One Must Pray Not to be Removed from the Register of Jerusalem • The Daily

Before you is a summary of the topics from the daily lesson as delivered by our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days) – yesterday after the Maariv (evening) prayer, Tuesday night, the 13th of Kislev 5786, Parshas Vayishlach (the Torah portion of Vayishlach):

1. Korach was greater than Moshe Rabbeinu; he could fly in the air, but he needed to nullify himself to Moshe.
2. In the future to come, Korach will be the Kohen Gadol (High Priest).
3. A person must pray that throughout their entire life, they remain in the register of Jerusalem. The first of the dead who will arise (during the Resurrection) will be those from Jerusalem. Every apartment in Jerusalem 4. is like a palace. "The dew of Hermon that descends upon the mountains of Zion" (Psalms 133:3). In truth, all the dew of the entire world first descends in Jerusalem.
4. Now, throughout the entire world, under the floods, everyone is perishing in a flood.
5. And this is what is written: "And those who were lost... shall come and prostrate themselves... on the holy mountain in Jerusalem" (Isaiah 27:13).
6. The Chasam Sofer zt"l (of blessed memory) cried out, "How can anyone leave Jerusalem?!" It is forbidden to live anywhere else! And one cannot compel a wife to leave Jerusalem. As for those who say there is no mitzvah (commandment) to live in Jerusalem—there is no basis for this! The Rambam writes that Jerusalem is holy forever, and its sanctity is never nullified. Therefore, one must ensure they are not erased from the register of Jerusalem. The entire reason there was an earthquake in Safed was because people did not live in Jerusalem, even though it was already permitted to live there.
7. They used to transfer money to Jerusalem, and then there was a moser (informant) who snitched. In the end, he came to the Rebbe (Rebbe Nachman) to receive a tikkun (rectification). The Rebbe told him to recite Tehillim (Psalms), and he passed away amidst his weeping.
8. Except for the synagogue of the Bat Ayin (Rabbi Avraham Dov of Avritch), where they were in the middle of Tachanun (supplication prayers), all the places in Safed were destroyed.
9. The Chasam Sofer wondered how people could make a hillula (celebration of a Tzaddik's passing) on Lag BaOmer instead of coming to the Kotel (Western Wall).
10. And if someone leaves Jerusalem, he will receive a punishment. It is forbidden to leave Jerusalem forever and ever!