To the Russian Compound with other students of our teacher, the esteemed tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, also came the kabbalist Rabbi Shlomo Elmalich shlit"a.

Beyond the great obligation to pray for the tzaddik, an elderly Jew who is persecuted to atone for all our sins, "Surely he has borne our griefs" (Isaiah 53), a holy Jew, yet suffering from many ailments, "a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (ibid), the entire public feels the need to protest the disgrace of the talmid chacham.

We caught Rabbi Elmalich shlit"a for a brief and important conversation to shed some light on the difficult situation of our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a.

"The police are behaving with great cruelty towards Rabbi Berland. We heard that on Shabbat from the moment the Rabbi was arrested, there was very great cruelty, they threw the Rabbi's bag with the books, with the clothes. They did not allow clothes to be brought in, they did not allow anything to be brought in," Rabbi Elmalich shlit"a began his words.

"We heard from Natan Rubenstein that the Rabbi suffered terrible torments on Shabbat in prison, they turned off the light for him and the Rabbi needs for his needs, needs to relieve himself, needs treatment, the Rabbi is very elderly, it's not a simple age."

"And with all this, today they are already bringing him to Jerusalem, we thought it would be to the district court but in the end, they brought him here, they handcuffed him and took him brutally towards the interrogations. The Rabbi's hand is very swollen, his legs are swollen from edema - and they are not interested."

"This morning they also came to arrest the Rebbetzin with utmost cruelty, the Rebbetzin fell, her entire eye swelled and turned blue and red, and with all this utmost cruelty, they were not willing to evacuate her by ambulance, they took her in a police car."

"We are now in front of the Russian Compound with all our people, offering prayers to the Creator of the World to save our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a."

"Rabbi Berland is now in an interrogation confrontation, they are apparently conducting a quick investigation, they are doing confrontation of testimonies, apparently that wicked person is going to incriminate the Rabbi, so it seems, may it not be. Of course, the Rabbi's hands are not in this matter as we know."

"We do not know where this will develop, I asked the officers if the Rabbi will stay here today, or if they will transport him to Ramla every day, they also do not know, it seems they will transport him every day."

"Regarding the Rebbetzin, it is possible that she will be in detention, or that after the investigation she will be released, it is impossible to know, therefore we are waiting to see how matters will develop here."