Here It Comes! The Investigation of "The Berland Case" Dreyfus Trial 2016 for Download!

Summary of the Dreyfus Affair:

This affair shook public opinion in France between the years 1895 and 1906, with its public implications continuing to resonate even in the years that followed. The affair began with the exposure of classified military documents that were leaked from the French General Staff and found in the trash of the German Embassy in Paris. At that time, there was a state of war between France and Germany, and the matter was immediately investigated. The real traitor was Prince Walsin Ferdinand Esterhazy, who belonged to the nobility, but to preserve the honor of the nobility, a scapegoat was found in the form of Alfred Dreyfus, an outstanding Jewish officer who also served in the General Staff. After the documents were forged by Colonel Henry and a case was fabricated with "incriminating evidence," Dreyfus was arrested in October 1894 and forced to confess to the act. His vehement denial did not help, and after a secret trial in December 1894, a public and humiliating military ceremony was held two weeks later to demote him as befitting a "traitor," and he was sent to life imprisonment on Devil's Island (off the coast of French Guiana). At this stage, a wave of anti-Semitism erupted, bordering on violence against the Jews of France, and the country, considered enlightened and open in Europe, was exposed to dark phenomena of extreme nationalism.

During the next three years, while Dreyfus served his harsh sentence in distant exile, the head of French intelligence, Georges Picquart, uncovered the corruption plot but was silenced and dismissed from his position to serve in a French colony in North Africa. Rumors questioning Dreyfus's conviction began circulating in public discourse and the French press, but the peak was in the moving and poignant article by the writer Émile Zola, which was first published in the newspaper L'Aurore in January 1898 under the sharp title "J'Accuse." In his letter, the writer pointed to prominent figures from the military and senior politicians at the top of the government who lent their hand to the corruption plot, document forgery, concealment of the real spy, and the framing of the innocent Jewish officer. The brave writer was sentenced to a heavy fine and a year in prison for this publication, but he managed to escape to England in time and seek political asylum there.

The public storm stirred by the writer led to the trial of Prince Esterhazy, but since documents were concealed from the court by order of the Minister of War, Billot, he was acquitted. The public and the media did not "buy" the pre-arranged trial, and the storm did not subside. In August 1898, the Minister of War, Godefroy Cavaignac, ordered the establishment of a military review committee, which discovered the forgeries of Colonel Henry. Following the committee's findings, the Minister of War resigned, not before ordering the arrest of the colonel, but he managed to commit suicide on the night of his arrest before being investigated.

A year later, in August 1899, a retrial was held for Dreyfus, where he was still found guilty, but his sentence was reduced to 10 years in prison. This move, intended to calm the public storm, backfired and further agitated the media and public opinion, with the obvious question, "If he is guilty and a traitor, why reduce his sentence, and if he is innocent, why not release him immediately?

As a result, the president announced a pardon and full release about a month after the trial.

Dreyfus returned to France as a broken, tortured, and exhausted man.

Five years later, in March 1904, he filed an appeal against the verdict, and in June 1906, the final verdict was given, completely exonerating Dreyfus. About a month later, a grand and impressive military ceremony was held for Dreyfus, where his ranks were restored, and he was awarded the French Legion of Honor as compensation, and Georges Picquart, the brave exposer of the corruption plot, was promoted to the rank of general.

In Conclusion:

The conclusions from the Dreyfus Affair demonstrate how far a corrupt government is willing to go in fabricating cases and false accusations to achieve its goals, using all legal and judicial tools in the name of justice. Another parallel between the Dreyfus Trial and the case of Rav Berland and Rabbi Pinto can be found, according to Rav Berland himself, in the suicide of the man operationally behind the case fabrication, Colonel Henry, and 119 years later, Ephraim Bracha, head of the National Fraud Investigation Unit, who was also "allegedly" responsible for fabricating the case against Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto and Rav Berland.

