Moving: A Fiery, Holy Conversation with The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

A Moving Meeting of the Elders of Anash in the Holy Abode of our Teacher, the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a

In honor of the holy yahrtzeit of the elder of the Breslov Chassidut of the previous generation and transmitter of the tradition, R' Levi Yitzchak Bender zt"l, a historic and awe-inspiring meeting was held.

The meeting took place in the home of the greatest student of R' Levi Yitzchak, and the one who transmits the path of the Breslov Chassidut in our generation, our teacher, the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a. The meeting was attended by the transmitters of the tradition and the mashpi'im of Anash, the Geonim: HaRav R' Yehoshua Dov Rubenstein shlit"a, HaRav R' Gavriel Grossman shlit"a, and HaRav R' Yitzchak Weitzhandler shlit"a.

During the meeting, they shared memories and traditions, stories and words of encouragement, as well as conversations not yet published from the one who transmitted and revived the Breslov Chassidut after the Holocaust, just as he received from his Rebbe – R' Avraham ben R' Nachman zya"a – our teacher, Rav R' Levi Yitzchak zt"l.

Holy words from the moving meeting:

"I have a very beautiful personal story about R' Levi Yitzchak Bender zt"l," relates Rav Dov Rubenstein shlit"a, "After the wedding, I lived in Sanhedria; Rav Berland shlit"a would arrive every Friday before dawn."

"You would arrive from the Kotel," Rav Rubenstein says to our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a, "I had a neighbor named Eli Berger; we studied in chavruta every evening, I believe it was Masechet Kiddushin. We were both newly married and studied Masechet Kiddushin together."

"When we finished Masechet Kiddushin, we began to discuss what to study the next day; we could not reach an agreement. The next morning before dawn, I arrived at the shul (the central synagogue of the Breslov Chassidim in Jerusalem). I was walking up the stairs and R' Levi Yitzchak Bender zt"l was walking up in front of me. I approached him and told him about our discussion."

Our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a: "You asked him which tractate to study."

"R' Levi Yitzchak opened his eyes wide at me and asked: 'Why will our people not be obedient to Rebbe Nachman?'"

"I did not understand what he wanted from us."

Our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a: "Rav Bender meant to say that one must study in order!"

Rav Rubenstein continues: "What don't you understand? Tell me, don't you know what follows Masechet Berachot? One studies in order; that is the matter of Rebbe Nachman, in order."

"If you study in order, I promise you two things, he said. I promise you that you will finish the Shas, because if you don't study in order, you will never finish the Shas. And secondly, it is a pity for every single word; why would you discuss what to study tomorrow after every tractate?"

Rav Yitzchak Weitzhandler shlit"a takes the floor

"R' Levi Yitzchak Bender had several dreams that he would recount; one of the dreams was about Rav Leib Lapta. Rav Leib Lapta was a scholar, but he did not study in order. He was a great Torah scholar, but he would study this book once and that book another time."

"R' Levi Yitzchak saw him in a dream and asked him, 'Why do you not study in order?'"

Our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a: "Tremendous insights."

Rav Dov Rubenstein shlit"a returns to the holy stories in honor of the hilula of R' Levi Yitzchak Bender zt"l

"Are you bringing straw to Apharayim?" (Menachot 85a)

"Once R' Levi Yitzchak said: the advice of the yetzer hara is to always tell a person, 'You are of a lower level, you have no chance or hope.' The advice of the tzaddik is to tell everyone, 'Amri Insha' (people say), do not stop speaking (continue to study and pray and do not close your mouth)."

Rav Yitzchak Weitzhandler shlit"a asks our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a: "Were you at the passing of Rav Bender?"

Our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a, answers: "I was there until 6 in the evening; I was not at the funeral, but I was at the passing."

Rav Dov Rubenstein shlit"a continues on the same subject: "At the funeral of R' Levi Yitzchak zt"l, one woman was crying very much. People around her did not know her; they were surprised, new faces."

"They asked her afterwards, 'Why were you crying so much? Where did you know R' Levi Yitzchak from?'"

"She told them that she was a young girl from a broken home and she worked for R' Levi Yitzchak cleaning. One day she opened a drawer and saw a sum of money; she took a part for herself. A few days later, she arrived at work, but in whichever room she entered to clean, she saw R' Levi Yitzchak standing at the entrance of the room with his back to her, continuing to study."

"She thought he was engrossed in study, but she finished with the room and moved to another room, and the same thing happened again. She realized that he had caught what happened, but he did not want to tell her."

"She recounted: 'I approached him and told him that I understand why he is behaving this way. I ask for forgiveness; I am from a very poor family, I saw a large sum (it was apparently Erev Pesach when large sums were circulating), so I took a little. I understand that I am fired and I have no reason to come to work tomorrow; I will try to return it if I have it.'"

R' Levi Yitzchak Bender answered her: "You are not fired, Heaven forbid! You are coming to work; furthermore, from now on, I will add to your salary."

"She says, 'I changed completely.'"

Our teacher, the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, concludes: "Yes, she began to be modest and holy; she changed her entire conduct."