Shocking: Fear of Arson at the Home of the Chassid Rabbi Nachman Horwitz by Persecutors of the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a and His Followers

Shuvu Banim International generally distances itself from all matters of controversy, as the Rav shlit"a (may he live long and good days) requested of us. It is true that while covering the events surrounding the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, many of the malicious acts against the Tzaddik and his people are revealed, but the reference to them is usually indirect, if at all. However, there are cases where we cannot stand aside and not respond to wickedness; there are cases where we must be careful of a future in which it will be said—"Now we cannot wash our hands in cleanliness and say: 'Our hands did not spill this blood.'" Therefore, when the shocking news reached us regarding the Chassid Rabbi Nachman Horwitz shlit"a, a veteran student of Rabbi Berland shlit"a and a descendant of Rabbi Shmuel Horwitz zt"l (of blessed memory), one of the most important Breslov Chassidim, we understood that we must bring these matters to the public's attention.

The following words were published by Natan Tzemach (with slight changes for the website):

Peace to all friends and to all of the People of Israel.

Yesterday, my father told me a most shocking story; I still find it hard to believe it actually happened. We all know the Tzaddik, a servant of Hashem who suffers greatly, who lives with immense modesty, one could say in absolute poverty. The Tzaddik who is utterly God-fearing—Rabbi Nachman Horwitz, may he be protected, whose entire life is sanctified to the People of Israel and to Hashem. We all know that, unfortunately, he suffered an affliction in his legs and has required a wheelchair for a long time.

And this Nachman Horwitz, being a Chassid (follower) of the Tzaddik Rabbi Berland shlit"a, automatically has enemies, but until today these enemies were within the category of enemies who used slander and embittered the lives of the Rav and his Chassidim. Of course, these are cruel acts that contradict all foundations of Halacha (Jewish law) and Judaism, and even all universal human morality. These are acts that are a violation of the law and which, in a puzzling manner, have not been enforced until now. However, this week these acts of injustice jumped a level and moved into actual organized crime, cruel, which would not shame murderous terrorist organizations.

Well, this week several members of the aforementioned crime organization infiltrated the home of Rabbi Nachman Horwitz in Jerusalem and, without any mercy, set it on fire—literally so. At that time, Rabbi Nachman was sleeping in his home, and as we mentioned, he is a man disabled in his legs who requires a wheelchair. Fortunately, Nachman managed to wake up before being burned alive and immediately began shouting terrible cries from the window. Apparently, the mercy of one of the gang members was stirred, and he finally opened the door for him, and thus he was saved from a cruel death. This was not the fate of the house, which of course was completely burned along with all the meager and modest property he owned.

And I cry out from the blood of my heart (writes the author of the article), how far will the false hypocrisy of the "truth" seekers reach?! After all, when some boy, on his own initiative, knocked the shtreimel (traditional fur hat) off of Rabbi Kramer, they raised cries throughout the whole world; rallies and pashkevilim (public posters) shook every possible corner, but now they are trying to silence the story!!! What happened after all? A house was burned with all its contents, and its owner was almost burned with it! Yet, everything is quiet! No one is shouting! No one is speaking! No one is bringing to justice the head of the crime organization whom we all heard in a recording declaring openly that he is considering placing an explosive device in Rabbi Berland's car to finish him off.

Of course, no one investigated the head of the crime organization, but now the reality has reached murderous proportions, and who knows where this will continue to deteriorate. After all, they have an information line that incites 24 hours a day against the Rav and his Chassidim, and there they permit the blood of the innocent in the city squares. We must begin to shake the world with this story; it is forbidden to continue to remain silent—these matters border on pikuach nefesh (a life-threatening situation)!

Here we also received further proof of the distance the Tzaddik sees, as the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a told Rabbi Nachman Horwitz some time ago to install cameras around the house and literally foresaw what was going to happen. By the way, the aforementioned crime organization tried to silence the story by offering Rabbi Nachman compensation of a new apartment in the area, all so that he would not go to the police—this in itself is a criminal act.