The Hidden Kabbalist Rabbi Salmanovitch

The Gaon and Tzaddik, the Kabbalist Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Salmanovitch shlit"a, speaks with harsh words regarding the terrible persecution against Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Rabbi Salmanovitch's words were spoken in 5776, yet they carry an almost prophetic nature in describing the distress of the entire world in the face of the persecution of Rav Berland shlit"a.

"Gewald! Gewald! How can we be silent? There is already so much sorrow and heartache, so much strife, so much pain—how are you capable of waging such a cruel war? You have claims? You have issues? Only with kindness! Only with mercy! How are you capable now of causing such sorrow in the world? Stop! Stop! Stop!"

"Woe to you from the Day of Judgment! You have claims? Call the other side, in ways of peace. This is terrible hatred; it has not existed since the days of old. You are delaying the Geulah! You want to go even further to cause the tzaddikim to stumble again, more signatures, more actions—woe to you from the Day of Judgment! How can you take such great tzaddikim? Explain! There is a second side as well! Explain! There are things that can be explained! There are things that can be rectified! The whole world has been weeping for four years that in Breslov there is such hatred, such sorrow. Everything was fine; Rebbe Nachman went to conquer the world, the 'Baal Davar' (the adversary) awoke and wants to create hatred and division without any mercy."

This is how Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Salmanovitch opens his cry against those who persecute the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a—those who incite innocent rabbis and torment tens of thousands anew every moment.

"You can explain everything in the world, yet here you cannot explain? It is possible to explain, it is possible to rectify. Are you not afraid? To take such tzaddikim and cause them to stumble? To take such tzaddikim and instill hatred in them? There are claims? Fine, bring the other side, we will explain. It is not as simple as you think. To instill such hatred in them—this is not Rebbe Nachman."

If it were not enough that Rabbi Salmanovitch is one of the greatest Breslov mashpi'im (influencers) of our generation, he was formerly the rabbi of Yom Tov and Leizer Chashin, two of the greatest persecutors of the Rav shlit"a. And he, who knows them personally better than anyone, turns to them with a cry to cease their despicable crimes.

"Is the trouble that everyone has not enough? No one is secure in what will happen to him. What is happening here? How can it be that in Breslov there will be such sorrow? Such wickedness? Four years already of such wickedness, people are weeping. For four years, you have torn the very life-force from thousands of people. You want to rectify some things? Regarding the most fundamental matters, let's say—everything can be done in pleasant ways! Not with wickedness! There is much hatred here, much hatred, endless hatred. If everyone had love, they could rectify everything. The first thing that delays the Galut (Exile) among the five types of the Erev Rav, the first thing is those who cause strife. Rebbe Nachman can find merit for everyone, but not for those who cause strife."

People in the world are not acquainted with the magnitude of the hatred stirred up by these individuals, who do not shy away from any conspiracy to make the name of the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rav Eliezer Berland, loathsome in the eyes of the people. Rabbi Salmanovitch, who never expressed himself in this manner toward any person, understands the magnitude of the terrible mistake and cries out against two of his former students.

"What is this thing? All those who caused strife have already repented. Rabbi Schechter, whom they caused to stumble so much in the previous strife—Rabbi Schechter, who is a holy of holies and stumbled in the previous strife—has already asked for forgiveness. He stumbled because of people. Now you are coming again, more signatures, calling people and wanting to have him sign more? Woe to you! Shame on you! No one knows what awaits him. Master of the Universe, have mercy! No one is immune! Mercy, Gewald! Is this Rebbe Nachman? Is this why we came to Rebbe Nachman? Every period to create more strife? There was so much strife, more strife? People have been bleeding for four years, people are bleeding, and it does not stop—it gets worse and worse. They are also inciting the authorities, everything is because of you! Gewald, if you truly want to rectify, it is possible to rectify with much, much good. Everyone who needs to rectify is lazy; when it comes to destroying, everyone loves to destroy in one moment. Instead of conquering his own desires, a person conquers the other—that is much easier."

Rabbi Salmanovitch's words are harsh and burn in the heart, showing how much our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, is persecuted while remaining silent. We still cannot even tell a fraction of the things known to us, how much they exploit the holy conduct of our teacher, the Rav—the conduct he took upon himself all his days: to believe and only walk in the path that is directed to him from Above. Complete self-nullification to the will of Hashem.

"Who knows if the Geulah is not being pushed away because of this terrible strife that exists throughout the world? There is such a Chillul Hashem (desecration of G-d's name) throughout the world. I hear from all over the world such a Chillul Hashem regarding this strife. People are already saying, 'Nu, even if there was what there was, let's say if there was what there was, Heaven forbid, from where do they take such murder?' Only in Breslov, with such murder. The Baal Davar has put all his forces into placing an Erev Rav here so they will commit murder. They take such tzaddikim, sick people, and have them sign—wicked as the surging sea—they want to have them sign more. Instead of calling the other side, so they can state their opinion—maybe it was like this here, a mistake like this, what happened here—there is a second side! Everything can be explained, everything can be rectified, it is possible to rectify from now on, but do not cause destruction! Because something is buzzing in your head, you cause destruction! Are you not afraid? Hashem is in Heaven, are you not afraid? Let's say everyone has a point for the sake of Heaven, but there are so many layers here that are not for the sake of Heaven."

"G-d will seek the persecuted! Even if a tzaddik pursues the wicked, and here, what is going on here? Master of the Universe, Master of the Universe, we were a laughingstock to the whole world; Breslov today has become a laughingstock to the whole world. If you escalate again, then there will be a force that will also rise. Know that Hashem is present and He is merciful; He only looks at a person who is good and does good, who wants to do good. Do you not hear the cries? There are thousands upon thousands who are connected to the Rav throughout the world, and they are crying, and their cry rises up to the Heavens. Woe to you! Be afraid! Fear, fear! There are people for whom this is their entire life-force; this is not simple at all. Who knows what was prepared for the people of Israel? The two hundred years of Rebbe Nachman and Reb Noson have already ended. What is happening here? Repent, do Teshuvah, they will receive you with love, there is no hatred at all. Even though you did what you did, there is no hatred at all. There are thousands of people, tens of thousands of people, who are torn and broken from this story."

Our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, taught us only to cry out and pray, not violence and not hatred, because things must be rectified at the root. But, unfortunately, not everyone is aware of the magnitude of the evil and the accusation that has taken hold of these persecutors who use tools from the world of Tohu (chaos) in their smear campaign. Unfortunately, too many people fall into their trap. Therefore, we saw a necessity to bring these terrible words.

"Gewald, how can you do this? Is this what you learned from Rebbe Nachman? We learned from Rebbe Nachman only love! Only to bring close! If Hashem has mercy on us, have mercy, have mercy. I know all the claims you have—nonsense and vanity! Everything can be rectified! Nonsense and vanity! You know very well how to justify everything if you want to. Fortunate are you and fortunate is your portion if you stop now, from now on stop, everyone stop. May Hashem help that Mashiach will arrive and it will cease. There is much to say; I could speak all day. This is the first time I am doing such a thing; know that this is not simple at all. If you stop now, there is a chance; if you stop now with all your strength, there is a chance that the Geulah will arrive!"

"All the sorrow that exists in the whole world, everything is because of the strife—no sin brings sorrow like strife!"

"By Rav Berland, everyone is a good person, there are tzaddikim of the world there, and you want to uproot everything? That is not relevant; from now on, everything can be rectified."