The Passing of the Esteemed Chassid Tzvi Pesach Who Supported the Righteous Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a in the Dispute 26 Years Ago

Today, Tuesday, the 22nd of Sivan, 5778, one of the distinguished and elder members of the Breslov chassidim in the holy city of Jerusalem, the esteemed chassid Rabbi Tzvi Pesach Frank zt"l, son-in-law of the esteemed chassid Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rozen zt"l and brother of the esteemed chassid Rabbi Nachum Yitzchak Frank zt"l, was called to his eternal rest.

The funeral took place today, Tuesday, the 22nd of Sivan, 5778, from his home on Avinadav Street in Jerusalem at 12 PM.

Generally, Rabbi Tzvi Pesach zt"l was a modest individual, rarely heard from and seldom involved in any of the burning issues that arose among the Breslov chassidim... Nevertheless, Rabbi Tzvi Pesach found it necessary to step out of his usual reserve and wrote a letter to the members of the Beit Din Tzedek of the Eidah Chareidit in Jerusalem, nearly 26 years ago, in the month of Kislev, 5752.

This was when some of the community fiercely opposed, as they do today, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. They made every effort to remove him from all management matters in Uman near the holy resting place of our teacher Mohara"n zy"a. The story is well-known and this is not the place to elaborate on how much the rabbi conceded and humbled himself before those people, after he had worked with self-sacrifice to fly the elders of the community to Uman under the Iron Curtain. After risking his life for the resting place of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, opponents arose against him and sought to strip him of everything he had established until that time. Yet, the rabbi, in his unfathomable humility, stepped aside and fled from all disputes, as he did then and continues to do today.

Here is the letter in the handwriting of Rabbi Tzvi Pesach zt"l, and may it be for the benefit and elevation of his neshamah (soul) and may he advocate for us to be saved with salvation and mercy.

The text of the letter: In the Name of Hashem 14 Kislev, 5752 Life and peace --- to the esteemed members of the Beit Din Tzedek of the Eidah Chareidit shlit"a. Many greetings! I have come with these lines to recognize the esteemed chassid Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a in a place where he is not known. He is a great Torah scholar and a distinguished chassid who brings many souls closer to Hashem and instills in them pure emunah (faith) without any blemish, God forbid. And now his heart has stirred a good thing to purchase the resting place of our teacher, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov zy"a in Uman and make it a place of prominence for Torah and prayer. Rashi has already written regarding the verse "And the field of Ephron in Machpelah... was established to Abraham as a possession," that the field and the cave were elevated from the hands of a commoner like Ephron and entered the hands of a king like our forefather Abraham, peace be upon him. Similarly, in this case, the resting place and all that surrounds it will be elevated from the hands of commoners and brought into the hands of a Torah scholar and chassid. Certainly, he should be strengthened and encouraged. With blessings for the honor of the Torah and its students, T.P. Frank Son-in-law of the esteemed chassid Rabbi Eliyahu Chaim Rozen z"l Founder of the yeshiva of Breslov chassidim and by divine providence merited to build and establish with superhuman efforts the great and magnificent Beit Midrash for Breslov chassidim in the holy city of Jerusalem Thank you to Rabbi Mota Frank for the information and the letter.