A Decree of Annihilation

In Shevat, Parshas Bo, 6 Shevat 5783 (28.1.23), after Shacharis, The Rav—Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a—revealed to the broader public that a decree of annihilation is standing over the Jewish people, just as it did about 80 years ago. Rabbi Berland shlit"a described the harsh reality that the residents of Eretz Yisrael faced during the terrible Holocaust, when the Nazis reached the borders of Eretz Yisrael and Hitler (may his name be erased) announced on the radio that he would conquer Eretz Yisrael and destroy all the Jews, Heaven forbid. The Rav spoke about the miracles that followed the British army’s victories and the Nazis’ defeat—but he added and revealed things that were not publicized in the world, and that are the true reason the Jewish people in our land were saved. These are the holy words of The Rav shlit"a: “Then they went to the grave of the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh. All the G-d-fearing people went—everyone. Then, on Shabbos, the Germans got entangled and did not come into the land, after everyone cried out and wept at the Ohr HaChaim. Whatever you ask by the Ohr HaChaim—everything is fulfilled.” The story is well known: when the Germans began approaching Eretz Yisrael and great fear fell upon the Jewish settlement, Rabbi Yaakov Landau, the Rav of Bnei Brak, turned to Rabbi Friedman (the Rebbe of Husiatyn) and asked him to join in prayer against the oppressor. Rabbi Friedman agreed and came to a prayer gathering in Jerusalem at the grave of Rabbi Chaim ben Atar (the Ohr HaChaim). After saying Tehillim, he told the public that “the oppressor will have no control in our land,” and in this way he calmed the Chassidim. One of those present dared to ask: How do you know?

[caption id="attachment_54598" align="alignnone" width="330"] Rabbi Friedman, the Rebbe of Husiatyn[/caption]

The Rebbe of Husiatyn answered: “I saw the Name Havayah, in its proper order, shining over the holy tziyun in a golden color.”

Prayers at the Tziyun of the Tzaddik to Save the Jewish People

After Rabbi Berland shlit"a finished his story, he told those listening to go now to pray at the tziyun of the Ohr HaChaim to sweeten the decree of destruction. “Let them go today and on the 16th; it’s possible to nullify all decrees, and whatever you ask there is accepted.”

This was astonishing for two main reasons: 1) The Rav shlit"a conducts himself according to Kabbalah not to enter cemeteries, even in order to visit the graves of Tzaddikim found within them. Only if the grave is at the edge of the cemetery—like the grave of Baba Elazar Abuchatzeira—can one be lenient. But the grave of the Ohr HaChaim is deep within Har HaZeisim, and one must pass many graves to reach it. 2) Even when a Tzaddik’s grave is not in a cemetery, the Rav shlit"a follows the practice of Breslov Chassidim in earlier generations not to visit the grave on Shabbos and Yom Tov, because according to Kabbalah the very soul of the Tzaddik ascends Above on Shabbos and festivals and is not present at the grave. Therefore, even on Rosh Hashanah in Uman, the Rav and his students do not enter Rebbe Nachman’s tziyun.

Rabbi Meir Hamburger shlita relates that immediately after hearing the Rav’s words on that Shabbos Parshas Bo, he went to pray at the grave of the Ohr HaChaim together with others who fulfilled the words of Rabbi Berland shlit"a. These are his words: “People of deed who heard the words of Rabbi Berland shlit"a set out toward the tziyun of the Ohr HaChaim. On the way, they considered passing through Kfar HaShiloach (Silwan), where the tziyun of Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartenura is located, and praying there as well. In the end, they decided to hurry to fulfill the words of Rabbi Berland shlit"a and continue straight to the Ohr HaChaim. There they poured out prayers and sang Shabbos songs to nullify the decrees. On the way back, they heard loud sounds of gunfire, and immediately afterward the sounds of ambulance sirens and many security forces. They understood that something serious had happened, so they returned to the tziyun of the Ohr HaChaim, and this time they poured out prayers with even greater intensity.”

“On the way back they passed, on the route to the Kosel, near the entrance to Ir David on the descent to Silwan. There they were stopped at roadblocks that had been set up following the terror attack. They asked about the reason for the commotion, and they told them that just moments earlier there had been an attack there. They also told them about the great miracle that occurred: an Arab terrorist shot toward a Jewish family passing by, and miraculously a paratrooper officer who was on leave was there and managed to neutralize the terrorist within seconds—thus preventing a great and heavy disaster. Then they also understood retroactively why Rabbi Berland shlit"a asked to pray specifically at the Ohr HaChaim—right near the location of the attack—and specifically on Shabbos Kodesh.”

Rabbi Meir Hamburger shlita adds: “When we returned from the Ohr HaChaim, they told us in the name of Rabbi Berland shlit"a that in the merit of our going and our prayers, no one was killed.”

[caption id="attachment_54612" align="alignnone" width="777"] The tziyun of the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh on Har HaZeisim, Jerusalem[/caption]

One Hundred Thousand Tikkun HaKlali for the Salvation of the Jewish People

Rabbi Chaim Cohen, a man of chessed and a servant of Hashem, relates: “On Sunday, 7 Shevat 5783 (29.1.23), I entered the holy home of Rabbi Berland shlit"a. I asked him what the public can do for him (for the healing and success of Rabbi Berland shlit"a) and for the success and salvation of the Jewish people. Rabbi Berland shlit"a asked that the public be addressed to say one hundred thousand Tikkun HaKlali against the decree of annihilation; the Rav shlit"a even issued a call to the broader public in Eretz Yisrael and throughout the world to expedite the matter.”

