Rare. The Invasion of Lebanon. An Original Recording Never Heard Before! The Righteous Rav Berland shlit"a Enters Lebanon to Rescue Hostages

A Chilling Testimony - After many prayers and efforts, we have received, with Hashem's help, a rare recording of the invasion of Lebanon. Although much has been spoken about that legendary journey, as far as we know, an original recording from one of the group of travelers who recounts it firsthand has not yet been published. The story is unique and astonishing in its intensity and is told by Rabbi Baruch Sharvit himself. Rabbi Baruch, one of the first students of the righteous Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a and who was himself the driver of the invasion of Lebanon - the unimaginable journey story.

Rabbi Baruch's voice sounds hesitant at the beginning of the conversation. Those who know him understand that this is a tzaddik who shuns the spotlight and the camera flashes. His work is pure, internal, and characterized by a desire to bring pleasure to his Creator, without all the showiness we are accustomed to in our extroverted world. Although Rabbi Baruch is heavily involved in bringing those far from Judaism closer and transmitting the holy path he absorbed from our teacher, the righteous Rav Berland shlit"a, his work is different, quiet, and very unique - simply, do not let Rabbi Baruch speak in front of a large audience. However, after many pleas and requests, he finally agreed to return to those days.

"The month of Av, the year is 5746 (August 1986), and Yehuda Katz, my father's brother, one of the yeshiva members, disappeared in Lebanon following the infamous 'Sultan Yaakov' battle." After a short introduction, Rabbi Baruch begins the story. "The heart of our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a was broken, for half a year he tried to comfort the family and nothing - they refused to be comforted. After both Rav shlit"a and Baba Sali said that Katz is alive, Rav Berland shlit"a stood up and said - he is alive and we will go to bring him".

"Ten students were chosen for the unconventional rescue mission, among them Rabbi Zevulun Dahbash, Rabbi Moshe Revach, Rabbi Rabbi Azizian, Rabbi David Cohen, myself, and my son who was only 13 years old at the time. Rav shlit"a set a date for the journey with the defined goal of infiltrating the depths of Syria and rescuing the captive soldier Yehuda Katz. Rav shlit"a presented it as a simple matter, but we wondered how such a thing could even be done? It was a time of melody..., there were trials and those who succeeded in them merited to receive a wonderful light in the neshamah (soul)."

"Through Yosef Katz, Yehuda's father, we received a permit to recite Psalms, unlike us, Rav shlit"a had no fears or questions about how we would pass. In my old Peugeot van, we set out and reached Rosh Pina in the north and with military escort, we crossed the border. It was a wonder because it was a week after the war and there was still great chaos around. Another miracle was that we managed to get my son across the border."

"In a military camp inside Lebanon, we were delayed due to fears of mines and scattered ammunition as evidence of the war that had just ended. The military forces tried to prevent us from continuing, but Rav shlit"a, with his wonderful insight, constantly searched for a way to pass. After he understood that the only way to pass was the main road used by the Lebanese, which was absolutely blocked to Israelis. Then, miraculously, it was arranged from Heaven that all the vehicles around us could not continue further, so they did not delay us. It is impossible to convey in words the intensity of the journey together with Rav shlit"a in such a place."

"We stopped to refuel the vehicle and Lebanese approached us, astonished to see Israelis, not soldiers, next to them. They hugged us and asked about life in Israel. By Rav shlit"a's decision, we set our course for the city of Tyre, to the tomb of Zevulun ben Yaakov. We reached Tyre and to our dismay, we did not find the holy tomb despite all efforts. Rav shlit"a, seeing that we could not find it, got out of the vehicle and entered one of the mosques. Suddenly he comes out and we are amazed to see him hugging and accompanied by two Arabs explaining to him how to reach Zevulun. Rav shlit"a traveled with them alone in a Mercedes while we followed in our vehicle. We prayed Mincha and prostrated on the holy tomb, but the intensity of the situation caused some of the friends to be so frightened that they became ill and vomited. There was a general feeling of self-sacrifice, we knew that in Syria there is no wisdom, from their prison one comes out insane or dead. But, the Rav declared - 'No terrorist will determine for our teacher what to do'.

"I felt that the fear of the friends was arousing judgments, and indeed Rav shlit"a decided to return those who were afraid to Israel and to return with the remaining ones to Syria. In the city of Tiberias, at the tomb of the Tanna Rabbi Meir, Rav shlit"a decided to continue the chilling journey alone. 'I don't need anyone, I will arrange the matter alone,' Rav shlit"a threw at us. But some friends who understood their mistake ran towards him and begged to continue together the rescue mission. Finally, Rav shlit"a sent my son along with one of the friends back to Jerusalem."

"The truth is that I was also afraid, but when we immersed in the Kinneret, a thought of elevation entered my mind and suddenly I understood that this world is not the purpose, until I truly received simcha (joy) to enter back into Lebanon. At the border, we danced for three hours waiting for permission to enter the military camp, where we spent a difficult night cramped inside the vehicle. At three in the morning, we saw Rav shlit"a praying wrapped in a tallit and tefillin inside the synagogue hut, walking back and forth. We waited there until the afternoon when all the while Rav shlit"a walked and returned in prayer, suddenly he turned to us and said - 'Get in the vehicle and continue to Syria,' we rejoiced, jumped and indeed we passed the barrier inside, even though I was without a passport."

"We are driving and in front of us is a checkpoint of armed Lebanese Phalangists, we passed them. Then again a checkpoint, Rav shlit"a told me not to stop for inspection. The Lebanese approached to speak to me, but I accelerated and continued. So it was with the subsequent checkpoints when Rav shlit"a commanded to stop only at Israeli checkpoints. On the way, we saw a UN base and decided to try to cross the border there. The soldier asked me for a passport, I hesitated because I remembered that earlier I couldn't find it, but again a miracle - I put my hand in my pocket and found it. We rose above all legality, Israelis with an Israeli passport and a vehicle with a yellow plate entering Lebanon. A move above nature."

"Along the way, we stopped to immerse in a spring when shots began to be heard around us. We continued to drive as the looks towards us became more and more hostile. We had a puncture in the tire and every few kilometers the radiator overheated, but for Rav shlit"a it did not matter and he told us - 'We will bring Yehuda and continue to Uman'. Throughout the journey, Rav shlit"a did not move from the book Likutei Halachot, even now when we reached right next to the Syrian checkpoint. Among us, fear seeped in again until it reached its peak, also the shells fired around us contributed to the terrible tension. We reached the Syrian border and suddenly two young soldiers screamed at us - stop. I have an order from Rav shlit"a, so I pressed more on the gas, but Rav shlit"a signaled me to stop. We sat at the checkpoint and ate grapes with the soldiers while fifty meters in front of us was the Syrian checkpoint. We regretted that with all the self-sacrifice we went through, we did not finally enter Syria. It is impossible to convey in words the holy fire we had, perhaps it was a test akin to the Binding of Isaac. Although we were within Syrian territory when we passed the first checkpoint, here we were stopped by Rav shlit"a's command."

Who knows what the Rav saw?! [audio mp3="https://www.shuvubanimint.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/022515-192219.mp3" autoplay="true"][/audio]