About eight years ago, when Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a was in prison in the city of Be'er Sheva, the Chief Rabbi of Be'er Sheva and a member of the Chief Rabbinate Council of Israel, the genius Rabbi Yehuda Deri zt"l, who today suddenly passed away to the next world, came to visit the protest tent set up opposite the prison walls.

On Friday, Rosh Chodesh Av 5776, the Chief Rabbi of the city of Be'er Sheva, the genius Rabbi Yehuda Deri zt"l (brother of MK Aryeh Deri ybl"t), made a surprise visit to the protest tent and expressed support and solidarity with the chassidim of the rabbi present there.

Rabbi Deri instructed his aides to handle any requests for assistance from the chassidim and even used his connections in the municipality to arrange several technical matters related to the tent.

Additionally, Rabbi Yehuda Deri expressed his admiration for the self-sacrifice of Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a's chassidim, who remain faithful to their rabbi despite difficult conditions.

A regrettable incident accompanied his visit when, as the city's rabbi, he requested to visit our teacher, the rabbi shlit"a, for a professional visit to inquire about his religious needs before Shabbat, but was denied by the prison services. This again demonstrates the discriminatory treatment by the state authorities towards the rabbi and the ongoing persecution against him. What would happen if it were an Arab sheikh imprisoned? It would surely be different, and a petition would immediately be filed by the champions of freedom and democracy, but in the "Jewish state," it has become a painful routine of ongoing religious persecution under the guise of the rule of law.

Rabbi Deri instructed the chassidim on several halachic guidelines concerning staying at the place on Shabbat and also delivered words of encouragement, which are presented to you.

Here are the words of encouragement delivered by Rabbi Yehuda Deri zt"l in praise of our teacher, the righteous Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a:

Good and blessed Erev Shabbat to all the tzaddikim staying here now. We are here in the temporary tent yeshiva, truly temporary, that was set up here. I hope with Hashem's help that soon - perhaps already on Motza'ei Shabbat, we will hear and be informed of good news. "These are the journeys of the children of Israel," as it is said we hope that the last journey of the tzaddik will be here. And from here, with Hashem's help, he will return to his community and congregation and lead his entire congregation on the paths of Torah and Chassidut.

We will do our utmost here with Hashem's help to make their stay here pleasant. Even though they are sons of kings and deserve palaces, but we have no palaces to build, so what we can do is the maximum possible for food, drink, and lodging, as far as our hands can reach with Hashem's help.

And I strengthen everyone who is here. And they are expected to arrive with Hashem's help - we are expecting hundreds to come, so with Hashem's help, this joy of the last parsha (in the Book of Numbers) Rosh Chodesh. May the Holy One, blessed be He, bring us good news, salvations, and consolations. So may it be His will, and let us say Amen. Shabbat Shalom and blessed!

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