In Honor of the Yahrzeit of Rabbi Elazar Abuchatzeira zt"l

In honor of the holy day of the Hillula of the holy Gaon Rabbi Elazar Abuhatzeira zia"a, we bring before you an empowering article, which we published in the past, that sheds light on the life and death of that tzaddik.

"Friends, we have no grasp of the Gaon HaTzaddik Rav Eliezer ben Atiya shlit"a; he is a tzaddik of staggering proportions—he is an angel of Hashem Tzevaot," begins Rabbi Ofek Cohen Zada his discourse. "The Mekubal Rav Dov Kook from Tiberias says that Rav Berland shlit"a is the aspect of Rabbi Eliezer the Great, and that he is a terrible and hidden tzaddik; when will he finally come and redeem us? Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt"l also loved the Gaon HaTzaddik Rav Berland shlit"a very much and said about him that he is one who merits the masses and is worthy of being Prime Minister. Who knows what Rabbi Ovadia saw, as all his words were in holiness, and here he spoke such things about Rav Berland shlit"a."

"The Attribute of Justice is Prosecuting"

"I do not belong to the Shuvu Banim Yeshiva," Rabbi Ofek pauses to explain. "However, I saw it as a duty to be a man in a place where there is none. Rav Dov Kook shlit"a himself recounted during Seudah Shlishit that he was sitting in the upper worlds together with the Baba Elazar zt"l before he was murdered, and together with the Gaon HaTzaddik Rav Berland shlit"a. Hashem said to them that there are harsh decrees upon Israel. They asked Him to have mercy on His children, but Hashem said to them that the attribute of justice is prosecuting and it will not be calmed except through self-sacrifice. 'Only if one of you is murdered, the second goes into exile, and the third accepts upon himself humiliations, will the attribute of justice be calmed.'"

"The Baba Elazar sacrificed himself to death for the sake of the people of Israel. Rav Berland shlit"a jumped forward and accepted upon himself great and terrible humiliations. They came to Rav Kook shlit"a, who agreed to accept exile upon himself, but since he is a Kohen and his role is to elevate the prayers of the people of Israel upward against Michael the High Priest, the celestial minister, he cannot leave the city of Tiberias. After all, from Tiberias the Shechinah departed, and from there Mashiach ben David will arrive. The Gaon HaTzaddik Rav Berland shlit"a jumped forward and said that he would take exile upon himself as well."

"Indeed, we see the bitter exile that the Gaon HaTzaddik Rav Berland shlit"a is undergoing, the terrible sufferings and the bloodshed—all for the sake of the people of Israel. Look at who we are talking about: a holy of holies tzaddik about whom amazing stories of miracles are told. A friend of mine from the Kollel would take him for hitbodedut, and he would remain there for two consecutive weeks with only two dates and some nuts with him. We are talking about a staggering holy man; it is not for nothing that everyone who understands a little about who he is admires him. We must do everything in our power for the sake of Rav Eliezer ben Atiya shlit"a. May Hashem send us great salvations, and may we be redeemed speedily in our days."