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"There Are No Wicked People in Israel" | Ruth Kiryati

From his prison cell in Johannesburg, South Africa, locked inside a small detention cell, Rabbi Eliezer Berland, the rabbi of the 'Shuvu Banim' chassidut and institutions, awaits a retrial in South Africa and/or the execution of an extradition order that will return him to Israel. In a long phone conversation with the great returner to teshuvah (repentance), considered by the public as a tzaddik, prodigy, and genius of his generation, I heard from him about extortion attempts, conspiracies, intrigues, and strange, well-timed, and well-planned events that brought the rabbi to this point. The goal is clear: his extreme opponents are working to destroy the 'Shuvu Banim' institutions, considered one of the largest institutions in Jerusalem. When I asked, given the findings in my possession, why the rabbi does not respond publicly, his answer was: "There are no wicked people in Israel. I do not want to harm anyone." Based on this belief, Rav Berland pays the price, and a few behind-the-scenes facts will surprise you as well.. 'Shuvu Banim' Home Rabbi Eliezer Berland was born in Haifa on December 26, 1937, 23rd of Tevet, to his parents Chaim and Atia Berland. In his childhood, he studied at the 'Yavne' yeshiva, and at the age of 17 and a half, he studied for three years at the 'Knesset Hezekiah' yeshiva in Kfar Chassidim. At the age of 21, he married Tehila Shaki, the daughter of Knesset member Shalom Avraham Shaki, and they had a son and five daughters. Already in his youth, Rabbi Eliezer Berland was known for his charismatic personality and ability to captivate an audience. The rabbi is considered by the public as the first to bring people back to teshuvah in Israel and worldwide. After his marriage, he studied for about a month at the 'Ponevezh' kollel and then at the 'Volozhin' kollel in Bnei Brak. Even the greats of the Lithuanian generation at that time knew that a great tzaddik and prodigy in Torah was emerging. The 'Shuvu Banim' community, as its name implies, is about returning to teshuvah, the return of the children home to the embrace of Orthodox Judaism. The community, one of the largest, most magnificent, and central communities of returnees to teshuvah in Breslov chassidut, has known storms and disputes but never on such a large scale. It involves institutions that include kindergartens, 'cheder', Talmud Torahs, a seminary for girls, a midrasha for women returning to teshuvah, kollels, a yeshiva in the Old City with 4 additional kollels, and study halls throughout the country, in Kiryat Sefer, Beitar Illit, Bnei Brak, Holon, Bat Yam, Haifa, and Eilat. The affair that has been shaking the 'Shuvu Banim' community for about three years began with the testimony of 'one who claimed to be a chassid', as he is referred to in the community, who actually joined the community six months prior. According to this 'pretender chassid', he saw Rav Berland and one of the community's women in a situation that leaves no room for interpretation. When the police accumulated testimonies from other women using the method of one complainant bringing another, and although the rabbi's defense line has not yet been revealed for obvious reasons, as if it were revealed, it could cause an earthquake and expose the intrigues and conspiracies concocted against the rabbi and his community. Despite the defense line not yet being revealed, the loyal chassidim refused to believe and claimed: "It's all lies. Malicious false accusations by the rabbi's enemies. Soon everyone will know that Rav Berland is innocent." Thus, from the testimony material, photos, documentation, and evidence revealed to me, and according to testimonies given with a focused purpose by the 'pretender chassid' and his wife, and affidavits given in the Netherlands and South Africa by citizens willing to be tested by a lie detector regarding the truth of the affidavits they gave, and upon reviewing the extradition request for the rabbi, it is about the lowest level of offenses that do not warrant arrest in Israel, the question arises: who ensured that Rav Berland was removed from Israel? And on the other hand, who ensured that all the defamation against him was spread in Israel and abroad? From my research point, these are publications with no precedent. For decades, there has not been such a pursuit abroad against a Jew and his community, something that leads to the awakening of anti-Semitism worldwide. All the pursuit and all the publications were made according to insiders and as reported to me, by the rabbi's opponents who do not hesitate to destroy the rabbi, his community, and his institutions even at the cost of collaborating with the greatest anti-Semites in the world. The Great Returner to Teshuvah Full disclosure and with a hand on my heart: while poring over the writings and flipping through the data before me, studying for long days the evidence material laid before me, I could not help but ask myself the most banal and basic questions. After all, it is known to everyone that this is a rabbi whose entire focus is on Torah and saving the Jewish people from the clutches of decrees. An 80-year-old rabbi suffering from severe health problems who does not utter a word or complain that he is in pain. How is it possible that the rabbi is accused of accusations that physically suit a young and healthy man? This is not clear to me at all and is not grasped in my consciousness. In a phone conversation I had with Rabbi Eliezer Berland in his cell in Johannesburg, he told me about an unhealthy health condition. About a poor quality of life with a pacemaker in his chest. The rabbi does not request medical treatment nor the medications he is supposed to receive on a daily basis. While we were talking, my thoughts wandered to questions without answers. I asked myself: what happened to such a well-known, highly regarded, beloved, and magnificent community, with a beloved and respected rabbi at the head of the largest institutions in Jerusalem, considered justly as a tzaddik and genius of the generation? A rabbi that to meet with him, one must stand under his house, wait for him to come out, and then cry out to him: "Rabbi, I need help!" And the rabbi immediately stops and approaches that person to listen to him. A rabbi known among the greats of the generation, rabbis, and the public as a possessor of secrets, performing miracles and wonders, healing people, matchmaking, bringing thousands back to teshuvah. A rabbi who pulls people out of the depths with his advice. A rabbi