Ha’azinu: He Extended His Prison Term in Order to Remain with the gaon and

How were you chosen specifically to be with him in the same cell? The partner of the Rav shlit"a was asked. "I was privileged; I have an angel inside the room, a person of the highest caliber, on very special levels." Eli, a cellmate of the tzaddik Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, begins by sharing his experiences from the time spent together with the Rav shlit"a.

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

"Before that, I only heard about him. And thank Hashem, for the last three months we have been in the same cell; we are very connected. The miracles that happened to me with him are truly unbelievable—whether it is his tefillin that the Rav gave me as a gift and strengthened me with, or simply spending Rosh Hashanah and all the holidays with him."

"The Rav is with his large tallit on all day; he even sleeps with it always. He is constantly learning; even when he eats, the book is in front of him, and when he sleeps, it is with an open book on his face. As far as he is concerned, he cares about nothing—you see a person who is entirely dedicated to the service of Hashem, the service of the Creator. He is nullified to the guidance of Hashem; on the contrary, he has tranquility and can serve Hashem in this way."

"It is amazing how a person of his age (80) enters a cell and adapts so quickly. He is so beloved and respected here. He is simply entirely nullified to the service of Hashem, like a baby. It is something amazing."

Is there a normal table and chair there for studying?

"Not exactly; they are low. He is on the bed and has a small table, and I take care of everything he lacks. 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 in it all day?

"Yes, when he goes out, he has his hands raised, full of joy, singing and melodies. I told him the story of Rebbe Shmuel Horowitz, who flew to open the gates in Uman and was arrested, and there he had an illumination greater than that of the High Priest. The Rav is also here now in a state of very great illumination."

"Seeing the service of Hashem of the tzaddik up close is extraordinary—suddenly you realize that you are sleeping with an angel in the room."

What is the Rav’s daily schedule?

"The Rav is attached to books all day; it is not just one book, he has many books. When I wake up in the morning, I see the whole room filled with open books after he has studied from them all night. I also wake up with him at night, and we study; 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 kippot on them. The Rav is entirely love for all of humanity; even Muslims come and kiss his hand."

"It is impossible to say that the Rav is not suffering here, but with all this, he is full of joy and constantly occupied with the service of Hashem. I personally had a very great spiritual decline in prison before the Rav arrived, but the Rav shlit"a strengthened me greatly. The tefillin I received from him is the greatest gift I have ever received in my life."

"When they brought the Rav shlit"a, everyone volunteered to be with him; he has great popularity 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 as the Rav is outside, so it is here. It is hard to go out with the Rav; everyone wants him. For his part, the Rav does not deal with the physical; he is only interested in Torah and the service of Hashem. For Birkat HaLevana, we go outside with him, and all the guards participate with him; everyone wears kippot."

"The prison rabbi arrives sometimes; he also completely nullified himself to him. Everyone nullifies themselves to him, becoming attached to him externally and internally. His inner essence is amazing; it is beyond the grasp of the intellect—he is entirely for Hashem."

"The Rav shlit"a brought joy to the entire wing during the holidays; he walked around with the lulav in joy and performed all the prayers with great awakening."

"In fact, I was supposed to be released, but I am delaying it in order to stay here with the Rav shlit"a. I hope the Rav will be released before my committee. My connection to him is like a son to a father; at the Shabbat table, even the Arabs sing Shabbat songs with him."

"We had a private sukkah for the Rav and me, large and well-invested, where we sat throughout the days of the holiday and held all the meals inside it. Unfortunately, there is no tzaddik who has not entered prison, but for his part, the Rav is not interested or concerned with it; he casts his burden only upon Hashem. After all, he sees the mockery all around."