Rabbi Berland shlit"a to the Students of Rabbi Shmuel Stern shlit"a's "Nachalei HaTorah" Yeshiva: "Your Torah is the Shield of the Jewish Nation"

In the home of Rabbi Berland shlit"a, around a table laden with open books, the students of Rabbi Shmuel Stern shlit"a's "Nachalei HaTorah" Yeshiva gathered for a special class. For about an hour, the Rav navigated between the Aggados (homiletic teachings) of the Talmud and vibrant, practical guidance for the young men — from the prophecies of the Destruction and the Geulah (Redemption), through the eternal greatness of Jerusalem, to an impassioned call to diligently study the Torah and never despair. We have compiled the main points of his holy words.

"At Nachalei HaTorah, You Don't Learn to Ride Horses" — The Torah is the Shield

The Rav opened with the story of Sennacherib, who conquered the entire world and brought billions of soldiers with him — yet still lacked the power to conquer Jerusalem. In descriptive language, the Rav depicted how the enemy offered the yeshiva students horses, tanks, airplanes, and arrows, but they did not know how to ride or use them at all, since their entire focus is simply to sit and learn. And indeed, they did not conquer with the sword; rather, a single angel went out and struck the entire enemy camp in one night. The message to the students was sharp and clear: the strength of a yeshiva student lies not in weapons, but in the Torah he diligently studies.

"I will give you horses, tanks, and airplanes, I will give you everything — just wage war. But at Nachalei HaTorah, you don't learn to ride horses; you only sit and learn."

Jerusalem and Meron — Their Root is in Heaven, and They Cannot Be Conquered

Why did the enemy fail to conquer Jerusalem? Because Jerusalem does not exist solely down here below — its root is above, in the spiritual World of Yetzirah (Formation). The Rav based this on the verse in the Torah portion: "Great cities, fortified up to the heavens." And just as it was with Jerusalem, so it is with all holy places. The Rav connected these concepts to our current days: missiles were fired at Meron — yet not a single missile fell; they all exploded in the air, in the merit of the holiness of the place, whose root is in Heaven.

Missiles were fired at Meron — yet not a single missile fell.

The Holy Temple Was Not Destroyed

From there, the Rav moved on to a breathtaking revelation, which he had already voiced during the nightly Chatzos prayer: the Holy Temple was never destroyed at all. He cited the holy Zohar in Parashas Pekudei, which states that whoever says the Temple was destroyed is denying a fundamental principle of faith; not a single stone was destroyed, as it is written, "Behold, I will set your stones in fair colors... and I will make your windows of rubies." He then recounted the Talmudic story in Bava Basra about the student who scoffed and said there are no precious stones measuring thirty cubits, until he saw with his own eyes angels out at sea sawing massive stones for the building of the future Holy Temple — and he learned that one must never doubt the words of our Sages.

"Whoever says the Holy Temple was destroyed is denying a fundamental principle of faith; not a single stone was destroyed." (Zohar Pekudei, as quoted by the Rav)

Eliyahu HaNavi Did Not Despair — "There is No Despair in the World at All"

The climax of the class was the story of Eliyahu HaNavi (Kings II), who stood against the king and his messengers and did not surrender — "Is it because there is no God in Israel?" The king sent a captain of fifty after another captain of fifty to him, yet he did not break and did not retreat. "Here we learn that it is forbidden to despair," said the Rav; Eliyahu was a true servant of Hashem who had no despair whatsoever — like a true disciple of the holy Rebbe Nachman, who taught that there is no despair in the world at all. And this, he explained, is the strength of a student of the "Nachalei HaTorah" Yeshiva: he never despairs, even when the entire world is applying pressure from the outside.

Eliyahu HaNavi did not despair — "There is no despair in the world at all."

"Learn!" — The Recurring Call

Time and again throughout the class, the Rav urged the students to be diligent in their studies — "Are you not learning Bava Basra either? I was already afraid you wouldn't learn it." He called upon the students to dive into the depths of the Talmudic topics, and to utilize the days of Bein HaZmanim (intersession break) to finish the entire Tanakh (Hebrew Bible): "Learn Tanakh, finish the entire Tanakh, know what is written." Knowledge of the Torah, he emphasized, is the very tool with which a yeshiva student achieves victory.

"Learn Tanakh — finish the entire Tanakh, know what is written."

Practical Takeaways

Your Torah is the Shield — The strength of a yeshiva student is not in the sword but in the Gemara he diligently studies, and this is what protects the Jewish Nation.

There is no despair in the world at all — Like Eliyahu HaNavi who did not break, even when messenger after messenger was sent to him.

Utilize Bein HaZmanim — To finish the entire Tanakh and dive into the depths of the Talmudic topics.

Photo Gallery from the Class