Students of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, in the Kollel and Beis Midrash Afikei Mayim in Holon, were privileged last night, Wednesday night, 4 Shevat, to enter further into the inner sanctum for a lesson from The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

The Rav shlit"a opened the lesson with the topic of Parshas Bo—“Who and who are going?”—explaining that this refers to Yehoshua and Kalev. He also spoke about the Plague of the Firstborn, and how Moshe told Pharaoh, “You will come to me.” From there, within the flow of the subject, he spoke about the greatness of one who lives in Jerusalem. He then spoke about the story in Maseches Chagigah concerning Rabbi Elazar ben Arach, who expounded on Ma’aseh Merkavah, and fire descended from Heaven, while the ministering angels surrounded him. After that, he spoke about the courage of Miriam and Yocheved, who did not listen to Pharaoh’s command. He also mentioned Basya, Pharaoh’s daughter, who saved Moshe Rabbeinu and did not listen to Pharaoh.

[caption id="attachment_54444" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, delivering a lesson to the residents of Holon[/caption]

He continued by speaking about the immense avodas Hashem of R’ Hirsch Leib Lipl zt"l, and about what he himself witnessed with his own eyes when he served him—his awe-inspiring service of Hashem even in the bitter cold. He then spoke about how Shaul did not wait for Shmuel before beginning the war. Later in the lesson, he spoke from Midrash Rabbah about the story of Daniel and Belshatzar—how Daryavesh and Koresh killed him, and he lingered until morning, because “one kingdom does not encroach upon another even by a hair’s breadth.”

[caption id="attachment_54446" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, delivering a lesson to the residents of Holon[/caption]

He also spoke about how Moshe saw Yehoshua’s humility: when people said that if Moshe would die and not enter the Land—as in the prophecy of Eldad and Meidad—then they would not enter either. Yehoshua, who wanted to enter, was suspected (chas v’shalom) of wanting Moshe to die so that he could be appointed over them. They went to kill him, and yet he still went with them to scout out the Land. The Rav spoke about the inner secret of “scouting out the Land,” explaining that it is connected to Leah. At the end of the lesson, he spoke about the story of Rabbi Elazar ben Arach brought in Maseches Shabbos 147b, where a student changed the word from “hechadash” (“the new”) to “hecheresh” (“the deaf”), and the entire incident recorded there. After the lesson, The Rav shlit"a recited Kaddish and went out to Maariv, as he does every evening.

[caption id="attachment_54445" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, delivering a lesson to the residents of Holon[/caption]