There have always been confusions and doubts about the true tzaddik who can bring me closer to serving Hashem. Even in the time of Noah, his generation did not believe him, and these doubts increased from generation to generation. The true tzaddikim were persecuted, scorned, and thrown into prisons throughout history. Avraham was persecuted by Nimrod, Korach incited the entire people against Moshe Rabbeinu, yes Moshe, this is not a mistake. The Ramchal was forced into exile and his books were burned, and anyone associated with the holy Baal Shem Tov had to endure endless humiliations. And this is just a small drop from the history of persecutions against the true tzaddikim.

Therefore, the great and important question today is - how do we identify in our generation who is the true tzaddik?!

How can we recognize and draw close to the tzaddik who will bring me to my true purpose and take me out of all the vanities of the world?!

Rabbi Ofer Erez shlit"a answers this question with sweet words. Wonderful advice that is necessary in this difficult time, these are his holy words.

"It is written in the holy Zohar in Parshat Metzora, there is none greater in the tribe of Levi than Korach. He was the head of the Levites, not only in an external role, but on the contrary, internally. In his spiritual level, he was the greatest of all the tribe of Levi."

"Another thing: Korach also had Ruach HaKodesh, it is written in the Midrash that Korach was from the family of Kehat, bearers of the Ark. Everyone who carried the Ark in the desert journeys merited Ruach HaKodesh, and Korach saw that a tzaddik equal to Moshe and Aharon, namely Shmuel the prophet, would come from him. In this too Korach was correct - this was true Ruach HaKodesh, Shmuel the prophet came from Korach's descendants."

"Korach was also one of the richest people in the world, he found part of Yosef HaTzaddik's treasures and from this he became one of the richest people in the world."

"With all this, as Rashi says: What did Korach see to make this foolishness to dispute Moshe Rabbeinu?"

"Korach's act was not simple: he managed to mislead most of the Israelites after his opinions. The Midrash says: among others, 250 heads of Sanhedrin, 250 of the greatest sages of Israel, he managed to mislead them and bring them to his side to think that Moshe Rabbeinu was wrong in all his ways."

"The holy Ari says about the verse: Tzaddik like a palm will flourish, the initials are Korach, Korach is destined to be a High Priest. Korach indeed claimed the priesthood, he wanted to be the High Priest. The holy Ari says that this was not imaginary, in the future Korach's destiny is to be a High Priest."

"If so, the question arises: where did Korach err?"

"Korach caused all of Israel to dispute Moshe Rabbeinu, and he was punished that the earth opened its mouth and swallowed Korach and all his assembly."

"There is a well-known story about the first Rebbe of the Satmar Chassidic dynasty, the Yismach Moshe (Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum, 1759-1841), and he writes that from Heaven they showed him all his reincarnations. He was a very holy and awesome tzaddik, he writes that they showed him he was also in the generation of the desert."

"His students asked him: Our holy and awesome teacher, what did you do during Korach's dispute with Moshe?"

"The Yismach Moshe answered: I refrained, I was neither for Korach nor for Moshe. They asked: How could it be that you were not for Moshe Rabbeinu?"

"The Yismach Moshe: Do you know how difficult it was not to agree with Korach? That I refrained was my merit! Whoever refrained in Korach's dispute and his assembly in the next reincarnation will be a Rebbe, we said this somewhat in jest."

"We see how holy a neshamah the Yismach Moshe had, and how difficult it was for him to discern the truth. Because there are situations in life, and as we get closer to the redemption they only intensify, the fog of imagination is very thin and the confusion is great in it."

"If we cannot discern with our intellect what the truth is, then what should we do?"

"Rabbi Natan says in Likutei Halachot: There is no advice and no wisdom except to run to Hashem, to know that we are in a reality where at any moment we can make the biggest mistakes and fall into the greatest falls, until the evil inclination really shows us that falsehood is truth and truth is falsehood."

"Only if a person goes to Hashem in prayer, in Hitbodedut, says 7 Tikkun HaKlali every day, asks Hashem: Teach me, Hashem, Your way, I will walk in Your truth. This is the prayer of King David asking Hashem to show him Your truth - this world is so misleading and confusing that it is easy to turn falsehood into truth and truth into falsehood."

"This is one of the interpretations of Rabbeinu's words that before the redemption there will be great confusion, but whoever has an hour of Hitbodedut every day, through this he will clarify all the confusion before the redemption. We see the reality around us, everything happening in the world, in the world at large, among the people of Israel, in the State of Israel, within the Charedi society. There is so much confusion in our reality."

