With Hashem's help

On the 12th of Adar, four years will be completed since the passing of the great gaon Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach zt"l. We will note a bit about his connections with Breslov Chassidut and with our teacher, the gaon and tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

The depth of Auerbach’s study in the Torah’s sugyot was immense. He learned everything with careful analysis and profound depth, and he left no corner or angle of Torah that he did not engage in—both in the revealed and in the hidden, as he was extraordinarily fluent in the teachings of Kabbalah. He knew the books of Chassidic Torah by heart, and when chassidim from various chassidic groups would enter to see him, they saw that he knew the books of their chassidut even better than they did.

Rabbi Auerbach would visit all the great ones of Israel—Sephardim, chassidim, and Lithuanians. Whether it was the holy Rebbe R’ Aharon of Belz, or the holy gaon Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi, and likewise other great masters of Kabbalah. It is told that once Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach came to the man of God, the Baba Sali, and the Baba Sali—who recognized his stature—expressed his amazement at his great kedushah (holiness), as one of his students related in an interview with Kav HaMeyda. He also practiced many forms of conduct that were not so commonly accepted by everyone, whose roots are in the books of Kabbalah.

He had a special connection to the holy gravesite of Rashbi in Meron, and he would come to his gravesite on Lag BaOmer and at other times as well. Even in his yeshivah, they allowed the bochurim to travel to Meron for Lag BaOmer.

The Light of Our Rebbe

We will note a few facts about his connection to the Torah of our holy Rebbe, and to our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a.

As an immense “seeker,” in his youth he drew close to the light of our holy Rebbe. In the Shaarei Chesed neighborhood where he lived, there is a Breslov synagogue that was founded many years ago by the chassid R’ Yom Tov Zlotnik and others of our people. Rabbi Shmuel felt a tremendous truth there and began drawing close to Rebbe Nachman, even growing his peyot. He spent much time in the shadow of the tzaddik R’ Shmuel Shapira, and some related that he regularly participated in the shiur of the chassid Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rozin zt"l, together with the gaon R’ Aryeh Finkel z"l—later the Rosh Yeshivah of Mir in Brachfeld—as Rabbi Finkel himself recounted.

Of course, this did not remain without reaction. They knew he would grow into a great one, and they simply fought it with all their strength. And it is told that his peyot were cut while he slept at night by someone… Rabbi Shmuel ultimately remained Lithuanian, but his connection to Rebbe Nachman and to his Torah remained all his life.

He knew all of Rebbe Nachman’s books by heart, and he also knew all the various conversations and stories in their details, as his close associates testified. Indeed, our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a praised him for being fluent in Rebbe Nachman’s books by heart. In his talks, one could hear many foundations taken from the Torah of our holy Rebbe, though he could not always cite this…

When someone who came from the Lithuanian world and began drawing close to Rebbe Nachman asked him whether to learn Rebbe Nachman’s books, Rabbi Shmuel replied that he should learn them, and added: along with other books… These words were a great help to the young man in the face of the yeshivah administration that placed difficulties in his way.

From his acquaintance with the elders of An"sh in his youth, he once told his chavruta (who related it to HaGaon Rabbi Yosef Chaim Asulin) that today there are no longer the Breslov chassidim he knew. And he added: The only Breslov chassid that exists today is Rabbi Eliezer Berland...

Standing Guard Over Holiness

Perhaps it can be said that from Heaven they directed his steps toward Breslov, so that these matters would influence his public leadership when the time came. On every matter related to modesty, Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach was the first among the signatories. His battle against wigs and other issues is well known. Likewise, he signed to prohibit any smartphone device that is not approved by the Rabbinical Committee for Communications—even for livelihood needs—as our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a (may he live a long life, Amen) also signed.

In his battle against all improper behaviors spreading in the public and coming from the public that, for the time being, does not keep Torah and mitzvot, he did not allow—under any circumstances—that his newspaper, HaPeles, publish hotels or external studies, about which our holy Rebbe zy"a warned us.

When in recent years the wicked Zionists began their war against everything holy and precious, attempting to secularize the chareidi public in various ways, HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel was the spearhead in the war for Hashem against Amalek. It is not for nothing that he passed away on the Shabbat on which we blot out the seed of Amalek, for he was greatly involved in this. It can be said that many in the public—even those who were not among his close associates—relied on him to “do the work” מול the authorities.