moderate in all his 248 limbs who flees from honor and pride and whose love for Israel is unparalleled. A rabbi who calls his community and the public who turn to him to walk in straight paths. I also read everything written about Rav Berland in the media. They portrayed him as extreme and uncompromising, but anyone observing from the side and listening to his statements, such as: "It is absolutely forbidden to ascend the Temple Mount. It is forbidden to provoke the nations, and one must judge every person favorably." understands that this is a moderate rabbi. Even on the subject of children's education, Rav Berland has an absolute stance. He strictly forbade them from acting violently towards children and in general. His students are not allowed to impose on their children what they do not do themselves. This is contrary to what his opponents wanted him to do. So what caused such a magnificent chassidic community, on such a large scale where more than 80% are Sephardic chassidim, which is actually, according to his chassidim, what created the dispute, the jealousy, and hatred towards the rabbi, his community, and his institutions. What caused the community to stand in the eye of the public storm, when their beloved rabbi is accused of accusations that led the Israeli police to issue an extradition order and an international arrest warrant against him? The insights and conclusions were as clear as day to me. I could not help but point a finger and ask, is it possible that the rabbi's success in establishing the yeshiva as one of the largest in Jerusalem, both spiritually and economically stable, brought upon him and the community this tumultuous affair? Chassidut in Glory To answer these and other questions and to understand where the intense opposition to the rabbi, his community, and his institutions came from, I returned to the early days of the establishment of Breslov chassidut. A chassidut founded at the end of the 18th century by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, the great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of chassidut. Breslov chassidut has a worldview, customs, and practices unique to it, feeling they have copyrights on Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. According to my understanding, and I do not generalize all Breslov rabbis, there are extremists among them who have connected with insiders within the community, who have set themselves a goal: to eliminate the phenomenon called Rav Berland, his community, and his institutions, while the rabbi trusted and supported them for years. He also supported those who opposed him. A faction in Breslov chassidut, 'Shuvu Banim', is a large faction founded by Rabbi Eliezer Berland. A rabbi with extraordinary spiritual charisma considered a tzaddik, a prodigy, and a genius of his generation, to whom masses of the House of Israel flock. Among those who seek his presence are also the children of a group of chassidim considered by themselves as the elite of the elite in chassidut. In addition to establishing the institutions and yeshivas in Jerusalem and a residence in 'Meah Shearim', Rav Berland was the first to connect the chassidim with Rebbe Nachman of Breslov when he opened the way to Uman and broke the iron curtain in the former Soviet Union. The rabbi began traveling to Uman every Rosh Hashanah to fulfill the will of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, who said: "No one should be absent on my Rosh Hashanah." Rav Berland acted according to the saying of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, who said: "My light will burn until the coming of the Mashiach." Before establishing his seat, community, and institutions in Jerusalem and until the trips to Uman, Breslov chassidut was obscure and unknown to the general public. The chassidut was then considered a small and despised chassidut in the eyes of the Haredi and Lithuanian sectors. In my conversations with a believer who is not involved in community life but knows its social complexity, I was told that anyone observing from the side immediately understands that if not for Rav Berland, who brought back the light of Rebbe Nachman to the world, without it, there would have been only a small handful of Breslov chassidim that would have dwindled, as they kept the teachings of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov to themselves. These and other facts caused the dispute and opposition to Rav Berland, his chassidim, and his institutions, which they claim all stem from baseless jealousy and hatred. Intrigues Behind the Scenes When I delve into the documents and listen to the recordings, I understand more than ever that this could indeed be a reason for the split, as the actions and opposition of the rabbi's opponents actually began 20 years ago. When insiders from Breslov chassidut began to see that masses of the House of Israel were starting to come to Uman, they sought control for themselves due to their proximity to the global Breslov committee, involving the committee against Rav Berland. In a Torah court held between the global Breslov committee and Rav Berland, who won the Torah court, but as is his holy custom and from his goodness and humility, he instructed the managers of his institutions to transfer all management and spiritual leadership of Uman to the global Breslov committee. All this to prevent a dispute. Those opponents took over the rabbi's institutions and for 10 years dictated an extreme spiritual line that did not socially and culturally align with the Sephardic returnees to teshuvah and not according to Rav Berland's opinion. The takeover of the rabbi led to a major explosion after 10 years, when the chassidim rebelled and dismantled the regime that those extreme opponents of the rabbi imposed on the institution's insiders or in cooperation with them. And from here, when the rabbi and his chassidim begin to flourish after 15 years of exile, the extreme opponents began a process of defamation, incitement, and incrimination against the rabbi to eliminate his community. In a conversation with a person involved in the affair, he tells me: "Ultimately, the reference will be evidential, and in the end, there will be no substance to the suspicions against the rabbi. Therefore, it is not unlikely that soon data will be submitted to the legal authorities that they will have to reconsider all the accusations against the rabbi. The conduct this time will be with the legal authorities and not with the media." That person claims to me that the complainants, including the 'pretender chassid', are actually victims of