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

For five years, the holy Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a has not arrived at the holy site of Meron. Everyone is filled with excitement before the massive gathering scheduled to take place in the North, as well as the Shacharit prayer in Meron together with the moving lighting ceremony with the Rav shlit"a. We bring before you the holy words of Rav Berland shlit"a before this great and awesome day.

"The tzaddik does not know that 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 Moavite. For all the controversy between the brothers was according to the method of the Rambam, who rules in the Laws of Inheritances 4—that even if a person is the greatest tzaddik in the world, like Yaakov Avinu, until he sees a document 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 his generation, he did not believe him. 'Bring a document 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 controversies between the brothers and Yosef were based on the foundations of the world of the Rambam, the Rif, and Rav Natronai Gaon on page 5, side A, in Yevamot."

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 Eruv Tavshilin and Techumin, but the brothers were exempt, and Yosef, who is included in the Patriarchs—he is Yosef the Tzaddik, who is head and shoulders above—'And he recognized them, but they did not recognize him.' The Heichal HaBracha says that Yosef the Tzaddik was 236,000 parsas above the brothers; Yosef was included in the Shechinah. And therefore, it is brought in the Midrash Peliah that the brothers asked, 'How will we cross the Sea of Reeds? How will the sea split?' The brothers saw through Ruach HaKodesh that it would only split through the coffin of Yosef, so they said there is no choice if we want to leave Egypt, 'And they will enslave them and afflict them for 400 years, for your seed will be a stranger in a land not theirs,' 400 years from the birth of Yitzchak, but how will they leave? Who will continue the Clouds of Glory?

Since they arrived at the Jordan, Moshe said to them, 'The story is over, gentlemen. Do you think you will have Clouds of Glory? Nothing will be yours, nothing at all! You are crossing the Jordan to come and inherit these nations; you must know that you need to go only with simple faith.' Until now, you had Clouds of Glory and Manna from the heavens; now you will plow and sow the fields. The well of Miriam—now you will dig wells. All those stories are over; now, simple faith for the rain of the heavens. Lift your eyes to the heavens so that you will have rain; lift your eyes to the heavens so that your seed will grow.

The Gemara says (Sotah 36a) that the moment they crossed the Jordan, the Israelites began to fly in the air; they traveled 60 miles that day. The Yerushalmi says 120 miles. 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; he did not look in my direction even once. I had endless questions about the tzaddik: 'What will we do without Manna? What will we do without the well of Miriam?' I had billions of questions about Moshe Rabbeinu, and suddenly I see that everyone is flying in the air.

Now is the moment that faith in the tzaddik is renewed; everyone receives an 'ibur' (impregnation) from the tzaddik, a spark from Moshe Rabbeinu. Everyone can receive on this day a spark, and with this spark, a Holy Temple of fire will descend, and we will merit the complete Geulah speedily in our days, amen.

(Edited from the words of the holy Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a over the years)