The Entire Matter is to Follow the Tzaddik

The Gaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a in holy words delivered at the "Shuvu Banim" Yeshiva in Beit She'an on 13 Tevet 5779.

"'A river flows from Eden'—this is from the right side, 'And a river flows from Eden to water the garden, and from there it separates and becomes four heads' (Genesis 2:10). The woman is called 'Eden,' and 'a river flows from Eden to water the garden,' to water the entire 'garden.' The 'garden' is this world, the planet Earth, and it must be watered by a river called 'Yovel' (Jubilee)."

"Yovel, which is the river used to water the garden—the world—is only through the study of the Gemara. Therefore, everyone must study Tractate Sukkah. Immediately after Sukkot, we study Sukkah, for a Sukkah that is higher than 20 cubits (about 10 meters) is invalid, because Haman made a tree of 50 cubits (in order to hang Mordechai). Why didn't he make it 20 or 30 cubits? Because Haman said, 'If I make it 50 cubits, no one will see it.'"

"Haman wanted them to see the tzaddik, to see Mordechai; that was his goal, to place Mordechai high up so that everyone would look at Mordechai, but instead of hanging Mordechai, they hung Haman."

"When Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk (one of the great Chassidic Rebbes of the third generation after the Baal Shem Tov; his immigration to the Land of Israel at the head of 300 people is known as the 'Aliyah of the Students of the Baal Shem Tov,' and it is considered a significant immigration for that time) traveled to the Land of Israel, he chose the most broken and dilapidated ship, but it turned out that all the tzaddikim were on that ship. When Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk arrived in the Land of Israel, the Sephardim placed a ban on him. At that time, the Sephardim ruled in the Land of Israel and they were afraid that the Ashkenazim would take the donations."

"The Sephardim would place bans on the Ashkenazim, not allowing them to pray in the synagogue. Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk said that all the disputes they made against the Chassidim in Europe were as nothing compared to what the Sephardim did to the Ashkenazim in the Land. Rebbe Nathan is alive and existing; he caused the Sephardim of our day to be brought into the fold and into all places. Rebbe Nathan is alive and existing; he navigates everything, he brings everyone in. The tzaddik is alive and existing; wherever Rebbe Nathan travels, we travel after him. Regarding our Rebbe Nachman, there is no comprehension; this is literally Divinity. Whoever travels to our Rebbe, his heart and mind are transformed on the spot. What people need to do in a thousand years, with our Rebbe it happens in a single second. The whole point is to follow our Rebbe; now our Rebbe is in Beit She'an, so we come to Beit She'an."