Rav Berland's opponents, who used them to destroy the community. Something that will be proven evidentially and publicly. After a long period in which the rabbi was defamed worldwide, his close associates and professionals have been working in recent weeks to restore the rabbi's trust in the legal system in Israel. Opening Shot Like a rolling snowball with no stopping possibility, so began the affair against Rav Berland, in which he is suspected and accused. A resonant affair crossing cities and countries worldwide with motifs that would not shame the best scriptwriters' minds. To understand the sequence of events and what preceded the filing of complaints against the rabbi in the month of Tammuz 7/2012, the person involved in the details tells: "That 'pretender chassid' spread about the rabbi that he saw him with a woman. In hindsight, he acted together and according to the advice of the rabbi's extreme opponents and also tried to extort the rabbi. When the story was intended by the rabbi's opponents to undermine the trust of his chassidim in him in various ways to influence the absolute trust they had in him, as can be seen even today." To delve into the core of the matter, one must return to the shooting incident, where the pursuit and incrimination against the rabbi began. According to the investigation and the testimonies of those involved, it involves two chassidim who were hurt by the words of that 'pretender chassid' and they beat him. In response, he called his brother and together with others carried out a shooting on February 15, 2013, into the home of the Richter family. In the family home were the parents, their children, and Rav Berland's grandson, with the bullets passing close to his legs and body. The incident was filmed by security cameras showing clearly their organization near the Richter family's home. "In hindsight, it was revealed that the shooting suspect also involved his brother, his wife, and his parents in obstructing the investigation and giving false testimonies. They were all involved in committing the crime as emerged from the testimonies in the police investigation." The person involved in the evidence tells me: "The shooting suspect, the one pretending to be a yeshiva student, has been telling since July 2012 about a woman, but there is no supporting testimony for this. Throughout the period, he did not say it, because according to their testimonies to the police, he and his wife claim that two days after the incident, after he saw the woman. The complainant and his wife did not approach the police on their own initiative, but he came as a suspect in illegal possession of a weapon, shooting in a built-up area, and threats endangering human life. The 'pretender chassid' involved his entire family, some in committing the shooting and some in obstructing the investigation, including his wife. Hence his wife's testimony against the rabbi. She is their only lifeline to escape the judgment." Facts on the ground: the 'pretender chassid' was sentenced to only 6 months of community service. His additional lifeline, in his police statement from February 16, 2013, he claims that the rabbi sent the two yeshiva students to beat him, but anyone who examined the testimonies of the chassidim saw clearly that there is no evidence that Rav Berland sent them. On the contrary. One of the chassidim admits in his last police statement clearly that he lied to his friend when he told him that the rabbi asked them to beat the 'pretender chassid' and break his bones. When asked why he lied, his answer was that he wanted the second chassid to join him, so he told him so. In his police statement, he said to the rabbi that the complainant is harming them by insulting and defaming the rabbi. The rabbi replied that he is unfortunate and needs to be treated with compassion, not with pity." The yeshiva student who spoke with me refused to continue detailing significant points that would prove beyond doubt that the 'pretender chassid' and his wife were actually instructed by the rabbi's extreme opponents and the shooting incident led him to a web of lies and manipulations, to say the least. Global Anti-Semitism The rabbi's travels around the world were done with his Israeli passport. The first stop was Switzerland, from there to the USA, back to Switzerland, again leaving Switzerland for Morocco, and from Morocco to Egypt. From Egypt to Zimbabwe and from Zimbabwe to South Africa - Johannesburg. From Johannesburg to the Netherlands, where he was arrested and released on bail." After the release, the rabbi fled when his loyalists flew him to South Africa. Since in every country he arrived at, including in Israel, biased publications were released defining the rabbi as a rapist and pedophile, while committing an inhumane character assassination and claiming that the rabbi called to blow up the Temple Mount. The person involved in the evidence and the reasons for the rabbi's escape from the Netherlands, tells me: "The rabbi's opponents produced and still produce destructive articles bordering on incitement, while feeding false information sent to newspapers worldwide. When they published the article with a picture of the rabbi at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and a report that the rabbi calls to blow up the Temple Mount, and when the rabbi was shown the article and read the comments, extremist Muslims called to harm the Jewish community in the Netherlands and Europe. To prevent bloodshed, the rabbi decided to flee the Netherlands, instructing his chassidim to leave the place immediately and fly to Uman." In my transatlantic phone conversation with Rav Berland in Johannesburg, I asked him why he fled the Netherlands when he had two appeal courts available in the Netherlands, his answer was simple: "To prevent bloodshed." Following the article and the anti-Semitic incitement that received the information from the rabbi's opponents. Immediately after the article, two and a half months later, rabbis were attacked in Belgium, the Netherlands, and even attacks occurred in France, at 'Hyper Cacher'. According to sources who were in the Netherlands at that time, the terrorist who blew himself up at 'Hyper Cacher' showed one of the cashiers the article about the rabbi calling to blow up the Temple Mount before the attack. Although throughout the rabbi's travels around the world, no international arrest warrant was issued against him, and in every country he arrived at, his opponents ensured to pass false information to local journalists. Even in Israel, the national media did not rest on its laurels. A guiding