Kiruv Activity in Tel Aviv ○ Summary from the Shiur

On Shtulim Street in Tel Aviv there is a synagogue that is, quite literally, a powerful magnet drawing in dozens of young Jewish men searching for their path. The synagogue was founded by Rabbi Amir Konstantin shlit"a, one of the students of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Following his holy way, illuminated by the light of Rebbe Nachman, Rabbi Konstantin has succeeded in bringing hundreds of young ba’alei teshuvah close to the great light. Some of these young men merited, this past Monday night—Leil 19 Kislev—to enter the holy residence of The Rav shlit"a and hear words of the Living G-d.

At the beginning of the shiur, The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, spoke about the weekly Torah portion, Vayeishev, and also about Yosef’s goblet mentioned in the portions of Mikeitz and Vayigash. The Rav shlit"a also spoke about the importance of prayer—and even more so, the importance of praying with niggunim (melodies). He spoke as well about the greatness of prostrating oneself at the holy tziyun of Rebbe Nachman zy"a. He spoke about the greatness of Otniel ben Kenaz, and told the story of Abba Techinah Chasida, for whom the sun shone in the west so that he would not desecrate Shabbos—because he gave over his life for the sake of a poor man who lay by the roadside. Toward the end of the shiur he spoke about matters of Chanukah. The main focus of the shiur, however, was the sugya of a “ben shifchah” (the child of a maidservant) and the dispute among the Rishonim, which he connected to the weekly portion—Vayeishev—where this was the point of disagreement between Yosef and the brothers. He also connected it to the dispute between the Ramban and the Rambam regarding a Ben Noach, in the context of Shimon and Levi when they killed Shechem and his entire city. With this, The Rav shlit"a concluded the shiur and went out to Ma’ariv, as he does every evening, with a great crowd, from the balcony of his home.

[caption id="attachment_53873" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, in a shiur for the people of Tel Aviv, with Rabbi Amir Konstantin shlit"a at his side[/caption]