The Rav Called Me Up to the Torah for the Exact Verses I Wanted

Rabbi Eliyahu Merav relates how, while reading "Shnayim Mikra V'Echad Targum" (the weekly Torah portion read twice in Hebrew and once in Aramaic translation), he felt a special spiritual awakening and asked in his heart that Rabbi Berland call him up to the Torah for exactly these verses. On Shabbos, even though he had only requested this in his thoughts, the Rav called him up to the Torah for the exact aliyah (Torah reading section) he wanted, and he merited to hear the verses directly from the Rav.

Rabbi Eliyahu Merav shlit"a, one of the veteran students of the Rav shlit"a, recounted: One Friday eve, I was reading the verses of the weekly Torah portion, Shnayim Mikra V'Echad Targum, and at certain verses, I felt a true spiritual awakening. This was during Parashas Vayeshev, and I felt a strong, deep desire to hear these verses from the mouth of the Rav. I said in my heart, "After all, I know that if one speaks to the Rav, he hears, even if he is countries away," and in my heart, I turned and requested that the Rav call me up to the Torah for this specific aliyah which contains these verses where I felt this special awakening.

Seeing How the Rav Hears

On the holy Shabbos, I stood in my place, close to the Rav. When the Rav reached that specific aliyah to the Torah, the very aliyah containing the verses that had especially awakened me, I felt my heart stretch in anticipation. I truly hoped that I would once again merit this special illumination, to see how the Rav hears my words even when they were only spoken in my heart.

The Rav looked for someone from the congregation to call up to the Torah, and behold, when the Rav saw me, he called me up to the Torah. I merited to hear the awakening verses from the mouth of the Rav during the Torah reading, and to be especially inspired.

From the book "Pele Elyon, Part 3"