As is customary every year, also this year a Hanukah gathering was held with the participation of Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a for Yeshivat “Mitchabrim” in his holy home.

This year’s gathering took place in the Rav’s home on the fifth night of Hanukah, the night of 29 Kislev.  At 10:00 PM, the Rav shlit”a entered his holy home and immediately began a fiery shiur about the significance of the days of Hanukah.  In the shiur, the Rav shlit”a addressed a number of topics.  Among the topics which the Rav has discussed extensively over the last period is the question of the Ramban about why Yaakov cursed Shimon and Levi, despite the fact that Dinah had been abducted by Shechem and it was Shimon and Levi who freed her.  During the course of the discussion, the Rav spoke about the kidnapping by haidamaks of the Baal Shem Tov’s daughter Adel and his assistant Rabbi Tzvi on their way to the Land of Israel. Afterwards, the Rav spent most of the shiur discussing the story of the miracle of Hanukah, which began with the rebellion against the Greeks, and how Matitiyahu didn’t fear and shattered the idolatrous altar.  He explained how the Maccabees succeeded in defeating the largest and most sophisticated army in the world. Afterwards, he spoke about Eliezer and his conundrums about the Tzaddik and how in the merit of being silent, he merited to see Yaakov and Esav and to understand that Esav was just a husk of Yaakov.  At the end of the shiur, the Rav shlit”a encouraged the young men to marry early and not to wait until older ages, blessing everyone to merit to get married within the year, Amen! At the conclusion of the uplifting shiur, the young men passed one-by-one to receive from the holy hands of the Rav “Hanukah gelt” – Hanukah money.  The Rav shlit”a strengthened and blessed each young man individually according to his specific needs.