Listen, Amazing: The Rabbi Appears to a Jew Who Seeks. Stories of Drawing Close

"I began my drawing closer to the bosom of Judaism at the yeshiva of Rabbi Moshe Arush in Katamon. Rabbi Moshe Tzanani would come to give us lessons, and through him, I learned that one must continue to search for the true tzaddik and that it is forbidden to stand in one place and be satisfied. Until then, even though I had served for 13 years in the permanent army in the vicinity of the 'Shuvu Banim' yeshiva, I did not know of the existence of the Rav shlit"a; apparently, he had hidden it from me." This is the moving and unique story of Rabbi Avraham Tala, from the group of workers at the Shuvu Banim yeshiva.

"'So what do I do now?' I asked Rabbi Tzanani. 'After all, I left behind all my previous life in order to draw closer to the ultimate purpose, and now it turns out there is still a path ahead.' 'Hitboded (seclude yourself) on this and ask in prayer to reach the true tzaddik,' Rabbi Tzanani answered me. Since then, for three months, I hitboded only on this, for hours upon hours. 'Master of the World, guide me on the correct path; if such a thing exists, then why should I not merit it?' I would plead in prayer. Until one Sabbath day, during the middle of the night, I lay on the ground in hitboded and said to Hashem: 'Why do I need such a life? If there is such a tzaddik, I also want to see him.' Suddenly, a torrential rain began to fall that did not stop for a moment, and suddenly I see the Rav shlit"a next to me in a very tangible way, making movements with his hands. I had not seen the Rav before and did not know him, so I was startled and said to him: 'Sir, what do you want from me?' But he did not answer me."

"Of course, immediately on Sunday, I told this to Rabbi Tzanani, who tried to clarify with me if I hadn't seen a picture. I stood by my opinion; after all, I know clearly what I saw. 'And will you recognize him if you see him again?' he continued to press. 'If so, next Sabbath come to the synagogue on Ido HaNavi Street.' Since then, I am at 'Shuvu Banim,' in the yeshiva of the Rav shlit"a."

"Immediately upon entering the synagogue on Ido, I see the Rav shlit"a, and he is making the same hand movements in front of me again. Wow, that is the same Rav I saw in the field! I started talking to myself. From 4:30 in the morning until 2:00 PM, I did not leave the Rav shlit"a. After about 15 years, I spoke with the Rav about that meeting. The Rav answered and said to me: 'What miracles are with you!' and continued on without speaking of it further."

"I saw many miracles and wonders from the Rav shlit"a, especially when I would go out on his mission for the sake of the many and for drawing the distant closer. Many were saved after promises I made in the name of the Rav. The Rav shlit"a would tell us: 'Promise in my name.' The barren were blessed with children, and the unemployed found a paved path; on the roads, we discovered the power of the tzaddik. One of the members asked the Rav: 'Why do you perform such miracles with the distant people while for us everything is in concealment?' 'You I have already drawn close to me, but they are still there and one must bring them,' the Rav shlit"a answered."

"The Rav shlit"a always speaks with us about prayer, which must be with a melody, and indeed, in all corners of the land, we spread Torah and Judaism, and we always played music. People would give us large sums of money as charity for the yeshiva and its students, even without us having to ask; the melodies would attract them. Whoever goes with the Rav in simplicity merits."

"I have been an orphan from a very young age, but the sorrow I have for everything the Rav shlit"a is going through is greater than the sorrow I had for my parents. Because the Rav is not only ours alone; he is the Rav of all the Jewish people. As long as the Rav is in sorrow, we have no life. A friend told me that one day, before he drew closer to Judaism, he wanted to do teshuvah (repentance). He went to one of the Admorim (Chassidic masters) and wanted to shake his hand, but the latter offered him his hand with a glove. That person was hurt and wanted to retreat. One of the members brought him to Holland, where when the Rav saw him, he hugged him and gave him warm and loving treatment. That friend explained to him that all the other tzaddikim truly see all our flaws, but the Rav shlit"a, in his immense love for the Jewish people, can draw close to us even without gloves, and the love rectifies all the flaws."

"The Rav is not in prison; the tzaddik is eternal. We are in prison and need to be freed from all the flaws that hold onto us. The Rav fights for us, and we need to have the merit to draw closer to him. If the Rav requests a sum for pidyon (redemption), one must give it immediately without questions; this is our merit to be part of the Geulah (Redemption)."

For additional talks and stories, call the telephone line of the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland - 'Shuvu Banim International' line - 0772266423