hand ensured that publications were spread in every country the rabbi was in. The publications released in timing were biased, so whenever the rabbi wanted to return to Israel, publications against him would come out contrary to the real suspicions. As stated in the extradition request, the charges against the rabbi are at the lowest level of offenses that exist in the sexual harassment section. The publications released worldwide spoke of rape, pedophilia, and sexual deviation, to scare the rabbi and make him continue his travels worldwide. The goal was unequivocal – to present him as fleeing from the law enforcement authorities in Israel, while in reality, the rabbi was not fleeing but being pursued by those trying to make him lose trust in the legal and judicial system in the State of Israel. Divide and Conquer The tectonic plates in Breslov chassidut are beginning to move nervously. The ground shakes under the feet of Rav Berland's extreme opponents who do not like the Sephardic returnees to teshuvah, who make up more than 80% of the 'Shuvu Banim' community. If only the founder of the Breslov community, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, knew what I know today. After conversations with chassidim, reading countless testimonies, listening to countless tapes, and watching videos revealing all the intrigues, all the whispers, and conspiracies done in secret chambers in his community. If only Rebbe Nachman of Breslov knew what is happening in the magnificent community he established and founded with great suffering in exile, he would not be pleased. Nothing prepared me for this either, for the discordant final chord in the last chapter of my research on one of the most beloved communities in the Israeli public. The scales of justice trembled, and the hammer of revelation struck with all its might. I entered into the core of the dispute, which everyone tries with all their might to hide from the public eye, and believe me, it was not easy. The more I was exposed to authentic materials and documents, the deeper I sank into the core. I sank deep into the swamp of the dispute created by the extreme opponents against Rav Berland and his community. A murky swamp well hidden from the eyes of the Israeli public and the community, reserved only for the select few stirring within the holy of holies. To understand what caused the problem and the extent of the opposition of those who oppose the rabbi and his extensive community, one must go back to the beginning of the dispute, which separated the rabbi from his community for 10 years. A dispute that began in 'Meah Shearim' against Rabbi Eliezer Berland and his community and currently stands somewhere within a small and narrow cell in Johannesburg prison. There, from the depths of the darkness of ideology and the teachings of the extreme opponents, layers are revealed to me like an onion peel, whose scent is not pleasant to me at all. When I look at the pictures of those opponents jumping with joy, pictures that once captivated my heart, the feeling immediately changes to one of disgust. If these are the faces of the descendants of the great rabbi... then if the flame has fallen in the cedars, what will the moss on the wall say? And I, a moss on the wall, delve into the core, and what I discover there will not please my readers. I will soon reveal and highlight for you the method of operation of the opponents of Rabbi Eliezer Berland and his community, using the method of facts and substantiation. After I managed to get my hands on tapes that leave no room for interpretation, like a real earthquake, I will prove to you the method of differential work used by the extreme opponents, with the aim of destroying Rav Berland's good name and his community, to the point of attempting to incriminate him in the suspicions he is accused of today. "Far from Breslov Without a Common Denominator" At the head of Rav Eliezer Berland's opponents stands a group of extreme chassidim of Eastern European descent, who do not like the rabbi's actions. This is the one who brought to him and to Breslov chassidut masses of returnees to teshuvah from the Sephardic community and Breslov chassidim for generations. Hence begins the baseless hatred and jealousy. I managed to get my hands on a two-and-a-half-hour tape recorded secretly during a Torah lesson. One of the leaders of the opponents, on whose teachings all of Rav Berland's opponents operate, was recorded during a Torah lesson. When I heard the tape, I could not believe my ears. It happened during a Torah lesson by A.H. held a few weeks ago in Beit Shemesh. A.H. taught his chassidim from the weekly parsha, while seasoning and spicing the lesson with very clear motifs of jealousy, hatred, and racism directed at Rav Berland and the Sephardic segment of the community and in general. "Filth that entered us. They defiled all the oils." "They are far from Breslov, and there is no common denominator between us," A.H. is heard saying on the tape. "The circus of the Tikkun HaKlali that the rabbi would do in Uman when tens of thousands around the rabbi." "We must reach all places and fight him." (Rav Berland) "We must denounce them from the people of Israel. It is a mitzvah to denounce these villains." It is also said on the tape "Sabbateanism is developing," "A sect of heretics reminiscent of the Arabs. There is no such concept that we cling to a tzaddik who has passed from the world." In another segment, I was speechless when I heard A.H. say to his chassidim: "Nothing will remain of this place 'Shuvu Banim'. It must be eradicated." Rav Eliezer Berland is not the only one mentioned in the defamation campaign heard on A.H.'s tape. He did not spare the Mohara"sh from Yavne'el, zt"l, either: "Some of his pamphlets are nonsense," he said. A.H. also speaks against Rabbi Avraham Sternhartz, zt"l, something I do not want to put in writing, and also against one of the poskim of the generation residing in Bnei Brak. The method by which A.H. operates does not shy away from any derogatory means and clearly touches on racism, denunciation, insults, and attempts to erase an entire public and declare them a sect of Sabbateans. Also, on the book affair that Rav Berland denounced, A.H. has something to say in the lesson. In that lesson, A.H. talks about a book and tries to attach it and the sayings written in the book to Rav Eliezer Berland and his community. A.H. knowingly violates one of the decrees of the Sages 'he who humiliates his fellow in public,' and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Kabbalistic Traits Two Breslov chassidim are known