Prayer from our Teacher the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a for the 17th of Tammuz

Master of the World, Omnipotent One, on the 17th of Tammuz, the day when the Kingship of Atzilus is revealed through the rectification of the five things [that occurred on this day].

First, as it is said, "And it was when he drew near to the camp and saw the calf... and he cast the Tablets from his hands." And it is written that in the fourth month, on the ninth of the month, the city was breached. Then the king went out between the two walls and went by way of the Arabah, and they overtook him in the plains of Jericho. They spoke judgment with him, slaughtered his sons before his eyes, and blinded the eyes of Zedekiah. Then He called a set time against me. And Jehoiachin went up to the roof of the Sanctuary and threw the keys upward, and a hand came out and received them.

And the tribe of Benjamin was decimated, and only 600 men remained, among them Saul.

And the Tamid (daily sacrifice) was annulled.

And Turnus Rufus burned the Torah.

And Manasseh placed an idol in the Sanctuary, for Manasseh would slaughter 1,000 people a day for 22 years.

And now, on the 17th of Tammuz, when Hashem's Kingship—the Kingship of Atzilus—is revealed eye to eye, through the opening of 48,000 myriads of gates of Gehennom. Through these gates, they take out the wicked who caused the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, twenty-one days before Tisha B'Av. Hashem cancels from those wicked ones the judgment of "their worm shall not die and their fire shall not be quenched" twenty-one days before Tisha B'Av, and immediately they see the face of the Shechinah (Divine Presence). And the tzaddikim who never sinned, yet were presented with endless opportunities to sin which they did not commit, receive their reward on that day double and redoubled, in the secret of "for she has received double [for all her sins]."

Whereas baalei teshuvah (penitents) who broke their hearts before Hashem Yitbarach over every single sin will merit to resurrect the dead. As it is said, "But if the wicked turns from his wickedness and does justice and righteousness, upon them he shall live." It does not say "in them" but "upon them," teaching that upon them he shall live eternal life. Like Serach the daughter of Asher and Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, who live forever, together with tzaddikim, pious ones, wholesome and upright ones, those who do kindness, masters of charity, masters of faith, and masters of Torah. Not only that, but they raise them up and seat them in the Heavenly Academy, and they hear Torah from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed is He, literally.

For on the 17th of Tammuz, all sins are forgiven for anyone who does teshuvah (repentance) with a whole heart. Then all barren women are blessed with children, for then they go out from one place to a place higher than any place, and all the worlds ascend to the Kingship of Atzilus, to the place where the Ark and Korah were flying in the air. Therefore, immediately after Korah comes Chukat-Balak—the 17th of Tammuz—when the rectification of the letter "Kuf" is completed. This letter descends into the midst of Gehennom and takes out from there the souls of the wicked who will do teshuvah for causing the Destruction through their evil deeds, whether desecration of Shabbat, immorality, bloodshed, or other transgressions. Because they accepted the judgment of Gehennom upon themselves with love, all their sins are atoned for. On the 17th of Tammuz, they merit to ascend and hear Torah from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed is He, in His Glory and Essence. Therefore it is said of them, "he shall surely live," for anyone who does teshuvah on the 17th of Tammuz merits to take out myriads upon myriads of souls from the judgment of Gehennom—whether masters of charity, masters of faith, or masters of Torah—and raises them and seats them in the Heavenly Academy. They hear Torah from the mouth of the Holy One, Blessed is He, after he has rectified all three "monkeys" (Kufin) where "her feet go down to death."

For the moment a person accepts the judgment of Gehennom with love, he immediately goes out from there and merits to sit in the Heavenly Academy. Gabriel and Michael go and open 48,000 myriads of gates of Gehennom and take out from there the wicked who did true teshuvah and justified the judgment of Gehennom upon themselves. For through the sin of Adam HaRishon, the five types of [negative forces]—Nephilim, Gibborim, Anakim, Rephaim, Amalekim—were mixed into Israel. This is what we read in Parashat Chukat regarding the King of Arad, who is the king of all the Arodim (wild beasts/snakes). About them it is said, "Woe to the person who meets an Arod, and woe to the Arod that meets Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa." For from the bones of Balaam came all the Arodim in the world, because he separated Rachel and Leah, and the heels of Leah emerged from the crown of Rachel. For [the gematria of] Balaam Balak = Rachel Leah = Arod, Arad. Therefore, only Mashiach, who is called "Migdal Eder" (Tower of the Flock)—"And he shall come from Migdal Eder" [Targum]—can rectify all the Arodim, Amalekim, Nephilim, Gibborim, Rephaim, and Anakim. These are Sihon and Og and their cohorts, who came to the daughters of men and defiled them with their impurity. Because of this, the Beis HaMikdash was destroyed, and Moses was not careful regarding them. Therefore, they have no remedy, neither in the days of Mashiach nor in the Resurrection of the Dead; they descend for generations upon generations to Sheol and Abaddon and never leave. For everything has a remedy (return/teshuvah) except for the Amalekim, Anakim, Rephaim, Nephilim, and Gibborim who cast their terror in the land of the living, such as Jeroboam and his cohorts. About them it is said, "Sulfur and salt, a burning of all its land." For the Holy One, Blessed is He, wanted to judge Jeroboam favorably and grabbed him by his garment, saying to him, "I, you, and the Son of Yishai will stroll in the Garden of Eden." But Jeroboam rejected the Holy One, Blessed is He's offer, because he was of the Nephilim whom nothing in the world can bring back in teshuvah. They are judged for generations upon generations and do not succeed in clinging to Michael and Gabriel who try to take them out of Gehennom.

For the Geulah (Redemption) will be on the 17th of Tammuz, in the secret of "for a time, times, and a half," which is the secret of Tisha B'Av and the 17th of Tammuz, about which Gabriel prophesied, "clothed in linen." Therefore, on Yom Kippur, one enters the Holy of Holies only in linen garments. Through this, they raise up all the souls of the wicked who are made of flax. This is why Cain offered flax, but his mistake was that he did not mix them with wool—the secret of the "ten types of melody"—for only through them will the Resurrection of the Dead take place.

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