The Secret of Yonasan ben Uziel • The Daily Article from the Gaon HaTzaddik

The Gaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a wrote this morning a full and overflowing article, packed with wondrous new insights your ear has never heard, regarding the Tanna Yonasan ben Uziel.

Here is the complete article for reading and download:

The Secret of Yonasan ben Uziel [Yahrtzeit: 26 Sivan]

Yonasan ben Uziel—fire surrounded him, and every bird that flew above him was burned! This is like Rabbi Elazar ben Arach, when Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai was riding on a donkey and Rabbi Elazar ben Arach was leading it behind him. Rabbi Elazar ben Arach said to Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai: “May my master permit me to say before him one matter that you taught me.” He said to him: “Say it!” Immediately Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai got down from the donkey, wrapped himself in a tallis, and sat on a stone beneath an olive tree. Rabbi Elazar ben Arach said to Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai: “Why did you get down from the donkey?” Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai said to Rabbi Elazar ben Arach: “Is it possible that you are expounding on Ma’aseh Merkavah, and the Shechinah is with us, and the ministering angels are escorting us—and I should ride on a donkey?!” Immediately Rabbi Elazar ben Arach began with Ma’aseh Merkavah and expounded, and fire descended from Heaven and encircled all the trees on the mountain and in the field. Immediately they all opened and sang a song. What song did they sing? “Praise Hashem from the heavens… sea-monsters and all depths… fruit trees and all cedars… Halleluyah.” An angel answered from Heaven and said: “These—these are Ma’aseh Merkavah.” Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai stood up and kissed him on his head and said: “Blessed is Hashem, the G-d of Israel, Who gave such a son to Avraham Avinu” [Chagigah 14a]. And so too Rabbi Abahu—when he would weave from Torah to Nevi’im, and from Nevi’im to Kesuvim, fire would descend from Heaven and encircle him [Midrash Rabbah, Shir HaShirim, p. 11].

And so too Rabbi Eliezer HaGadol and Rabbi Yehoshua—when they appeared at the bris milah of Elisha ben Avuyah. Avuyah was one of the greatest wealthy men of Jerusalem, and everyone came to the bris of Elisha ben Avuyah, and they were all speaking about matters of business dealings—about the dollar rate, the euro, and the pound. Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenus said to Rabbi Yehoshua: “We must escape from this place before our souls depart from the overwhelming pain!” They found a room in the basement of the lower floor, sat down, and began to weave words of Torah—from Torah to Nevi’im and from Nevi’im to Kesuvim. Fire descended from Heaven and encircled the entire house, and everyone fled. Avuyah, Elisha’s father, went out to see the source of the fire and to extinguish it, and he discovered that the fire was bursting forth from the basement room below. He broke the door and saw Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenus sitting with Rabbi Yehoshua, and fire was coming out from between them. He said to them: “Did you come to burn my house?!” They said to him: “Heaven forbid! Rather, we were weaving words of Torah—from Torah to Nevi’im and from Nevi’im to Kesuvim—and the words were as joyous as when they were given at Sinai.” And so it was with Yonasan ben Uziel: he was surrounded by fire day and night, and every bird that flew above him was burned.[embeddoc url="https://www.shuvubanimint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/ה-הוא-האלקים-יום-ה-קרח-כו-סיון-תשפג2.pdf" download="all" viewer="google"]