as opponents of the rabbi for many years. The two act against him in everything related to mass teshuvah and trips to Uman. Their actions are driven by baseless hatred and jealousy. Four years ago, the two incited the 'pretender chassid' and instructed him with great precision on how to act against Rav Berland. The two, who had a hidden agenda, used to attribute kabbalistic traits to the rabbi, telling women: "Did the rabbi touch you? Then you are in the world of Atzilut." Their goal was to make women believe that the rabbi sanctifies them in holiness when he touches them, as if giving them a blessing. This is also evident from the testimony of one of the complainants to the police, the wife of that 'pretender chassid'. In this way, the two tried to instill in the women's minds enthusiasm for the rabbi, so that the enthusiastic women would add more things that did not exist in reality. The goal was to show that the rabbi operates through a pattern, in terms of 'there is no smoke without fire,' and to convict him before the trial, as four women did directly and indirectly. Thus, the two went and tried at that time to trap ten women in the net and incriminate the rabbi. To strengthen their version and ignite a flame, they needed to activate the 'pretender chassid' to spread the story about the woman he saw in the rabbi's room. This story was supposed to shake the rabbi's strength in his community. When the schemes did not succeed, the two extreme chassidim isolated and confined Rav Berland in his home for three weeks. The two took advantage of the fact that the rebbetzin did not live in the house. During this period, the rabbi lived under threats, torture, extortion, and confessions were extracted from him by force. One of the chassidim impersonated the rabbi and would mimic his voice on the phone, talking to women and saying to them: "If C. and Y. come to you, tell them that I did this and that to you." The conversations that supposedly took place between Rav Berland and the women were recorded, and the two extracted confessions from the rabbi that matched the conversations of C. when he impersonated the rabbi. These tapes were played to many people within the rabbi's community with a clear purpose, to undermine the rabbi's leadership in his community and create complainants. The two went to dozens of rabbis and asked to play them these tapes. Most refused to listen and rejected them, and thus they managed to trap the four complainant women, both directly and indirectly. From listening to an authentic tape, a woman (her name is kept in the system) is heard talking with two other people (their names are kept in the system). On the tape, the woman testifies how she heard a phone conversation of the opposing chassid with a certain person involved in incriminating the rabbi, when Y.C. mimicked Rav Berland completely: "Unbelievable how he mimics the rabbi. Exactly." she said. The woman tells of a gathering that took place in a certain house, where the two would come to secretly plan the incrimination of Rav Berland. In my conversation with a chassid well-versed in the details, he says unequivocally that the tapes are fake and edited. Tapes in which part of the rabbi's voice is heard, and part is clearly heard how Y.C. mimics the rabbi. There are also affidavits of four people who rescued Rav Berland from the clutches of the two during the period they confined him in his home. The chassid tells me that when they arrived at the rabbi's house, the first thing he said to them was: "You saved my life. They want to kill me. They want to erase me and fly me abroad to exile." The four chassidim hurried to remove the two from the rabbi's house. After a short period, the two, together with others, managed to bring four innocent women who had previously visited the rabbi at different times to receive a blessing from him. The women were persuaded to distort and add to their testimony things that were not and did not happen. The chassid well-versed in the details and the evidence material told me: "For three and a half years, the two chassidim have been working to incriminate the rabbi on sexual harassment. In recent weeks, they are working more vigorously to tarnish the rabbi and his community among rabbis regarding the book. Their goal is to declare Rav Berland and his community as a sect of Sabbateans, even though they know for certain that the rabbi and his community have no connection to the book." The chassid adds and says: "If they had substantial things both regarding the women and regarding the book, according to Torah law, they should have approached a rabbinical court. But since they know that in the rabbinical court, their baseless hatred, jealousy, lies, and schemes will be exposed, they act like Korach and his assembly." Another person who is not a chassid and does not belong to the community but is well-versed in the evidence, said: "I have the proofs of how the dispute over the rabbi connects from 15 and 20 years ago and more, regarding the mass teshuvah of the Sephardic community to Breslov, to the rabbi's isolation from his community for 10 years, to the big explosion that released the rabbi and his community from confinement about four years ago, to his incrimination on sexual harassment and the sale of the yeshiva's assets." He added and said: "All four women complained to the police, and the testimony of the 'pretender chassid' who saw the rabbi with a woman. The traces of the two chassidim opposing the rabbi are there in each and every one. At the right time and the right moment, things will be revealed in court if an indictment is filed. It should be clear that in court, anyone who takes the witness stand will be embarrassed and surprised against substantial evidence, not stories and legends." At the end of our conversation, I let my interlocutor hear the tape of A.H., in which he said that the rabbi and his community should be declared as heretics because the rabbi's community covers for him and his actions. My interlocutor said: "While they have been defaming the rabbi for the past few years, authentic and tangible materials have been collected, which if published will cause an earthquake in the Haredi world and among Breslov rabbis and will expose everything they cover and hide." It is clear to me that the rabbi is against this, but it is not unlikely that those people will not forgive Rav Berland's honor and will reveal what they have in their possession. My interlocutor: "The rabbinical court and the important Breslov rabbis must instruct the two chassidim to immediately stop the campaign of