As is known, according to our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a, the army with all its offshoots is an absolute prohibition. For those who do not know: with our teacher shlit"a this is perhaps the only place where people who returned in teshuvah (repentance) in the middle of army service received an exemption in the middle of their service—something that almost never happens. In a letter published a few months ago, our teacher shlit"a wrote in his holy language: "An absolute prohibition to join the army of heretics, may their names be erased, and as the gaon and tzaddik Rabbi Steinman zt"l instructed that one must literally give up one’s life for this".

So too regarding education—about which Moharanat prays extensively in Likutey Tefillot, and as is known also the words of our holy Rebbe on the matter in Torah 282—HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel was not quiet about any attempt at a breach, and thanks to his activity and his arousing people about the issue, he influenced all educational institutions.

With Our Teacher Rav Berland shlit"a 

HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel held a special affection for Breslov chassidim, and many times he agreed to come and strengthen the institutions of the chassidut.

However, if his familiarity with Breslov institutions was mainly in recent years, he had valued the holy institutions of our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a for many years, and he participated several times in the ceremonies of distributing certificates in the yeshivot and kollelim. More than once he expressed his great appreciation for our teacher shlit"a, who stood like a lion guarding his post. HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel would come to the events, deliver words, and listen with great attentiveness to the words of our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a, which came from his mouth in kedushah (holiness) and purity, with a fire of holiness.

Rabbi Gutdiner, one of the gabbaim of the Breslov synagogue in Shaarei Chesed, related that someone who began drawing close to Breslov asked Rabbi Shmuel about it. HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel answered him positively, adding: "In Breslov there is a great tzaddik—his name is Rabbi Eliezer Berland," as if to say that therefore it is worthwhile to draw close to Breslov, and to know to whom to draw close…

One of his students in Yeshivat Maalot HaTorah related in an interview with Kav HaMeyda after his passing that HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach defined our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a as the greatest masmid (one who perseveres in Torah study) there is. He added that he knew many great ones, but the Rav’s perseverance is something special.

Seven months earlier, when (may we be spared) his sister passed away, the Rav sent him a letter of condolences. Rabbi Auerbach read the letter carefully and attentively and comforted him in his mourning.

When the foxes who destroy the vineyard of Hashem Tzevaot—those wicked “mice,” known for their hatred of our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a for decades—decided to go out on their campaign of evil, those men of iniquity approached HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel as well, not refraining from abundant deceitful words against the angel of God.

When it became clear to HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel, through those close to our teacher shlit"a, the extent of their false accusations, he refused to accept their words and their criminal campaign, and he expressed that regarding Rav Berland it is said: “Princes pursued me without cause”. In an interview with Kav HaMeyda from Motzaei Shabbat Parshat Vayishlach, one of An"sh relates that when he mentioned the Rav’s name to him, HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel asked about the Rav’s condition and said that it is truly a great trouble what they are doing to Rav Berland. And he said about him the verse “Princes pursued me without cause”—it is truly without cause that they pursue him, and he said that when David said this verse he added, “and my heart feared Your words,” meaning that he did not fear the opponents, only Hashem. HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel told him that he remembers Rav Berland shlit"a in his youth, when he studied in Shaarei Chesed and was immersed all day literally in Torah. He also told him that he remembers the Rav from Bnei Brak as well, and there too he was entirely immersed in the holy Torah. And HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel added: This is truly a great trouble—what they are doing to him; one must pray. A great trouble, a great trouble… 

One of his students brought before him the pamphlet that they published against the Rav. HaGaon Rabbi Shmuel immediately said to him: Fulfill “and you shall remove the evil from your midst”—tear up this pamphlet…

The Passing of a Tzaddik

On Motzaei Shabbat Kodesh, Parshat Tetzaveh, a Purim preparation gathering was supposed to take place in the city of Brachfeld with our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a. But the difficult news of his passing led the city’s Rav, HaGaon Rabbi Meir Kassler, to call our teacher shlit"a and speak about the matter. Our teacher shlit"a and Rabbi Kassler spoke about the great loss, and it was decided to postpone the gathering in the city until further notice.

After the news of his passing arrived, our teacher shlit"a eulogized him, noting that he heard that when he would pray the first blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei it would take him fourteen minutes. And the Rav shlit"a said: He was entirely awe and fear of Hashem; he felt Hashem. His mouth did not cease from Torah study all day. The Rav also praised him for knowing Rebbe Nachman’s great book, Likutey Moharan, by heart—according to what An"sh say about the stature of one who merits this, after long life.

May his neshamah (soul) be bound in the bond of life