How Did Rabbi Berland Learn with His Son Every Day? Learn with Your

The Daily Chizuk from our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a — Thousands of angels he created through his learning say “Shalom Aleichem” together with him

Monday, 29 Shevat 5783 — “Learn with the children; it’s all their enjoyment”

These are his holy words:

A person began learning at 8:00 in the morning until 20:30, or from 9:00 (in the morning) until 21:30. Together with prayer, he managed to say six hundred thousand letters. He said Tehillim, did Hisbodedus—this is 600,000 letters—so he needs to say “Shalom Aleichem” at the Shabbos table.

600,000 letters times the six days of the week (all the angels a person creates through his learning) is 3,600,000 letters— all these angels that a person created through his learning say “Shalom Aleichem” together with him.

A person needs to know that if he began Shacharis—today they begin Shacharis at 5:30; sunrise is 6:37—from 5:30 until 18:00 in the evening is twelve and a half hours. He didn’t leave the yeshivah.

He stayed in the yeshivah. He brought sandwiches to the yeshivah. He fasted the whole day; he would eat in the evening at 18:30. He needs twelve and a half hours not to eat anything. He can drink something—just a little from the tap—or bring with him a bottle of milk, or carrot juice.

So in 12 hours a person can manage to say 744,000 letters. After that he goes to sleep. He comes home and says Krias Shema with the children—after Ma’ariv, until the children fall asleep, he learns with them the parashah, and a little of the Gemara they learned.

A child needs to see that his father sits with him. I would sit with Nachman always before he went to his room—early in the morning before he went to his room (the Rav is speaking with Rav Nachman who is beside him). At a quarter to 8 he already left the house to get to the Talmud Torah “Toras Emes.”

So from 7:30 until a quarter to 8—fifteen minutes—we would review everything he learned the previous day. Because at night I came back late, so in the morning before he went to cheder—7:30 to 8. Nachman would get up early; he got dressed in a second (the Rav is speaking about his son).

This is how one must conduct himself all his life: what he learned yesterday, he knows he will review it with his father.

Then he has a little vitality, a little enjoyment from the learning.