Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Karp shlit"a

On Friday, Erev Shabbos Kodesh of Parshas Vayeitzei, on the verse, “For I will not abandon you until I have done what I have spoken to you,” an awe-inspiring and majestic gathering took place—a heartfelt protest on behalf of the honor of the Torah, which has been desecrated in the public square. This was when the great gaon, one of the foremost halachic authorities of our generation, Rabbi Moshe Mordechai Karp shlit"a of Kiryat Sefer, arrived to lead the prayers from the amud at Kever Rachel.

After the prayer, all the avreichim of the Chatzos and morning kollelim at Kever Rachel gathered together for words of chizuk and awakening. The Rosh Kollel, the holy gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Moshe Menachem Kluger shlit"a, spoke with deep emotion, and in the course of his words he burst into tears over the pain of the Shechinah caused by the disgrace of the Torah and the disgrace of true Tzaddikim—wrapped, as it were, in a cloak of “for the sake of Heaven.” “Today there is a Chillul Hashem the likes of which has never existed,” he said, and he conveyed in the name of the Gedolei Yisrael that no possibility will be given to harm the honor of the Torah and the honor of the Tzaddikim within the framework of the kollelim of Kever Rachel.

Afterward, the great gaon Rabbi Karp shlit"a expressed the Torah’s view: that one must protest against anyone who speaks negatively or harms the honor of the talmidim of the holy gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a—among whom are many who give over their very lives for the honor of His blessed Name, through toil in Torah and through guarding halachah in all its details and fine points. “Their blood is being spilled like water, without any permission according to Torah or according to a beis din—and He Who seeks blood will remember them; for G‑d seeks out the persecuted, especially when a wicked person pursues a perfect Tzaddik who has no blemish.” With a terrible cry from the depths of his heart, he announced: “After I investigated and examined, this is the Torah position of all the Gedolei Yisrael from every community and background. And any attempt to present the stance of the Gedolei HaDor differently is destined to fail—because falsehood has no legs, and in the end the truth will prevail.”

At the conclusion of the gathering, there was a heartfelt prayer that those who have gone astray should gain understanding, and that those בעלי מחלוקת—pursuers of religion and public desecrators of Hashem’s Name—should let their hands fall and stop dulling the minds and hearts of some of the sincere, kosher simple people who are being swept after their lies and their feverish fantasies. And that they should allow all of Klal Yisrael to continue serving Hashem with love and peace, as one person with one heart, according to His blessed will.

See Rabbi Karp’s “Kol Korei” from 4 years ago regarding Rabbi Berland, for download click here)

(See Rabbi Kluger’s earlier words about Rabbi Berland in the newsletter Knishta Chada, issue 32 brought in the video below)