Ten Days of Repentance: The Story of the Cry Heard from Afar / Yom Kippur: A Chilling Story of Return

An avreich (Torah scholar) who was doing Hisbodedus (secluded prayer) on Shabbos cried and shouted to Hashem, "Abba, Abba (Father, Father)," and asked that the Rav should arrive in Uman. On Motzaei Shabbos (Saturday night), Rabbi Berland repeated his exact words in front of the entire congregation.

Rosh Hashanah in Uman: A Story of the Cry the Rav Heard from Afar

A dear avreich from our community shared a wondrous event that happened to him on the holy Shabbos, illustrating how the tzaddik hears the sighs of those connected to him. On that Shabbos, Parshas Pinchas, he went out to do Hisbodedus and pour out his heart before Hashem.

Tears of Hisbodedus

During his Hisbodedus, his heart opened in a special way to pray for the Jewish people, for the complete Geulah (Redemption), and about the many troubles that afflict us. He wept profusely for a long hour, crying out from the depths of his soul: "Abba, Father in Heaven, until when? Until when?"

Afterward, he continued and prayed for the revelation of Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a. He begged that the tzaddik should no longer be disgraced, Hashem should protect us, and that he should be able to travel and arrive in the holy city of Uman for Rosh Hashanah. He did this several times throughout Shabbos, strengthening himself with the thought that the tzaddik certainly knows and feels the cries he is shouting to Hashem. After all, the holy Rebbe, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov zy"a, already said that the tzaddik hears the sighs of those who depend on him.

The Cry at the Melaveh Malkah Meal

On Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh, a Melaveh Malkah seudah (festive meal escorting the Shabbos) took place. As is his holy custom, the Rav shlit"a spoke some words from the holy book Chayei Moharan. Suddenly, in the middle of his words, the Rav declared in a loud voice: "The Rebbe cried like a baby to Hashem! We too must cry like a baby and shout: Abba, Abba!"

The Rav instructed everyone present to shout along with him, and the entire holy congregation cried out in unison together with the Rav shlit"a. Immediately afterward, the Rav began to sing the song "Eliyahu HaNavi" with great enthusiasm.

That avreich, who was standing in the crowd, was left stunned and deeply moved. He received tremendous encouragement seeing firsthand how the Rav shlit"a knew exactly what cries he had shouted on Shabbos, even repeating the exact words he had said during his Hisbodedus. This story reminds us once again of the power of the tzaddik, whose eyes and heart are always open to his flock.

Yom Kippur: A Chilling Story About the Dream on the Holy Day and the Exact Message from the Rav

This awesome and moving story was recently shared on the information line, revealing how the power of the tzaddik operates even on very distant souls. One man, who was completely far from observing Torah and mitzvos, shared the amazing sequence of events he experienced. This Jew did not observe anything in his life, and aside from fasting on Yom Kippur, he knew nothing about Judaism. Even on the holy day itself, he would not go to the synagogue and did not pray at all. His custom was simply to fast and go to sleep, passing the entire day and night in slumber.

The Threefold Dream on the Holy Day

One year, on the night of Yom Kippur, he fell into a deep sleep and suddenly had a very vivid dream. In his dream, he saw Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a approaching him and saying: "Take something upon yourself, even something small, and if not - you will not finish the year, Heaven forbid." Despite the chilling message, when he woke up, he chose to ignore the dream and went about his business.

Later on the holy day, he fell asleep again, and once more the tzaddik appeared before him in the exact same dream. Again, he ignored it and continued sleeping. Toward evening, right at the time of Neilah (the closing prayer of Yom Kippur), he fell asleep for a third time and saw the Rav shlit"a once again. This time, the Rav told him that he must take upon himself a small resolution, and even detailed exactly what he should accept. The Jew woke up from the third dream feeling agitated, but he kept the details of the resolution to himself.

The Shaking Encounter in Reality

A few months passed since that Yom Kippur, and the Jew happened to be in a place where the Rav shlit"a was staying. When the Rav arrived at the location, there was a great crowd, and everyone pushed forward to merit seeing him and receiving his blessing. That Jew stood in the crowd, without trying to stand out or step forward.

Suddenly, amidst all the commotion, he felt two hands placed on his shoulders. He turned around and saw the Rav shlit"a himself standing before him. The Rav looked him in the eyes and said to him surprisingly: "Aviel, remember what you took upon yourself."

These words, spoken while awake in front of everyone, left Aviel stunned and speechless. He immediately understood that the tzaddik, who had come to him in a dream on Yom Kippur to save his life, knew exactly who he was and what that secret resolution had been. This story illustrates how the eyes of the tzaddik are open to every Jew, and how he works tirelessly to awaken us to teshuvah (repentance) and bring us closer to our Father in Heaven.

Yom Kippur in Prison: A Wondrous Story About an Inmate Who Received a Blessing from Rabbi Berland shlit"a

A certain Jew, who was very far from observing Torah and mitzvos, tells the wondrous story of his drawing close to Judaism. In those days, his only connection to Judaism amounted to making Kiddush on Shabbos and fasting on Yom Kippur. Beyond that, he knew nothing about the world of Torah.

Unfortunately, following a false accusation plotted against him, he was sentenced to twelve years in prison, may Hashem protect us. Suddenly, he found himself locked behind bars, surrounded by inmates and criminals in a harsh atmosphere that was completely foreign to him.

Light within the Darkness of the Prison

One day, the inmates were sitting and watching television. From that impure vessel emerged words of incitement, insults, and blasphemies against Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Baruch Hashem, that inmate merited not to look at those abominable broadcasts, but he clearly heard his cellmates speaking evil about the Rav shlit"a following what they saw.

Even though he had never seen the Rav shlit"a, and had not even heard the name of the tzaddik before, something in the purity of his heart cried out. He immediately felt that everything being said there was a complete lie. He stood up and started shouting at the inmates, protesting that they dared to speak evil against a great Rav and tzaddik.

Since he had heard the name of the Rav shlit"a, a strong desire awoke within him to know who this was. He asked his sister to bring him a picture of Rabbi Berland shlit"a to the prison. When the picture reached his hands and he looked at the face of the Rav shlit"a, he was amazed. "I saw an angel, the form of an angel!" he recounts with emotion. From that moment, a tremendous yearning and a fierce desire to draw close to the tzaddik was bound to his heart.

The Earth-Shattering Promise Over the Line

The inmate began to inquire how he could make contact and speak with the Rav shlit"a, who was staying at that time in his exile in the country of Zimbabwe. He called the gabbai (attendant) several times, but did not manage to catch the Rav. It should be noted that during all these attempts, he never told the gabbai that he was calling from inside the prison.

Until one day, the gabbai answered him and said that in a few minutes he would be able to speak with the Rav shlit"a. The inmate waited on the line and heard the great commotion of people pushing around the Rav shlit"a. Suddenly, out of the noise, he heard the clear voice of the tzaddik crying out to him: "I will get you out! I will get you out!"

The inmate recounts that at that moment, a terrible fear and an exalted awe fell upon him that he had never felt before. Out of sheer emotion and trembling, the telephone receiver simply fell from his hand. A friend who was there with him had to pick up the receiver and continue speaking in his place. Thus, from the darkness of the prison, his wondrous journey of teshuvah (repentance) began, in the merit of the power of the tzaddik who sees far into the distance.

From Issue 83 — Parashas Matos-Masei

From the series "A Tzaddik Rules in the Fear of God" — "Shapir Amar Nachmani" Newsletters