Rabbi Nachman Encourages: "Are You Not Interested in the Opinions of All the Great Ones of the World with Divine Inspiration?"

Rabbi Nachman Encourages, a veteran student of the Milkman, Rabbi Chaim Cohen-Prachia zt"l, as he testifies about himself, "I was close to the Milkman for 25 years."

Rabbi Encourages continues with firsthand testimony from the courtyard of the Milkman zt"l, "The Milkman was known to have divine inspiration at levels not found today. Yet, Rabbi Chaim did not consider anyone, whoever needed rebuke, he would rebuke them regardless of their status."

At this stage, Rabbi Encourages continues and brings stories showing that the Milkman had no favoritism towards anyone and always acted with the attribute of truth and with Hashem's will. Even if it meant rebuking people considered of high status. "R' Chaim Cohen himself told me about a famous Rebbe from Jerusalem who came to him. He told the Rebbe, 'Your chassidim bring you kvitlach (notes with questions) and you do not know how to read them. I told that Rebbe what he did from the day he was born until that day. I rebuked him for being in a quarrel with his brother, and I told him that he wants his deceased father to appear to him, but it will not happen as long as the quarrel with his brother continues.' The Milkman told me."

"In another case, I brought before him kvitlach with the name of a famous rabbi, a supervisor in one of the well-known yeshivas, the Milkman immediately said to me, 'He is blemishing his eyes.' I was astonished, I told him it was a rabbi supervising a very famous yeshiva, but he insisted on it. 'Go tell him to stop blemishing his eyes and then come to ask for blessings.' After a period, I gathered the courage to convey the Milkman's words to that rabbi, and he indeed admitted to me that he needed to strengthen himself greatly in guarding his eyes."

Rabbi Nachman Encourages continues and brings a collection of stories about renowned rabbis whom the Milkman rebuked properly. "From here we learn that Rabbi Chaim Cohen zt"l knew everything, saw everything, and showed no favoritism to anyone."

"'Wherever the truth needs to be said, I say it,' the Milkman told me and recounted that once he had to rebuke Rabbi Ovadia zt"l on leadership matters related to political agreements and Jerusalem, and indeed he traveled and did so."

Rabbi Chaim Cohen testified about Rabbi Eliezer Berland that he is one of the few in whom the neshamah of Rebbe Nachman is fully transmitted. Therefore, in the past, I compared what happened to Rebbe Nachman and what is happening to Rav Berland, that both received humiliations for the benefit of the public, etc."

The Milkman kissed the hand of Rav Berland, it is filmed, I saw how R' Chaim looked with admiration at Rav Berland, and this is a person who never flattered anyone. If even one percent of what is gossiped about Rav Berland were true, Rabbi Chaim would not have looked at him and certainly not kissed his hand.

"Moreover, Rabbi Chaim the Milkman appointed me as an emissary to deliver a redemption to Rav Berland. Rav Berland gave me a prayer to pass on to the Milkman and instructions on how to behave, and Rabbi Chaim would pray Rav Berland's prayer every day."

So what do all the pursuers and slanderers claim? "That Rabbi Chaim the Milkman is a simple person who does not know what he is talking about? And the kabbalist Rabbi Dov Kook also does not understand what he is talking about? The esteemed Rabbi Pinto shlit"a does not know? The kabbalist Rabbi David Stern from Bnei Brak does not understand what he is talking about? Rabbi David Abuhatzeira with all the great ones of Israel do not know what they are talking about? Great ones of the world with divine inspiration testify about Rav Berland that he is holy of holies, who can come after these holy ones and question or act against Rav Berland?!"

I have questions about the verdict:

1. "It is written in the Shulchan Aruch (Laws of Judges, Siman 17, Section 5) that a judge is forbidden to hear the words of one litigant not in the presence of the other litigant. The court is forbidden to hear the opponents of Rav Berland before they hear Rav Berland's defense. So how did they issue a verdict and he is in prison?"

2. "Those who testified are famous for their hatred of Rav Berland, and it is written that "all those disqualified to judge are disqualified to testify. A hater is indeed disqualified to judge and fit to testify, but this refers to a hater who is not one of the pursuers who sought to harm the one he testifies against," from here all the witnesses against Rav Berland are disqualified to testify."

3. "It is written in halacha that it is forbidden to hand over a Jew to a non-Jew, and anyone who hands over is disqualified to testify, has no share in the World to Come, descends to Gehenna and is judged there for generations. From here, all who handed Rav Berland to the authorities and since then have tortured him with unimaginable suffering are disqualified to testify."

4. "Why did they not summon Rabbi Salmanowitz to testify, or Rabbi Sheinfeld, Rabbi Tzanani, Rabbi Stern, Rabbi Gol? Why did they not inquire with Rabbi David Stern? Why did they not inquire or summon all these tzaddikim to testify?"

"Let all the pursuers learn a bit of humility from Rav Berland and the holy Shuvu Banim who never retaliate. Rav Berland never speaks a word against all those who oppose him, this alone testifies to his holiness. For years they pursue him, defame his name, hand him over to the authorities, it is superhuman for a person not to respond."

"They claim they are Moses and Rav Berland is Korach, let us reflect on the story of the dispute in the Torah. There the synonym was Moses, he behaved with humility and lowliness, like Rav Berland, compared to the pursuers who behave with coarseness."

"The damage caused by the pursuers is not only to Shuvu Banim and Rav Berland or to Breslov chassidut, not only to the ultra-Orthodox world with its rabbis and well-known figures within it. The damage is to the Kiddush Hashem that was caused. What did the ultra-Orthodox Judaism do to you that you degrade its honor to the dust?"