If One Person Suffers, There is Suffering in All the Worlds

On Motzaei Shabbat Kodesh Lech Lecha, the Gaon HaTzaddik Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a arrived at the Melaveh Malkah meal at the home of Rav Eliyahu Merav shlit"a. The Rav sang with the public and delivered his holy words; these are the words of Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

"All people are one totality"

"All the Sefirot and all human beings, everything is one thing. It is written in the Torahs 75, 76, and 77 (in Likutey Moharan) that all people are one thing; one is the head, one is the hand, one is the foot. And just as in the human body, if one limb hurts, the whole body hurts, this is also true in the totality. All people are one thing, and there must not be any pain for any person, for any woman, or for any child. If there is pain for one person, then there is pain in all the worlds."

"The tzaddik has the power to atone for everything"

"In the beginning (Bereshit) G-d created" (Genesis 1:1), "Bereshit bara." 'Bereshit' is a statement, 'bara' is half a statement" (Likutey Moharan 21, and see further in Shaar HaPesukim by the Arizal, Siman 1, "It has already been explained in the Zohar, the matter of Bereshit, that they are the letters 'bara shit'. Also, they said there that 'bara' is half a statement. And the matter is that there are six letters in the word Bereshit, corresponding to the six extremities of Zeir Anpin. And this is also hinted at in the word itself, by dividing it into two: 'bara', 'shit'. Meaning, that the six extremities of Zeir Anpin were created, as it is known that its entire essence is only six extremities. And therefore they said there in the Zohar, that Bereshit is a complete statement, meaning that it includes the entire Partzuf of Zeir Anpin, which is called the six extremities, for they are the letters 'bara shit' as mentioned). Therefore, Bereshit is 'be'er' (a well), 'bara shit', 'shitin' (the deep pits), David dug the pits (Sukkah 53a), because the tzaddik can perform a tikkun for the souls in the world."

"It is written in the Midrash HaGadol (Noach, Parsha 9:13-14) that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai says that together with Abraham he can exempt the entire world from its beginning, and together with Achiyah HaShiloni he can atone for the entire world." The tzaddik can atone for everything, even though Lamech (son of Methuselah) murdered his grandfather and because of that also murdered his son, by clapping his hands and crushing him. Adah his wife was angry and said she would not forgive him until Adam HaRishon came and appeased them. Adam HaRishon told Adah that Lamech was not guilty, because he was blind and did not see what he had done. However, even though he was blind, he still needed to atone for the murder."

"The entire work of man is to reach the domain of the tzaddik"

"There were two Lamechs, the one who was two generations from Cain, and Lamech, the father of Noach. 'And Methuselah lived eighty and seven and a hundred years and begot Lamech' (Genesis 5:25), eighty-seven is the gematria of Yaakov; he reached the domain of Yaakov, the domain of the tzaddik, because the entire work of man is to reach the domain of the tzaddik."

"The lions came and ate the sheep; the shepherd says he cannot fight the lions. The owner says to him, 'You can; you abandoned the flock and left it unprotected. I am praying in hitbodedut that my shepherds will defeat all the lions.' The shepherd asks, 'Why don't you pray that your goats bring bears, like with Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa?' (Taanit 25). The owner answered, 'I cannot be like Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa.'"