Promise That You Are Traveling to Uman and You Will Already See a Yeshua (Salvation)

Rabbi Yossi Naftali, the activist who is very close to our teacher, the holy Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days), in his moving story of drawing near.

Rabbi Yossi Naftali has worked and continues to work extensively for all the affairs of the Rav (Rabbi Berland) shlit"a in Israel and around the world. He is entrusted, by the instruction of our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a, with the establishment of the massive project of the 'Shuvu Banim' Breslov Center in Miami. It was very difficult for Yossi to share his deeply personal story with the world; only after he understood that many people in the world are thirsty to know how much drawing near to the Tzaddik (righteous person) brings about Yeshuos (salvations/miracles) did he agree and open up.

These are his words:

"I have been with the Rav since 2008, exactly 11 years. I was actually married to non-Jewish women; I was living here in Miami in South Beach."

"One day I decided that I was stopping with these non-Jewish women, and behold, after 40 days I met my wife, thank Hashem (God), a woman of distinction. We got married, and when we married, I started to keep Shabbat (the Sabbath). At that time, I had a partner who was married to a non-Jewish woman; he didn't accept that I wanted to keep Shabbat, and we had many fights and disputes."

"After a few months, I said to my wife, 'Let's go to Israel.' We went to Israel for Chanukah; we were with our little girl who had just been born. I had already been in a state of teshuvah (repentance) for a year, but it was that kind of teshuvah where I was only keeping Shabbat."

"I arrived at the Kotel (Western Wall). I was in a crisis because of the partner. I couldn't find a parking spot. My cousin told me he would put a certain young man on the phone for me. He put me in touch with Rabbi Moshe Cohen, who got me into the Kotel area. Then he started pestering me about Breslov and Uman. I told him, 'Listen, it's not for me, I'm Sephardic, I'm not interested in Uman, I'm not interested in Breslov, that's not me.'"

"He said to me, 'You have a problem, come, I'll take you to our Yeshiva (Torah academy) here, come and see.' It was a miracle; my wife agreed and told me to go. She waited with my mother and daughter at the Kotel, and I went with Moshe. He showed me the Yeshiva, took me up to the roof, and had me recite the Tikkun HaKlali (The General Rectification prayer). It was 4:00 PM."

"I will never forget it. There was a Jerusalem wind; I was saying the Tikkun HaKlali and I started to cry. I didn't understand what was happening to me—I was flying. He said to me, 'I told you—this is Breslov.'"

"I answered him: 'But I don't accept this, we are Sephardic.' I opened up to him and told him the story with my partner. He said to me, 'Listen, I have a Rabbi, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, I will take you to him at the Third Wall.'"

"This was 11 years ago, in 2008. He told me, 'He will settle all your affairs.' 'Settle what? Today there is a crash in America,' I replied—at the time there was a financial crash—'Who will pay me money? I need money to get out of the business; I'm willing to give the business away for free.'"

"I reached a state where I was with a partner married to a non-Jewish woman, and all day he was harassing me. He was doing it on purpose because I was returning to my roots. It was hard for me to accept it; we didn't understand what Breslov and bizyonos (humiliations) were at that time; we were in a state of agitation."

"He calls me and says the Rav is waiting to see me the next day at eight. I arrived. The Rav is standing there like this... turning around, and says to me—'Wow, wow, wow, how long I have waited for you Yossi, Yossi, Yossi, my beloved!'"

"I didn't understand what he wanted. I thought—what's with him? Is he crazy? I asked, 'Can I sit?' He said to me—'No, I know your problem.' He took his yellow paper and started writing a prayer for me—'Say this, and if you promise that you are traveling to Uman, I will sell your company for you; you will have money to leave the company.'"

"'Wait, let me explain to you...' 'I don't need you to explain to me, promise me that you will come to Uman.' I said, 'Maybe on Rosh Hashanah.' He said to me, 'No, no, no.' It was Chanukah. He said to me—'On Rosh Chodesh (the New Month of) Nissan, you are traveling to Uman.' I asked, 'And what will happen?' 'If you go to Uman and read this prayer, you will arrive in Miami and your company will be sold—you will have a profit of several millions.'"

"I walked out and said, 'What kind of Rabbi is this?' They didn't even let me sit there. Everything was standing up; I didn't understand what he was saying."

"I was in Israel for a week. The week ended, we boarded the plane, and arrived in New Jersey for a connecting flight to Miami. As soon as we arrived in New Jersey, I turned on my phone and received a letter: 'Mr. Naftali, this is your partner's lawyer speaking. He is putting down such-and-such millions.'"

"Immediately after Uman—the Rav told me: 'Just promise that you are traveling to Uman, the moment you land in Miami your company is sold.' I had only just landed in New Jersey and it was sold. I had wanted to give the company away as a gift; I couldn't get up in the morning anymore. Here, my wife is a witness; I said I cannot live with this person—he is destroying my life, it's not simple."

"I called the Rav, I said to him—'You are my Rabbi, you saved me.' It doesn't matter that after that I endured three years of bizyonos (humiliations). After that, there were more ups and more downs. The Tzaddik only wants us to be in a state of anavah (humility); he isn't interested in money, he isn't interested in anything. Do not be arrogant—you are doing nothing."

"We were privileged to understand that the Tzaddik works in such a way that you do nothing—I didn't open this Breslov center, I had simply given up—I'm telling you the truth. I was in despair—when I reached such great despair, the Yeshua (salvation) arrived."

"I didn't believe what the Rav was saying—do you understand?"