"Every day we need to ask Hashem to help us not to be confused, not to start throwing stones at the gardener as Rabbeinu says in the stories. There was a gardener, who is the true tzaddik, and they threw stones at him because they thought he was crazy. We need to know that there is great confusion in this and every day to ask Hashem - help me not to be confused and not to err."

"If we still do not know what the truth is? Be silent! Do not speak, do not join any dispute against any Jew. Is this what the people of Israel need now? That we speak against each other?"

"Hashem is waiting for unity, He is waiting for us to correct, the Sages say that the entire reason for the exile of the Second Temple was baseless hatred. Brothers would fall into baseless hatred, it is the easiest to fall into. We need not to speak against anyone, sometimes there is halacha that requires speaking, but most of the claims today in the world are imaginary that come from the power of imagination."

"Ask Hashem: help me not to err, not to be confused, this world is so misleading especially now - that we all believe we are on the eve of redemption the confusions only grow."

"One of the points here is to seek the true tzaddik - there is a very big deception in this. We see stories about many tzaddikim, what deception there was about Rabbeinu and Rabbi Natan, about all of Rabbeinu's students. The more the students were from the point of the true tzaddik and illuminated this point in the world, the more deception there was about them."

"As we see in our generation what deceptions there are about Rav Berland shlit"a."

"All the talks and confusions in the world, Rav also helps them in this point. In what point can we connect with the true tzaddik?"

"There is a Midrash in the name of Pesikta D'Rav Kahana, there is a Baraita which is the words of the Tannaim, it is set to a well-known song: At the time when King Mashiach comes, he stands on the roof of the Holy Temple and announces to Israel: Humble ones, humble ones, your time of redemption has arrived and if you do not believe, see my light shining."

"It is not understood, what reality is the Pesikta talking about? That Mashiach stands on the roof of the Holy Temple and announces to Israel that the time of redemption has arrived - how is it possible not to believe? There is Mashiach, there is the Holy Temple, how can we not believe in it?!"

"Mashiach and the Holy Temple are not enough for us to know that redemption has arrived? From this Midrash we see that no, there is still confusion in the world!"

"But, immediately the Pesikta says something very great - how can we know he is the Mashiach? How can we know this is the true tzaddik, what is the sign?"

"He does not tell them wonderful Torah innovations, he does not show them wonderful miracles, but says: 'See my light shining', the intention is that you see, the moment you connect and attach to me you feel that you want to draw closer to Hashem, to return in teshuvah."

"There is no constant sign, especially in our generation, who is the true tzaddik - the true tzaddik is the one who truly awakens within us love, longing, desires to draw closer to Hashem, to regret everything that needs regretting, and who does not need to regret in our generation?"

"Who does not need to return in teshuvah? We all need to, except for the true tzaddik, and we want to, because all the souls of Israel want to return in teshuvah, we all want to draw closer to Hashem! This Pesikta says something very wonderful - know this, you want to know what the sign of the true tzaddik is? If you receive thoughts of teshuvah, if you receive longings and desires to draw closer to Hashem, this is the sign that this is the true tzaddik!"

"Baruch Hashem, how many wars, how many disputes, how many claims, entire books have been written against Rav Berland, but nevertheless more and more are drawing close, why? Because after all the claims, after a person draws close to the Rav he feels he wants to draw closer to Hashem."

"The Pesikta says that the sign of the true tzaddik: 'See my light shining', it is the light of the love of Hashem, the light of teshuvah, the light of longing. Prayers for hours upon hours, dances and songs, yearning for Torah study."

"Anyone who experiences confusion, anyone who asks questions, just one thing: 'See my light shining', to seek the true tzaddik who illuminates within us the love of Hashem, longings for Hashem, awakens within us the desire to return in teshuvah and throw everything away."

"Because Korach does not bring us closer to Hashem, Korach only brings us down, puts to sleep all the desires in kedushah - and the rest go and learn how far a person can fall."

"To conclude: On the night of Shavuot I prayed in the prayer hall of Rav Berland. It was a great wonder, the whole world speaks against the Rav, the community, and endless humiliations, and on the other hand, about 700 people were there in awakening?"

"Even from prison - 'See my light shining', even from a phone call, everyone knows under what difficult conditions the Rav speaks, in conditions that are not conditions, in such difficulties - and only see the awakening, the vitality of - 'See my light shining'"

"May it be Hashem's will that we merit the complete redemption with mercy and kindness."