Yesterday's terrorist attack in the Old City, and Rav Berland's ruach hakodesh

HOW RAV BERLAND'S PRESCIENCE PREVENTED ANOTHER TERRIBLE TERRORIST ATTACK IN THE OLD CITY

In the middle of last week, just before Rosh Chodesh Nisan 5777, Rav Eliezer Berland, shlita, took the highly unusual step of asking all of the avreichim learning at the Shuvu Banim yeshiva to come together for a Shabbat of achdus, or unity, in Meron.

The Rav spoke very strongly about the importance of the adults at the yeshiva being together by the grave of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai specifically for this shabbat, so despite the difficulties entailed with making the long trip, and the timing of it the week before Pesach, many hundreds of the Rav’s students answered the call, and came up to Meron.

Just a day later, we can once again see how the Tzaddikim see everything in advance: as the adult men from Shuvu Banim were praying and singing in Meron on Shabbat morning, two teenagers from Shuvu Banim were attacked by a terrorist close to the Damascus Gate in the Old City, and stabbed.

Baruch Hashem, in an open miracle both the teenagers received only very minor wounds, while the terrorist was shot dead by police. So many terrorist attacks in the Old City have ended in much worse circumstances, G-d forbid, and it’s clear that Rav Berland prevented something much more serious from happening by sending the men from Shuvu Banim to Meron to pray on Shabbat.

Yet, the nation of Am Israel is continuing to feel an atmosphere of heavy judgment in the air, as we approach Pesach, our festival of freedom and redemption.

So shortly before Shabbat, administrators at Shuvu Banim received another message from Rav Berland that immediately on the heels of the Shabbat of unity in Meron, another all-night gathering, or atzeret, should also be organized for by the Kotel on Sunday night (April 2, 2017).

The Israeli judges dealing with Rav Berland’s case are meeting on Monday morning, to see if they will finally release the 80 year old Tzaddik, who recently underwent two serious operations, including having a kidney removed, before being sent back to prison within a week of his last, and most serious surgery.

As part of his ‘plea bargain’ deal, Rav Berland was advised that if he played along with the Israeli prosecutors, and admitted to crimes he’d never committed, the Israel courts would knock a third of the time off his sentence. This is the Israeli court’s last chance to keep their part of the bargain, and agree the release of the Rav, who has already served two thirds of his sentence.

With so much in the balance, Rav Berland has requested his followers to pray for him - and to pray for all of the nation of Israel - throughout the night on Sunday, April 2, 2017. Participants are being asked to complete the book of Tehillim or recite some Tikkun HaKlalis, and then to continue doing hitbodedut or other prayers until davening with the Netz, or sunrise minyan.

He further asked the community to continue saying tehillim or reciting the Tikkun HaKlali throughout Monday morning (April 3, 2017) until a ‘decision’ has been made.

When we pray for Rav Eliezer Berland, shlita, we’re really praying for the whole of Am Yisrael, and that every harsh judgment that’s currently looming over the people of Israel should be sweetened.

If as many of us as possible pray together and dance together, we will sweeten the judgment and see miracles. We will get out of this from period of terrible spiritual darkness to light, and as a nation we will go from the 49th gate of darkness to the 50th gate of light.

The 'decisions' being made at the moment go far beyond those being deliberated upon by the Israeli judges on Monday morning. Our nation, our people, are truly at a crossroads. There are so many enormous things hanging in the balance for all of us, at the moment - and many of us can feel that.

Nissan is the month of redemption. If we hold on to the Tzaddik of the generation, follow his instructions, and ask G-d to help us, with Hashem's help, He will send all of us the personal and national miracles we all so badly need.

The prayer gathering at the Kotel will begin at 1am Monday morning (April 3, 2017), and continue until the sunrise, or netz minyan. Everyone is invited. If you can't get to Jerusalem, please say as many chapters of Tehillim, or Tikkun HaKlalis as you can, at home.