The Greatness of Those Who Fell in the Hamas Terror Attack

In the holy words delivered by The Rav, the holy Gaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, on Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh of Simchas Torah, Rabbi Berland shlit"a eulogized the souls of those murdered al Kiddush Hashem—holy martyrs of the kingdom—who were murdered by the Hamas terrorists, yimach shemam.

Hashem is the soul. Right now we are in a state of the Ten Martyrs of the Kingdom—like Rabbi Akiva, whom they combed with iron combs, and like Chanina ben Teradyon, whom they threw into the fire.

Rebbe Nachman warns in Torah Reish-Samech that every year, several souls must depart al Kiddush Hashem—and this is the greatest unification of the Ten Martyrs of the Kingdom: the unification of the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah, as we say, “G-d of vengeance, Hashem; G-d of vengeance, appear!” For it all comes because of the sale of Yosef.

Therefore one must travel every week to Yosef HaTzaddik in order to atone for the sale of Yosef—and the essence of the atonement is through mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice).

The Ten Martyrs of the Kingdom sent Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha to ascend to Heaven. Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha was not born of a human being at all—he was born from angels. He ascended to Heaven, and they told him that because of the sale of Yosef, they were seized.

They burned Chanina ben Teradyon in fire. They placed him inside the fire, inside the bonfire—and the bonfire did not burn him. They poured gasoline, fuel—nothing helped. The executioner asked him, “What is going on with you? You are enabling rebellion against the kingdom. The kingdom wants to burn you, but the fire runs away from you. How much do you rebel? How stubborn are you?”

Rabbi Chanina said, “You cannot burn me without my permission. I need to ask in Heaven. I will ascend to Heaven now and ask whether they want me to be burned—then I will be burned. You will not decide, and not the kingdom and not the Caesar—only I decide—only the Ten Martyrs of the Kingdom, who guard all generations. In their merit we came to Eretz Yisrael.”

And it is impossible to accomplish unifications Above— the greatest unification is accomplished specifically through those who are killed al Kiddush Hashem.

About this, Rabbi Nosson of Breslov prays in Prayer 47: that at the end of one’s 120 years, each person should merit to depart al Kiddush Hashem. This is the true unification—only with this unification can one come to Eretz Yisrael. For when souls ascend Above through mesirus nefesh, they return to the Shechinah. They become included in the Shechinah in Kesser d’Kesser (the “Crown of the Crown”), because all these souls that have now ascended in a storm to Heaven in a chariot of fire and horses of fire—they are all included in Kesser d’Kesser.

They merited more than we did, because they truly gave over their souls al Kiddush Hashem. And this is the vision of the Shechinah, because all of Israel is a portion of the Shechinah; every soul is a portion of the Shechinah. And all those who are killed al Kiddush Hashem are literally parts of the Shechinah—“carried from the womb” (Yeshayahu 46:3).

And when they return to the Shechinah, the Shechinah is glorified. Now, after such a Yom Kippur as there has not been since the creation of the world—this is the greatest glory.

So we merited that now several hundred souls have gone al Kiddush Hashem: “See with what I have come before You.” And the Shechinah receives them with love, and Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov go out to greet these souls—just as it is written, “And he was sitting at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day” (Bereishis 18:1).

“And he saw”—twice “and he saw” (ibid. 18:2). Once, “and he saw” the angels; the second time, “and he saw, and he ran toward them”—this refers to all those who are killed al Kiddush Hashem.

So Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov—“Avraham will rejoice, Yitzchak will sing, Yaakov and his sons will find rest within it” (from the prayer, the blessing Atah Echad). Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov go out to greet them. All those 200 souls (at the time the lesson was delivered) who have now ascended to Heaven in a chariot of fire, horses of fire—Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov receive them.

They enter straight into the chamber of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov: “See with what I have come before You.” Then an awakening of supernal longing is aroused, and the greatest unification is made. That is why, each time, killing returns anew—until the Third Beis HaMikdash is built, the Sanctuary of Peace.

For now, the rectifications of the Third Beis HaMikdash—which would have been accomplished through korbanos, through the Olah and Shelamim, the Chatas and Asham—all these rectifications are accomplished only through those who are killed al Kiddush Hashem. All the rectification of the korbanos—of the two daily offerings, one in the morning and one in the evening—is accomplished only through those who are killed, Heaven forbid, al Kiddush Hashem.

Therefore each time, each year, several hundred souls are killed—and the greatest unification comes to be: Kesser d’Kesser.

And through this, the complete Geulah will come speedily in our days

Amen