A Shiur for the “Shuvu Banim – Netivot” Community ○ The Activity in the Southern City ○ Report from the Shiur

The residents of the southern city of Netivot have merited that, in the heart of the city—inside a shelter—there stands, for the sake of Hashem’s Name and His glory, a “Shuvu Banim” synagogue. It draws hundreds of local Jews close to their Father in Heaven, in the light of the ever-flowing stream—Rebbe Nachman zy"a—and through the unique path of The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a.

They have also merited that the chassidic Rabbi Eitan Bazel shlit"a serves as their long arm—like the Tzaddik’s emissary in the southern city. He gives them shiurim from the holy books of Rebbe Nachman, and gathers teachings from the fiery river that flows forth from The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

Since Rabbi Eitan Bazel often merits to be by the tziyun of Rebbe Nachman in the holy city of Uman, the community found a technological solution: the regular shiurim are delivered by Rabbi Bazel over the phone—from the very heart of the holy city of Uman all the way to the southern city of Netivot.

This evening—on the night of the 8th of Tammuz—the members of the community merited entering the home of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, for a special shiur that lasted close to an hour, delivered by The Rav shlit"a.

In the shiur, The Rav shlit"a spoke words of Aggadah about Esav—how he cried in order to receive a blessing from the Tzaddik. The Rav said: “To receive a blessing from the Tzaddik, a person needs to bring down oceans of tears.” After that, he continued speaking about the greatness of the day of Tu B’Av and the greatness of dancing; and also about the sale of Yosef, and how Serach bat Asher gave her life for it. For if Yaakov had known they sold Yosef, all the brothers would have died from Yaakov’s strictness—therefore Yosef did not meet Yaakov throughout those years except twice. He also spoke about how Yosef held something in his heart against Yaakov for not burying Rachel, his mother, in the city, but rather along the road. Yet in truth it was by Divine instruction, so that people would be able to come and pray there every day—unlike the grave of Yosef, which is inside Shechem, where one can enter only with mesirus nefesh. He also spoke about the miracles that occurred at the streams of Arnon, and that the test of the spies was to ascend to the level of Yesod Abba—complete mercy—hinted in the verse “מֵרְחֹב לְבֹא חֲמָת,” whose initials spell Rachel, and to elevate this to the aspect of “לָתוּר אֶת הָאָרֶץ” (“to scout the land”), whose initials spell Leah.

[caption id="attachment_51687" align="aligncenter" width="618"] The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, in a shiur for the residents of Netivot[/caption]

Afterwards, he spoke about the mesirus nefesh of Miriam the Prophetess, through whose merit all of Am Yisrael was born—both because she did not listen to Pharaoh to strangle the babies at birth, and because she insisted that Amram return to Yocheved, and then all of Am Yisrael returned to their wives. He spoke about the greatness of lowliness and humility, and that through this one merits all forms of Divine flow and blessing. Afterwards, he shared new insights from the weekly parashah about Balak and Bilaam, whose gematria is ערֹד (arod), the primordial serpent. And regarding what is written, “Woe to the arod when Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa encounters it”—the Tzaddik can subdue all the serpents in the world! He also spoke about the story in which Rav Acha bar Yaakov subdued the seven-headed serpent. Afterwards, he spoke about the episode of Pilegesh B’Givah. At the conclusion of the shiur, The Rav shlit"a spoke about the greatness of traveling to the holy Avos in Chevron, and he ended with a fiery Kaddish, with melodies.

After the shiur ended, the excited participants went out to Ma’ariv, as every evening, in the plaza of the prayer hall on Ido HaNavi Street—together with the Tzaddik, The Rav Rabbi Berland shlit"a, with a great multitude.