racism, incitement, jealousy, and hatred against the rabbi and his community, as they may bring disaster upon themselves." My interlocutor emphasized that they have no claims against the rabbinical court, important and Breslov rabbis, and these things are said solely on his behalf and not on behalf of the rabbi. Dreyfus Trial As I delve deeper into the core, wandering in a dense forest, within a huge pile of documents laid before me, I am astonished to discover another document and another new and surprising one. It turns out that since Rav Berland left the country, over 5,000 articles have been written and distributed in Israel and worldwide about the rabbi. Besides shaming and a defamation campaign that includes a verdict and a media lynching, it is an astronomical and unbelievable number of unflattering articles. Articles that are all hair-raising slanders that immediately raise a question in me. Articles written against the rabbi in hundreds and thousands of giant headlines in the written and printed press. Giant headlines on internet sites that give everyone immediate access to information, mostly erroneous information about the rabbi. Such a pursuit has never been done before to any personality in the world. A pursuit reminiscent of the Dreyfus Trial. But through these articles, I discover another important thing that causes me to raise an eyebrow: the rabbi's travels around the world are accompanied by about 300 Breslov families, men, women, and children. It is a group of loyal chassidim to the rabbi even in his difficult times. Chassidim who are constantly around him, despite the accompanying difficulties, including financial difficulties that the chassidim endure with devotion to be in the company of their rabbi. Despite and in spite of the defamation. This is how Rav Berland's chassidim are in terms of "the more they are oppressed, the more they will multiply and spread." But not only chassidim and close associates are attached to Rav Berland with endless loyalty. Also, a group of thousands of the common people of Israel come to the rabbi wherever he is to be with him on Shabbat and holidays. When I document this, something simply does not fit in the scheme. I ask myself how is it possible that the more unflattering articles about the rabbi are spread to the four corners of the earth, the more people gather around the rabbi with devotion and point to him with their feet. It is thousands of chassidim who choose to tie their fate with Rav Berland without bias. The Great Rabbis Praise Rav Berland Not only the common people of Israel and the rabbi's loyalists point with their feet, but also great rabbis in the country have something to say about the wonderful Rav Berland. They tell of a group of people who went to Rabbi Yaakov Kanievsky and asked him to boycott Rav Berland because he brings all kinds of secular people to Bnei Brak, and it does not suit them. Rabbi Kanievsky answered them with great patience: "Be careful with the honor of Rav Berland, he is the pillar of awe in this generation." A year after Rav Berland left the country, the Spinka Rebbe shlit"a told his chassidim: "Rav Eliezer Berland brought tens of thousands back to teshuvah, so it is not surprising that the sitra achra fights him and accuses him of false accusations." When his chassidim asked for an explanation, he added: "Rabbi Aharon the Great of Karlin died at a young age, 36, because he brought thousands back to teshuvah, and the s"m fought him. In every generation, the tzaddikim who bring back to teshuvah, the sitra achra fights them." When the kabbalist, Rabbi Chaim Cohen the Milkman, was asked his opinion on Rav Eliezer Berland, he warned and said: "Whoever speaks about the rabbi plays with fire, and his tongue will be twisted. Like the sin of the spies, and you will see that they have already been punished when they spoke about him on Galei Tzahal, immediately a helicopter fell, and two pilots died, and a journalist was run over, and who knows what will happen if they do not stop talking about the rabbi. The rabbi forgives his honor, but in heaven, they are strict about his honor." After Rav Berland left the country, Rabbi Yitzchak David Grossman said: "Rav Berland is greatly missed in the country, you have a rabbi who is holy of holies, and I occasionally speak with him on the phone, and I have stories that I am not allowed to reveal about how much I know he is great." "Rav Berland is such a tzaddik that everyone receives from him, the intermediate tzaddikim, and even the wicked," said Rabbi David Abuchatzeira "In every country he goes to, he immediately brings down completely new lights." The kabbalist, Rabbi Brenner shlit"a from Machane Yehuda: "It would take me a whole week, and I would not be able to explain what complete processes Rav Berland does, and whoever holds on with him will later merit great salvations. The rabbi who is great both in the simple and in Kabbalah, and everything he does is secrets in redemption." The kabbalist Rabbi Golan shlit"a: "Rav Berland has long since nullified the material completely, and all his matters now are to connect Mashiach ben David and Mashiach ben Yosef together. When he returns, everyone will see his greatness in multiples." The kabbalist Rabbi Sheinfeld, an enthusiastic student of the Milkman, told those who came to the grave of Shimon the Righteous: "The Milkman already said several times dates of redemption in vain, so he answered: What can I do that the righteous rabbi Rav Eliezer Berland changes everything, all the plans. I see decrees, and suddenly the rabbi takes exile, travels to Morocco, and receives humiliations, and by doing so, changes all the processes in heaven. Because apparently, he acts so that the redemption will come with mercy." The yeshiva student Nachman M. from the yeshiva visited the righteous kabbalist Rabbi David Chaim Stern shlit"a from Bnei Brak. Before entering his room, the attendant told that Rabbi Stern saw our teacher the rabbi shlit"a as unique in the generation and told that about a year ago, he said that there was going to be, God forbid, a terrible decree from the enemies of Israel. Rabbi Stern told people that they no longer need money, and it is better to give everything to charity because soon there will be such chaos in the world that money will be worth nothing. A day passed, and another day, and nothing changed, until our teacher the rabbi shlit"a took upon himself the humiliation to atone for all of Israel and went into exile abroad, and then Rabbi Stern said that the decree was canceled. Additionally, he said that if there were tzaddikim during the Holocaust