Ha’azinu: He Extended His Prison Term in Order to Remain with the gaon and tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

 “How were you specifically chosen to be with him in the same room?” Rabbi Berland shlit"a’s cellmate was asked. “I merited it. I have an angel inside the room—someone head and shoulders above, on very special levels.” Eli opens up, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a’s neighbor in the cell, sharing his experiences from their time together with the Rav shlit"a.

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Did you know the Rav shlit"a even before you met in prison?

“Before that, I had only heard about him. And baruch Hashem, for the last three months we’ve been in the same cell—we’re very connected. The miracles that happened to me with him are truly unbelievable—like his tefillin that the Rav gave me as a gift and strengthened me with. And in general, to go through Rosh Hashanah and all the chagim with him.”

“The Rav has his large tallis on him all day; he even sleeps with it always. He is constantly learning. Even when he eats, the sefer is in front of him; and when he sleeps, it’s with an open sefer resting over his face. From his perspective, nothing else matters—you see a person who is entirely Avodas Hashem, serving the Creator. He is completely surrendered to Hashem’s guidance. On the contrary—he has a deep calm, and he can serve Hashem like that.”

“It’s amazing how a man his age (80) comes into a cell and adjusts so quickly. He is so loved here and so respected. He is simply entirely nullified to Avodas Hashem, like a baby. Something incredible.”

Is there a normal table and chair there for learning?

“Not exactly. They’re low. He’s on the bed with a small table, and I take care of whatever he’s missing. Sometimes he sits on a chair and speaks on the phone, giving a shiur. He strengthens everyone here—even the Arabs.”

Can you leave the cell, or do you stay there all day?

“Yes. When he goes out, he goes with his hands raised, entirely in joy—singing and niggunim. I told him the story about Rabbi Shmuel Horowitz, who flew to open the gates in Uman, and they arrested him—and there he had an illumination greater than a Kohen Gadol. The Rav now, too, is here with a very great illumination.”

“To see the Tzaddik’s Avodas Hashem up close is extraordinary—suddenly you realize you’re sleeping with an angel in the room.”

What is the Rav’s daily schedule like?

“The Rav is attached to sefarim all day. It’s not one sefer—he has many sefarim. When I get up in the morning, I see the whole room filled with open sefarim, after he learned in them all night. I also get up with him at night and we learn; he loves his corner for learning.”

Where do the Arabs you mentioned see the Rav?

“At the entrance. They ask him to bless them, and he puts kippahs on them. The Rav is entirely love of people— even Muslims come and kiss his hand.”

“You can’t say the Rav isn’t pained here, but with all that, he is entirely in joy and constantly occupied with Avodas Hashem. Personally, I had a very big spiritual fall in prison before the Rav came, but the Rav shlit"a strengthened me greatly. The tefillin I received from him is the greatest gift I’ve ever received in my life.”

“When they brought the Rav shlit"a, everyone volunteered to be with him—he has tremendous goodwill here. I understood from him that there is a great decree in the North, and therefore the Rav needs to be here.”

“Everywhere I go, they ask me where the Rav is. Letters arrive from all the wings—just like the Rav is outside, so he is here too. It’s hard to go out with the Rav; everyone wants him. For his part, the Rav doesn’t deal with the material—what interests him is only Torah and Avodas Hashem. For Kiddush Levanah we go out with him, and all the guards participate with him—everyone with kippahs.”

“The prison rabbi comes sometimes; he too became completely nullified to him. Everyone becomes nullified to him—connected to him outwardly and inwardly. His inner dimension is astounding; it can’t be grasped by the mind—he is entirely for Hashem.”

“The Rav shlit"a brought joy to the entire wing on the chagim. He walked around with the lulav in joy and fulfilled all the tefillos with great awakening.”

“In practice, I was supposed to be released, but I’m postponing it in order to stay here with the Rav shlit"a. I hope the Rav will be released before my committee hearing. My bond with him is like a son to a father. At the Shabbos table, even the Arabs sing Shabbos zemiros with him.”

“We had a private sukkah for the Rav and me—large and beautifully arranged. We sat in it all the days of the chag and held all the meals inside it. Sadly, there is no Tzaddik who doesn’t enter prison, but for his part the Rav has no interest in it and doesn’t occupy himself with it; he casts his entire reliance only on Hashem. He sees the mockery all around.

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