The Esteemed Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a Sings in Kfar Shalem "When You Pass Through the Waters" - About the Virtue of Reciting the Verse

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you" (Isaiah 43:2). Over the years, the esteemed Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a has spoken extensively about the importance and power of reciting this verse. Here are words that Rav Berland said (Sunday, 18th of Tishrei, during Chol HaMoed Sukkot 5765 - the yahrzeit of Rebbe Nachman) about the virtue of the verse.

""When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you." When a person believes in the true tzaddik, he can pass through waters, through bullets, through shells, through atomic bombs. Our holy Rebbe said this verse, our Rebbe crossed the sea, he traveled during Napoleon's war amidst Napoleon's shells, he was in Akko when the cannons roared, and all the way he went with the verse. From the moment he left home until he returned safely with the verse - "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you."

The esteemed Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a in Kfar Shalem sings with the students the verse with a special melody (thanks to Rabbi Yaakov Salma for the recording).

"The moment a person says this verse, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob immediately descend, all seven shepherds descend. The Rebbe revealed that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are hinted at in this verse. The Rebbe traveled alone on warships on his way to Israel, they wanted to sell him as a slave. Our Rebbe said, I have such an understanding that even if they sell me as a slave, I will be able to fulfill all the mitzvot. The Rebbe took into account that they might sell him as a slave. It is written in Chesed LeAvraham that once, when traveling to Eretz Yisrael, 60% or 50% were thrown into the sea, all the wealth was thrown away, no bribes were asked, and there were no police, no phones, no cell phones, it was impossible to know if a person disappeared. People would disappear on the way, never returning home or reaching Eretz Yisrael, all the captains were pirates, so the Rebbe prepared to be sold as a slave."

"The Rebbe said, I was already prepared for being sold as a slave and not having a calendar, everything would be forgotten from me, and yet I would have the strength to fulfill all 613 mitzvot, with Shabbat, with Pesach, with Yom Kippur. The Rebbe said, before I came to Eretz Yisrael, I fulfilled in all ways, because I achieved the fulfillment of the entire Torah. The captain heard the thunder, he was frightened, he heard the shells, he moved a little away, suddenly there was a storm wind, a hurricane blew him to Rhodes - the hurricane is our Rebbe, our Rebbe, it is the strongest hurricane in the world, it is the strongest storm wind in the world that can blow all the ships in the world.