"In Every Generation There is David" - Words of the Gaon and Tzaddik

The words of our teacher, the holy Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days)

"Ahitophel was a righteous man, but he did not believe that David was the Mashiach (Messiah), so he has no portion in the World to Come. In every generation, there is David. And regarding Yael, it is written 'Blessed shall she be above women in the tent' (Judges 5:24). The gematria (numerical value) of this phrase equals Sarah, Rivka, Rachel, Leah, and David, because in order to subdue Sisera, they had to be impregnated with the soul of David."

"On the night following the 15th of Av (Tu B'Av) at 10:00 PM, David will be revealed."

"Tonight we are traveling to Kifil (Kifl Haris), Shechem (Nablus), and Awarta. The Palestinian police have been nullified; the IDF has been nullified."

"The most important thing is Abner ben Ner, who already had Joab in his hands and could have killed him, but he released him and did not kill him."

"Now is the yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of the Klausenburger Rebbe (Rabbi Yekusiel Yehudah Halberstam zt"l). He was the greatest tzaddik; everyone should sing [the song he used to sing], 'From Your place, our King, appear...'"

"Hashem is the G-d."

And yesterday, Wednesday night (the eve of Thursday) of the week of Parshas Balak 5779 (2019), our teacher, the holy Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, spoke during a lesson on the Ketzos HaChoshen (a classic work on Jewish civil law).

"'It happened that the daughters preceded the sons'—the daughters are always more diligent than the sons. They come first to prayer, waking up as early as 5:00 AM. So, if they arrive first, they receive the important portions."

"The Kuthites (Samaritans) do not tithe their wine. They say, 'What do I have to do with a Kohen (priest)?' They do not set aside Ma'aser (tithe) or Terumah (priestly gift). In contrast, among Jews, even the amei-ha'aretz (unlearned people) tithe. There is no Jew who does not tithe, but the Kuthites are suspected regarding everything."

"According to the Sages, one can set aside the tithe through mere speech from the wine and drink immediately. However, Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yossi, and Rabbi Shimon forbid this because they say it must be physically separated from the barrel."

"The Ketzos HaChoshen says: if a person has two pomegranates and says, 'Let this be Terumah (priestly gift) for that one,' his words are meaningless. How is this different from the words of the Sages who said that regarding wine, one can drink because its remnants are not distinct?"

"Naphtali ran in a single leap from Chevron (Hebron) to Cairo. While he was searching, Chushim the son of Dan, who was deaf, asked why they were delaying the burial of our grandfather Yaakov (Jacob). When they answered him that Esau was delaying the burial, he immediately killed Esau."

"The reason of Rabbi Meir, who forbade drinking before actually tithing, is the concern that the wineskin might burst, and it would turn out that he had retroactively drunk tevel (untithed produce)."

"If a vineyard is located on the road and everyone passing by plucks a cluster and eats, and the owner wants to ensure they don't stumble by eating untithed fruit—then according to Rabbi Dosa, he declares the entire vineyard hefker (ownerless). According to Rabbi Yehuda, he takes a coin and says, 'Everything gathered from this...' so that the moment the cluster is picked, it becomes tithed and its sanctity is redeemed (transferred) onto the coin."

"One must bring the Ma'aser (tithe) up to Jerusalem, because it is forbidden to live outside of Jerusalem. The greatest transgression is to live outside of Jerusalem. For the Rambam (Maimonides) says that one who lives outside the Land of Israel is as if he worships idols. Therefore, anyone who lives outside of Jerusalem is like an idol worshipper. This is why it was established to go up to Jerusalem three times a year; 'All are brought up to Jerusalem.'"

"During Chatzos (the Midnight Lament), we cry, and in that merit, we will be privileged to see the rebuilding of Jerusalem."

Hashem is the G-d.