These are his holy words:

“By the 13th of the month of Adar, we must finish 100,000 Tikkun HaKlali! By 13 Adar we must finish nullifying the decrees, because now there is a decree of annihilation.”

“There is a decree to wipe out the entire Jewish people. All the nations have joined this decree, like in the time of the Nazis—90 years from the Holocaust. Now there are new decrees to wipe out the entire Jewish people! That all the nations will conquer the Jewish people and wipe out this nation completely!”

“Therefore we need to finish 100,000 Tikkun HaKlali by 13 Adar, and the Rav will also join.”

Thousands joined the prayer campaign

Thousands of the Jewish people—students of Rabbi Berland shlit"a, those who heed his teaching, and people of deed—immediately mobilized for this important prayer campaign. 40,000 Tikkun HaKlali have already been said, and The Rav also issued a letter that was published in the “Oros HaTzva’os” newsletter for the women of the Shuvu Banim community:

With Hashem’s help, for the sake of Heaven, for the sake of the Jewish people, may they be protected, on Rosh Chodesh

“To the students of Rebbe Nachman”

“Be strong and courageous. In the merit of The Tikkun HaKlali that you have said, the complete Geulah will come: Hashem is One, and Moshiach will come—358, son of 52; David 24 = 435—and the complete Geulah will be in the blink of an eye—305; ayin 130 = 435.”

“Eliezer Berland”

The Power of Public Prayer and Fulfilling the Words of the Tzaddik Sweetens the Judgments

And behold, astonishingly: only 12 days passed from Rabbi Berland shlit"a’s call for the campaign of one hundred thousand Tikkun HaKlali, and only a few days after the campaign was publicized on the information lines and people began registering for it—while the campaign gained more strength and momentum in Eretz Yisrael and throughout the world. 40,000 Tikkun HaKlali had already been said, and suddenly the Rav shlit"a delivered his holy words, saying:

“It is written in Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer, chapter 28, that for another 189 years—until (the year) 5812—28 years before the end of the sixth millennium—there will be no disasters here.”

“Because whoever said that we are standing before a new disaster—here there will be no disaster.”

“What happened in Turkey does not belong to us. It does not belong to Eretz Yisrael; it does not belong to Jerusalem—Jerusalem is protected.”

“‘The kings of the earth did not believe, nor all the inhabitants of the world, that an adversary and enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem’ (Eichah 4:12). There is no danger to Jerusalem and no danger to Eretz Yisrael—and there is no need to say one hundred thousand Tikkun HaKlali.”

“It is enough to say one Tikkun HaKlali a day. Whoever wants can say 2, 3—no more than 3. There is no need to say more than 3 Tikkun HaKlali.”

“There will be no disaster. And in the merit of the dancing and the circles—just as at the Exodus from Egypt, through the dances (came the Geulah), so too will the complete Geulah come speedily in our days, amen.”

Until here are his holy words, shlit"a.

This raises a question: Why doesn’t Rabbi Berland shlit"a allow the public simply to continue and reach 100,000 Tikkun HaKlali? After all, the prayers are not lost, and the Tzaddik can use them for other matters.

Perhaps this is the secret of the Jewish people at the sea: “And Hashem said to Moshe, ‘Why do you cry out to Me? Speak to the Children of Israel and let them travel’” (Shemos 14:15), “Hashem will fight for you, and you shall be silent” (ibid. 14). For there is a kind of prayer that is in the aspect of judgment (Likutey Halachos, Yom Tov 3: “The essence of prayer is mercy and supplication, and mercy depends on da’as… and when the sitra achra draws nurture from the mercy, then the mercy becomes corrupted and turns into cruelty, and da’as is damaged… and then the prayer is in the aspect of judgment… and the sitra achra draws nurture from it). And sometimes, specifically this prayer that is in the aspect of judgment is what awakens the judgments.

Because prayer in the aspect of judgment does not awaken the powers of Emunah and joy that are needed for deveikus to Hashem, and sometimes the opposite happens: people fall into depression and despair, which awakens more judgment. Therefore Rabbi Berland shlit"a said: “In the merit of the dancing and the circles—just as at the Exodus from Egypt, through the dances (came the Geulah), so too will the complete Geulah come speedily in our days, amen.” And the Rav shlit"a mentions many times how the women left Egypt with drums, and therefore they were not involved in the sin of the Golden Calf.

Earthquakes and Great Disasters in the World

It is important to note that when Rabbi Berland shlit"a said to begin the campaign of one hundred thousand Tikkun HaKlali, no one imagined the disasters of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

Rabbi Nachman Berland (the son of The Rav shlit"a) relates in his father’s name that the entire reason the Rav began the prayer campaign was specifically to sweeten the matter of earthquakes.

And we must understand the magnitude of the miracle, because these matters are not simple at all. We quote the words of scientists after the recent disasters: “The earthquakes could have ended for us (Heaven forbid) in a very heavy disaster and claimed many victims, because it was at a high rating of 8 points on the Richter scale—and as is known, Israel sits directly on the Syrian-African Rift.” The scientists say: “According to all the laws of physics and nature, the likelihood of a disaster in Israel (Heaven forbid) was very high.” The scientists (who are willing to admit the truth) wonder: How is it possible that we were saved in Israel against all the laws of nature? There is no other explanation, they admit: “There was Divine Providence here.”