Holy Words of Rav Berland shlit"a Before the Great Gathering in the North on the Yahrzeit of Moshe Rabbeinu

For five years, the esteemed tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a has not visited the holy site of Meron. Everyone is excited before the great gathering that is set to take place in the north, as well as the Shacharit prayer in Meron along with the moving lighting ceremony with the Rav shlit"a. We present to you the holy words of Rav Berland shlit"a before this great and awe-inspiring day.

"The tzaddik does not know he is a tzaddik, Moshe Rabbeinu did not know he was a tzaddik, Yishai did not know he was a tzaddik; he thought he was a Moabite. Because all the disputes among the brothers were according to the Rambam's method, who rules in the laws of inheritance, chapter four—that even if a person is the greatest tzaddik in the world, like Yaakov Avinu, until he sees a certificate of release, Yaakov asks Yosef, 'Who are these to you?' So Yosef showed him the marriage contract, the ketubah. Yaakov did not believe Yosef, even though Yosef was the greatest tzaddik of the generation, he did not believe him; bring a certificate of release, bring a marriage contract, a ketubah. The same thing, the brothers said it is impossible to believe even Yaakov, because the presumption of a maidservant (Zilpah and Bilhah) is not nullified by the presumption of kashrut, even if the person is the greatest tzaddik in the world like Yaakov Avinu, give truth to Yaakov. All the disputes among the brothers with Yosef were based on the foundational principles of the Rambam, the Rif, and Rav Natronai Gaon on Yevamot page 5a."

The Maharal of Prague brings that the brothers had the status of Bnei Noach, while Yosef thought they had the status of Bnei Yisrael. Because Avraham and Yitzchak were meticulous even about the mixing of dishes and boundaries, but the brothers were exempt, and Yosef, who was included among the forefathers as Yosef the tzaddik, who was head and shoulders above, "he recognized them, but they did not recognize him," says the Heichal HaBeracha that Yosef the tzaddik was 236,000 parasangs above the brothers, Yosef was included in the Shechinah. Therefore, it is brought in the Midrash Peliah that the brothers asked how they would cross the Red Sea? How would the sea split? The brothers saw with divine inspiration that only through Yosef's coffin would it split, so they said there is no choice if we want to leave Egypt, "and they will serve them and afflict them for 400 years because your seed will be a stranger in a land not theirs," after 400 years from the birth of Yitzchak, but how would they leave? Who would continue the clouds of glory?

When they reached the Jordan, Moshe said to them, the story is over, gentlemen, do you think you will have clouds of glory? You will have nothing, nothing at all! You are crossing the Jordan to inherit these nations, know that you must go only with simple emunah (faith). Until now, you had clouds of glory, manna from the heavens, now you will plow and sow the fields, Miriam's well, now you will dig wells, all these stories are over, now simple emunah for the rain from the heavens, lift your eyes to the heavens for rain, lift your eyes to the heavens for your seed to grow.

The Gemara (Sotah 36a) says that the moment they crossed the Jordan, the Israelites began to fly in the air, 60 mil they traveled that day, the Yerushalmi says 120 mil, I, the fool, asked Moshe on the 7th of Adar before his passing what will we do without the clouds of glory, Moshe, how are you leaving us? Moshe did not even answer me, did not even glance in my direction. I had endless questions on the tzaddik, what will we do without the manna? What will we do without Miriam's well? I had billions of questions on Moshe Rabbeinu, suddenly I see everyone flying in the air.

Now is the moment when emunah in the tzaddik is renewed, everyone receives an ibur from the tzaddik, a spark from Moshe Rabbeinu. Everyone can receive on this day a spark with which the Holy Temple of fire will descend and we will merit the complete redemption speedily in our days, Amen.

(Edited from the words of the esteemed tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a over the years)