who would have taken upon themselves such humiliation, there would not have been a Holocaust, but none of the tzaddikim living then could stand such a test. Afterward, when the yeshiva student entered his room, he told Rabbi Stern that Rav Berland was doing hitbodedut in forests and dangerous jungles full of predators that to enter there, one must use a weapon and be in an armored jeep, this was during the period when the rabbi was in a hotel in the jungle. Rabbi Stern asked him: "What do they, the animals, do - bow down?" and said "It's because of his terrible kedushah (holiness)! They have no control against him, neither animals nor humans." Rabbi Ofer Erez shlit"a said about Rav Berland that he broke fear completely and told that once in Russia, very dangerous dogs ran towards the rabbi, and instead of the rabbi running away from them, he started running towards them, and they turned around and ran away. They also tell of a pregnant woman who fell ill and was in life-threatening danger, she and her fetus. Her husband approached Rabbi Galinsky to ask for a blessing, and Rabbi Galinsky blessed him and said: "Travel to Jerusalem to Rav Berland, he is a miracle worker." The husband traveled to Rav Berland, who told him to come on Shabbat to the prayer at the yeshiva when they sing the song "Zera Chaya Vekayama" in "Yekum Purkan." It is known that the rabbi sings it every Shabbat, before the Mussaf prayer, for at least half an hour, many people were saved thanks to it, barren women were remembered, and sick children were healed. And so it was. The husband came on Shabbat to the yeshiva, and his wife was healed, and the fetus was born healthy and whole. The Secret Letter They tell of Rabbi Shmuel Horowitz who traveled to Uman and Lublin and met there the elders of Breslov from the previous generation. For three years, Rabbi Horowitz collected letters written by the tzaddik Rabbi Avraham ben Rabbi Nachman zt"l, and returned to the country to print them. These are letters printed in an important book written by A.B.H. shlit"a who requested to remain anonymous. In the book, the story of Rabbi Getzel Avraham who came out of the mikveh and after dressing in Shabbat clothes, a spirit of holiness rested upon him, and he said to his chassidim: "In fifty years, a handsome and good-looking young man will arise, who will renew the matter of our Rebbe in a new way that such a wonder has not yet been. This will make a great revolution for the matter of redemption and great good for the whole world." Rabbi A.B.H. shlit"a is a rabbi of a Breslov synagogue in the center of the country and teaches lessons all over the country. The rabbi said that when he saw the letter, he said that everything fits very much to Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, and apparently Rabbi Avraham ben Rabbi Nachman meant Rav Berland who was born after fifty years and was "a handsome and good-looking young man" and renewed the matter of "our Rebbe" in a new way. In addition to the spirit of holiness that Rabbi Avraham ben Rabbi Nachman had, as is known, he had in his possession the book "Megilat Setarim" from "our holy Rebbe," where the entire process of the coming of the redeemer is recorded, what will be and how it will happen. They say that "our Rebbe" commanded that the matter remain secret until the appropriate time, and only one in a generation would be permitted to hold it. The Ra'avan hinted several times at things recorded in the scroll, and this is apparently one of the things that gives the chassidim an understanding of why Rabbi Shmuel Horowitz expressed himself about Rav Berland in this way. With a hand on my heart and full disclosure, I thought to end the investigation on a slightly more optimistic note, but then I remembered my conversation with Rav Berland and the pogrom he told me about, on the day they tried to arrest the rabbi for the law enforcement authorities in Johannesburg. A number of Jews who did not like the presence of the rabbi and his community's chassidim in their city acted against them brutally. It happened on January 22, 2016, 13th of Shevat, on the night of Shabbat Shirah. The families were in the midst of singing when about 30 local police officers accompanied by Interpol officers entered the compound where the rabbi and 300 of his community members were staying, to capture the 80-year-old rabbi. The police burst into 100 rooms in the compound with drawn weapons and machetes, overturned beds and closets, and conducted a pogrom reminiscent of the pogroms done to Jews in exile. A great commotion and panic arose in the compound. The rabbi's people shouted hysterically, pregnant women were frightened and went into premature labor, and their children were frightened and screamed in great fear. One of the community's children choked from fear, was rushed to the hospital in a severe respiratory condition, and unfortunately, did not survive and passed away on the eve of the seventh day of Passover. I have affidavits about the event, and as I review them, I cannot help but ask myself: how many people were needed to capture an 80-year-old rabbi? How does it happen that Jews in exile hand over Jews to the authorities? I was left speechless. In a conversation with my interlocutor well-versed in the details of the evidence, he tells me that upon reviewing the extradition request and the evidence accompanying it. In the testimonies of the 'pretender chassid' and his wife, and the affidavits they gave and additional facts in our possession, we managed to unravel the plot woven against the rabbi. Also in the evidential aggregate, and as additional testimonies in the case become clear, if an indictment is filed, they will only strengthen more the plot woven against the rabbi, and it is not unlikely that in the coming days, they will be submitted to the legal authorities for re-examination of the suspicions and accusations against Rav Berland. When I ask my interlocutor to detail more facts and suspicions before me, he answers: "The facts were submitted to the legal authorities and not through the media. We have no doubt that the new facts will be examined fairly and honestly." In Part B of the investigation, I will give expression to the extradition request currently standing against Rav Berland and the defects existing in the request. I will also give expression to the testimonies of the 'pretender chassid' defined in the media as 'the main witness' and his wife and point out the contradictions existing in the testimonies. In Part B of the investigation, I will also reveal affidavits shedding new light on the entire affair.