Listen: Awaken from Slumber, From the Depths I Call to You

A special individual among the students of the tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland is Rabbi Meir Malka shlit"a, humble and meek, yet known for his wisdom and piety. Like all of the Jewish people, Rabbi Malka shlit"a feels the pain of the desecration of holiness caused by the situation of our teacher, the tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. These are his words, spoken with the blood of pain and suffering.

We are in the days of which it is said, "And it is a time of trouble for Jacob, but he shall be saved from it" (Jeremiah 30); from the trouble itself, the salvation is built. Especially since our teacher and rabbi, the tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland, is where he is, in such a terrible place. Such is the lowliness and humility in which we find ourselves: "For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaves to the earth" (Psalms 44). May it be the will that the continuation of the verse be fulfilled for us: "Arise for our help, and redeem us for the sake of Your kindness" (ibid.). It is important that we at least strive to connect ourselves to this realization; this is a terrible sorrow and lowliness for all of Judaism, for all of Breslov, for the entire matter of Rebbe Nachman. It is a lowliness, a trampling of holiness—through whom do we even know our holy Rebbe if not through the tzaddik, our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a? And where is this source of light? Hashem have mercy, who can describe or say?

We have left the days of Monday, Thursday, and Monday, which were established by the ancients as fast days, to increase our supplications and prayers for forgiveness! Because, even if we do not initiate fasts on our own, when it comes from the decree of the ancients, one should seize it like a delicious cake. All of this is fitting for us to do in order to connect ourselves a little more to the pain and sorrow, because the troubles of the time for everyone and the forgetfulness, which G-d forbid bring indifference to the heart, therefore it is fitting to do something and shake off the sleep. The decree for the aforementioned fasts appears in Siman 178 of the Shulchan Aruch, that if one must fast for one's own distress, all the more so for the distress of our teacher and rabbi, Rav Berland shlit"a.

If we merit a true cry of pain, it will be for our benefit and salvation. In the holy liturgical poems (piyutim) of the Monday, Thursday, and Monday fasts established in the prayer books, there are such stirring words; may we merit to connect to them. "Arise, Your congregation, from its fallen state" (Selichot, Mon/Thu/Mon), we are in a fallen state that continues lower and lower. And in the continuation of the poem, we see that there are terrible schemes of the Sitra Achra (the Other Side) in the generality of creation, and things are manifesting just as we see with our own eyes. According to the depth of the pain, so must be the depth of the cry. "From the depths I have called to You, Hashem" (Psalms 130); the greater the trouble, the deeper the place from which the cry must come.