Lesson for the Activists of the "Writing History" Campaign

On Wednesday, Parshas Shelach, the night of the 23rd of Sivan, a lesson was held at the residence of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, for the activists of the "Writing History" campaign – the publishing house of the "Hithadshus" (Renewal) Institute.

The lesson lasted about fifty minutes; here is a summary of the topics discussed:

Sha'ar HaPesukim (Gate of Verses) says that the Spies did not sin at all; it was according to the word of Hashem. Rachel Imeinu passed away at the age of 37 because she merited the level of Yechidah (the highest level of the soul). Abner could have overcome [his enemies]; he immersed in a mikvah (ritual bath) and did not take revenge, which is why he was buried in Me'aras HaMachpelah (the Cave of the Patriarchs). Even if a person's "two signs" (the windpipe and esophagus) are slaughtered, he can still live, sanctify a marriage, or give a divorce, and he does not impart ritual impurity. Trump wants to enter a war against Iran, but the senators tell him to let Khamenei eliminate this nation once and for all. Now it is already "Bein HaZmanim" (the intersession period), and one can finish all the tractates. We are fighting the Haman of our generation—Khamenei—but the real Khamenei is the Yetzer Hara (Evil Inclination). The women in Tzippori would fly through the air out of their intense longing for the Beis HaMikdash (the Holy Temple), and they would manage to return before their dough overflowed. A person must return home at the time he says he will. I used to return every day at 9:00 PM; before that, I would buy a loaf of bread at the grocery store and make an omelet together with the Rebbetzin, and afterward, we would prepare the posters for the class. All of Pardes Katz used to be orchards; it was like Gan Eden (Paradise) to live there. A person must pray that all his life he should be ready to die for Kiddush Hashem (Sanctification of Hashem's Name), as Rabbi Nosson writes in Prayer 87. In Egypt, the women would give birth in the field—"and they shall blossom out of the city like the grass of the earth." When a person says "Shema Yisrael," he must see to it that during "Hashem Echad" (Hashem is One), his soul does not leave his body from the intensity of his dbeikus (cleaving to the Divine). There is a story about the Jews who arrived from the Diaspora to Algeria. The bishop there said to them, "Who says you are Jews? I read that Jews enter fire [for their faith]. I will throw you into the fire." They asked for 30 days, and each one told what he dreamed. On the 30th day, one said he dreamed of two "Ki" (because/when) and three "Lo" (no/not). They then understood it referred to the verse "When (Ki) you pass through the waters... [they shall not (Lo) overflow you... when (Ki) you walk through the fire, you shall not (Lo) be burned...]" and he entered the fire. One can learn all day now. Shabbat Mevarchim (the Sabbath of blessing the new month) of Tammuz—the initials of Tammuz (T-M-Z) stand for "Zichru Torat Moshe" (Remember the Torah of Moses). Everything in the Torah is secrets; it's not just written—it's all deep secrets. The daughter of Kalba Savua—for ten years they offered her the best young men, and she refused to take anyone. Finally, they offered her a certain "gentile"... as the Midrash writes that he was considered like a gentile [referring to Akiva before he learned]... so her father banned her from all his property. Only after three years did he [Akiva] go with his son to learn the Aleph-Bet. Finally, after twenty-four years, he arrived with twenty-four thousand students. Kalba Savua came to annul his vow, and Rabbi Akiva said to him, "If you had known that from him would come one who knows Mishnah, etc.?" Kalba Savua said, "I wouldn't have vowed; it's just that he was a complete gentile..." as brought there. Finally, he said to him, "That is me!" A woman wants her husband to sit and learn Torah. We see from here that there is no despair; Rabbi Akiva was 40 years old [when he started], and Abraham was 99 when he circumcised himself. We used to travel to strengthen all the Kibbutzim. They were all innocent new immigrants; there were those who would circumcise themselves. The world chess champion was an American who came to play the Russian champion. They told him the game was on Shabbat, and he refused, so they postponed the game to Monday. He agreed, and after the American—who was Jewish—won, Khrushchev said to him, "Let's drink L'chaim." He threw the drink on the floor. Afterward, he asked him, "What do you want in exchange for winning?" He said he wanted to buy the rights to the tourism [in Uman]. He agreed, and that's how the connection with Breslov Chassidim was formed. His name was Reiner; he built the Shul (synagogue). The Shul used to be a hotel. Rabbi Mordechai Luzer Rubinstein used to prepare omelets downstairs and would force me to eat after a whole day of not eating... Everyone needs to know the Ketzos HaChoshen, Siman 250, regarding the issue of "two signs"—that even if someone was slaughtered, one shouldn't get excited; if he doesn't move, someone will come and glue it back, and he can still betroth or divorce. Like Abner, who despite being stabbed, still continued to live, and although he could have taken revenge on Joab, he overcame himself and did not stab him back; therefore, he merited to be buried in Me'aras HaMachpelah. Joab's blessings are infinitely greater than Moshe's blessings. During a siren, one should dance. The gentiles who died from the missiles are "my exchange and my substitute" (Chalifati u'Temurati)... every missile you see, you should say, "This is my exchange and my substitute..." Eldad and Medad were brothers of Moshe Rabbeinu three times over, because when Amram divorced Yocheved, she married Elitzaphan ben Parnach, and afterward he took her back. There was no problem of "returning his divorcee" because it was before the giving of the Torah. Buki ben Yogli is the most important prince because he is the "gatherer for all the camps" of the tribe of Dan, like Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi who would study with those afflicted with Ra'atan (a contagious skin disease), which is the most infectious and difficult leprosy. It is written that when Moshe saw the humility of Joshua (Yehoshua), he added the letter 'Yud' to his name. The humility was that he knew the Spies wanted to kill him because of the prophecy "Moshe dies and Joshua brings [them in]," yet he didn't look at that but went because Moshe told him to. For forty days while they scouted the land, he did not sleep. Now they are making decrees against Yeshiva students, but they are the best supervisors. They ban driver's licenses and ban leaving the country. Shuvu Banim—they were all once in the army in Sayeret Matkal (elite commando unit); they are considered like the "Gideonites." That's why they called the operation "Chariots of Gideon," because the Gideonites are the first. In the time of Gideon in the Tanakh (Bible), they checked who bowed his head to the water and he was disqualified from going to war; only those who lapped with their hand went to war. Everyone should subscribe to Hithadshus; everyone should ensure there are a hundred subscribers because this is the only pamphlet that speaks of the greatness of Rebbe Nachman and the true history of Breslov, and through this, we will merit the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen!