Rabbi "bringing down the rain" at Victoria Falls[/caption]

Many of you are following the Rav's trials over the last three years, during which the State of Israel and its leaders who hate religion have been pursuing him and spreading libel against him to prevent him from spreading Torah in Israel. As you recall, a few days before the holiday of Passover, while the Rav and his many students were preparing to celebrate the holiday in Zimbabwe, the State of Israel sent a request and a bribe to the State of Zimbabwe to expel the Rav and his students so they could not celebrate the holiday together. Several police officers arrived at the Rav's residence to check passports and search for a justified cause to deport them. Later, they claimed it was about "visa issues." The Rav's attendant warned them: "Beware regarding the honor of this holy man! If he is expelled from here, the rain will cease completely! One need only observe the recent months during which the Rav has stayed in this place, what a blessing you have had. Almost every day, heavy rains fell, which are vital for the economy. Tell Mugabe (the country's president) that if the Rav is expelled, the rains will stop!"

The Rav also told of this incident and mentioned these matters in his class about two weeks before the expulsion. A recording of the segment from the class was uploaded to YouTube under the title: "The Frightening Things Rabbi Berland Said Two Weeks Before He Was Expelled from Zimbabwe." To listen to the recording:

Transcript of his words:

We explained to the police officers that what happened 30 years ago is exactly the same now, "What a holiday took place here, some 200 people came, it was chaotic, the whole city was overturned. There was an earthquake here..." I told Yaron. Yaron is a Lieutenant Colonel. "Explain to them that what was, is what will be. Now Iran wants to destroy us. They don't know that they want to destroy us. They don't know anything."

They told me, "Mugabe loves Jews, Mugabe loves Israel; if the Rav blesses Mugabe, then this will be the richest country in the world."

So Yaron said to them, "If you remove the Rav from here, you will not have rain. For a month, such deluges fell here, what deluges, I have never seen such deluges in my life."

I said to Yaron, "Explain to them what kind of holiday was here...". So Yaron sat with them and told them the whole story of the Scroll of Esther, so they would understand.

[caption id="attachment_801" align="alignright" width="300"] Rabbi Berland leaving Zimbabwe "with the water"[/caption]

Two weeks after this recording, the Zimbabwe police came to the compound where the Rav was staying and arrogantly shackled his holy hands in handcuffs. Later, they even dressed him in a prisoner's uniform, claiming this was required in cases of "visa issues." After two days in which they treated the Rav like a prisoner, the Rav was expelled to the city of Johannesburg with hundreds of students on the eve of Passover. They left with "their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks upon their shoulders," exactly like the Exodus from Egypt over two thousand years ago.

And then the plagues began...

The rain ceased and the blessing departed. Now, at the beginning of 2016, The New York Times calls this drought "the severest drought in Zimbabwe in a generation." And as the drought continues, the entire Zimbabwean economy, which depends mainly on agricultural produce, grinds to a halt. Bloomberg Business called the situation "South Africa's Food Panic," and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) declared a famine attacking about one and a half million Zimbabwean citizens who are in desperate need of food donations. Although El Niño also affected Zimbabwe's neighbors, the severity of the situation in Zimbabwe exceeds them all. Farmers in Zimbabwe bemoan their dry luck. And on top of everything, the decrease in the power of Victoria Falls is causing problems with the electricity supply the falls provide to the country (Reuters). Victoria Falls, known as the largest waterfall in the world and one of the Seven Natural Wonders, which once constituted a tourist site providing large revenues for the country, has become a parched wasteland (see comparison photos of the falls before and after).

The drought known as "El Niño" is wreaking havoc in the land of Zimbabwe.

All of this could have been foreseen and prevented had they honored the spiritual leader, the messenger of Hashem. And as Rashi wrote in Parshat Vayetzei (Genesis 28:10), that when Jacob left Charan, "the departure of a tzaddik (righteous person) from a place makes an impression, for while the tzaddik is in the city, he is its glory, he is its splendor, he is its majesty; when he leaves there, its glory has departed, its splendor has departed, its majesty has departed." Of course, all this depends on the place's attitude toward the tzaddik. If, like Joseph the Tzaddik, who was thrown into a dungeon and libeled regarding immoral acts, while they call him derogatory names in public, then they will certainly know what "seven years of famine" are. But if they are wise enough to apologize, set him free, and honor him like a king, they will certainly know seven years of plenty and blessing, and will merit to sustain the entire world. As the Rav said in that class, "If the Rav blesses them, then this will be the richest country in the world," and apparently for this reason he chose to arrive specifically in Zimbabwe in the first place. But they were not wise enough to utilize the opportunity given to them.

The tzaddik always forgives those who harm him, and prays for their welfare. He is willing to suffer for the sake of humanity, and it pains him to the depths of his soul to see the suffering of others. But Hashem does not forgo the honor of the tzaddikim and acts measure for measure.

And now that the Rav has returned to the region, it turns out their situation will improve. Everything depends on the manner in which they treat the messengers of Hashem.

It is all your choice, Africa. We are praying for you.

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Update: After the article was published in the African media, it came to our attention that the daughter of Robert Mugabe, the President of Zimbabwe—who is essentially the central representative in the government since her father is ill and elderly—came to Rabbi Berland in recent days and asked for forgiveness on her behalf and on behalf of the entire country.