The Rebbe of Savran Reveals When Mashiach Will Come

On the 13th of Tammuz, 5773, Rabbi Yissachar Dov Hager, the Admor of Savran zt"l, passed away. The Admor was a great friend of the gaon and tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, and even considered himself his student.

Before his passing, the Admor of Savran conveyed a chilling message. These are his holy words, as relayed by the daughter of the Admor of Savran zt"l.

"My wife is a very good friend of the daughter of the Admor of Savran, and by chance, my wife arrived at her home immediately after her father's funeral," begins Rabbi Yechiel Ilser, sharing his testimony from the home of the Admor zt"l. "The Admor passed away on Friday in a very special atmosphere—before his passing, his family and students came to him, and they sang Shabbat songs together."

"His daughter, my wife's good friend, was privileged to enter his room in private moments before his soul departed. By chance, my wife arrived at her home after the Admor's passing. My wife saw that the daughter was radiant; she did not know that her father had passed away. She asked her: 'What, did you immerse in the River of Fire (Nahar Dinur)? Look at how you look!'"

"The daughter of the Admor asked my wife: 'How do you know to define it like that? My father just passed away, and we have just returned from the funeral.'"

"Then she continued to tell my wife with excitement: I entered my father's room in private before his passing, and he said to me in these words: 'Know that a day will come when the Badatz (Rabbinical Court) will disagree with Rav Berland, and on that day, when the Badatz comes out against Rav Berland, know that Mashiach has arrived!!'"

"My father continued and warned me after this chilling revelation with these words: 'But you, my daughter, remain with Rav Berland.'"

One must study history a little to understand how chilling the message conveyed by the Admor of Savran to his daughter truly is.

In the year 5595—24 years after the passing of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov—the holy Rabbi Moshe Tzvi of Savran zt"l initiated fierce opposition against the Breslov Chassidim, led by the great student Moharnat of Breslov, a matter that led to severe persecutions against Rebbe Nathan and even his imprisonment by the authorities.

The Opposition of the Admor of Savran to Breslov

After the passing of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, the leadership of Breslov Chassidut passed to his student, Rebbe Nathan. Rebbe Nathan's primary occupation was the printing and dissemination of Rebbe Nachman's teachings, as they were delivered during his lifetime, both in writing and orally. During Rebbe Nathan's time, the Breslov Chassidim suffered from harsh persecutions, especially from the holy Rabbi Moshe Tzvi of Savran zt"l. He forbade eating from the shechita (slaughter) of Breslov Chassidim, marrying them, or hiring teachers from among them. The printing of Breslov books in Tsarist Russia was banned as a result of an informer; Moharnat zt"l was imprisoned for about a month, the Breslov Chassidim's Beit Midrash in Uman was closed, and Rebbe Nathan had to hide his identity during some of his travels. During this period, the number of open Breslov Chassidim was greatly reduced, standing at only a few individual Chassidim, mainly in Uman, Breslov, Tcherin, and Tulchin.

Initially, a good relationship existed between Rebbe Nathan of Breslov and the holy Rabbi of Savran, a connection that began from the time both stayed in the court of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. However, later, following a campaign of incitement and slander by one of the students, the holy Rabbi of Savran—who was a Rebbe to thousands of Chassidim and one of the prominent Admors of that period—began to lead a harsh war against Breslov Chassidut, which was then very small and became persecuted and slandered even more than it had been accustomed to until those days.

What happened as a result of that dispute is recorded in ink full of pain in the chronicles of Breslov Chassidut and is etched in the souls of the Chassidim to this day. This dispute was one of the most difficult in the history of the Chassidic movement, and the Jewish historian Prof. Raphael Mahler even stated that "the persecutions of the Breslovers by the Chassidim of Savran exceeded in their cruelty all the persecutions of the Chassidim by the Mitnagdim in the previous century."

Rebbe Nathan and the Breslov Chassidim suffered then from terrible excommunications and humiliations, damage to property and parnassah, death threats, insults, and informings directed to the Russian authorities with various claims. One of the serious claims that caused the incitement of the authorities was a fabrication about Rebbe Nathan being a "false prophet" whose activity contradicted the interests of the Russian Tsar and was considered treason against his kingdom.

Only five people remained Breslov Chassidim

Rabbi Avraham ben Rabbi Nachman, who led the Breslov Chassidim after the passing of his father, Rebbe Nachman of Tulchin—the close student of Moharnat—relates in his book 'Yemei HaTlaot' (Days of Tribulation) that the events were so difficult that "only five people in Breslov stood the test and remained in their service of Hashem as before, but most of the group in Breslov could not be brought back to their service, even after Hashem helped Moharnat and gave him rest from all his enemies round about."

So, the question only strengthens: How did the Admor of Savran, a direct descendant of the Admor Rabbi Moshe Tzvi of Savran zt"l, come to be in a deep, friendly relationship with Rav Berland shlit"a?

The Connection of the Admor of Savran with the Gaon and Tzaddik Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a

About two years after the Six-Day War, Rabbi Hager met Rav Berland shlit"a on a bus heading toward the Western Wall. He was impressed by him, and the entire way back, he spoke with him and even invited him to his home. Throughout the day, they studied the Book of Samuel in depth, while his daughter, later the mother of R' Moshe Bernstein, related that she remembers Rav Berland's evening prayer with immense enthusiasm.

Since then, a close relationship began between Rabbi Hager of Savran and Rav Berland. For many years, they studied every Thursday night throughout the entire night until they went out for hitbodedut. Rabbi Hager loved Rav Berland very much and appreciated his greatness in Torah; their connection was maintained even after Rav Berland established the Shuvu Banim Yeshiva.

"I can testify that Rabbi Berel Hager was truly nullified and surrendered to Rav Berland shlit"a," testified the chassid Rabbi Yehoshua Dov Rubinstein shlit"a. At one point, Rabbi Hager even expressed: "Each one from Shuvu Banim, the yeshiva of Rav Berland, is like an Admor in another place."

R' Moshe, the grandson of the Admor of Savran, relates: "When the terrible dispute against Rav Berland shlit"a began, the instigators of the dispute came to my grandfather. They tried to speak against Rav Berland shlit"a, but my grandfather was very angry at them and even asked to bring them to a Din Torah, but he no longer had the strength because he was very ill."

"With his remaining strength, my grandfather the Admor shouted at them: 'Rabbi Eliezer Berland is holy of holies! Rabbi Eliezer Berland is holy of holies!'"