A difficult talk delivered by the esteemed Rabbi Shimon Baadani shlit"a, head of the Torah and Life Kollel in Bnei Brak and member of the Council of Torah Sages, against the severe persecution faced by the esteemed tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. The persecution has surpassed all bounds of logic and baseless hatred, tarnishing all Jewish institutions in the eyes of onlookers.

"Korach, who was wise, what did he see to do this folly, what was his madness to oppose Moshe Rabbeinu?"

As a background to these words, we must first tell a bit about the events that led to Rabbi Baadani's poignant talk before a large audience of those who fear and serve Hashem. As is known, Rabbi Baadani has a beautiful friendship with the esteemed tzaddik Rabbi Berland shlit"a and has even met with him several times. When Rabbi Berland was persecuted and forced to go into exile abroad, Rabbi Baadani came to the Shuvu Banim Yeshiva, exerting himself and in his advanced age climbed all the steps of the yeshiva in the Old City to strengthen and support the students of the holy Breslov Shuvu Banim community.

These actions greatly angered those who plot evil, and they came morning and evening to the holy abode of Rabbi Baadani to dissuade him from supporting Rabbi Berland and his community. Rabbi Baadani stood firm despite all attempts at coercion and propaganda methods.

These are his holy words:

"I want to begin with a lesson in ethics to explain what is happening here. The Mishnah says jealousy, desire, and honor remove a person from the world - this is lost, a person caught in these traits, the intention of honor is at the forefront."

"And they bring examples: like Korach. Rashi asks – Korach, who was wise, what did he see to do this folly, what was his madness to oppose Moshe Rabbeinu? Rather, Rashi says – his eye deceived him, for he saw with divine inspiration that his descendants would be in a good position, he said to himself: I also deserve it, so he went out to oppose."

"What kind of excuse is this? A wise person to do such foolishness? And he was also a possessor of divine inspiration, what is this logic? It is even more difficult. If he is both wise and possesses divine inspiration, how did he do such foolishness to oppose Moshe? The sages of ethics say – a simple foundation – this person was caught in the blemish of honor, so there is no intellect and nothing, madness. He loses his senses and therefore fell."

"This is an example that shows how revenge causes a person to fall, a wise man with divine inspiration - all this does not help at all."

"Another example is Jeroboam the son of Nebat who quarreled with King Solomon and fled, afterwards King Solomon did not find favor in Hashem's eyes and He took 10 tribes and gave them to Jeroboam. Solomon was left with one tribe in Jerusalem, so Hashem did. When Jeroboam came to the land, the prophet told him that he was chosen to be king over Israel, he rejoiced to the heavens. He was a great Torah scholar, almost possessing divine inspiration. It is written: and all the great ones of the world were against him and against Isaiah like the grass of the field - they were so great together."

"And that Jeroboam went and set up two golden calves, so that the people of Israel would not go up to Jerusalem, instead they would bow to the golden calves. Hashem asked him: how could you do such a thing, a great Torah scholar, almost possessing divine inspiration? Hashem caught him and said to him do teshuvah and I, you, and the son of Jesse will stroll in Gan Eden - Jeroboam asked him – who is first? Me or David?"

"How can such a thing be? A Torah scholar from all the sages of Israel? This is the hardest thing in the world to make golden calves and prevent the people of Israel from going to Jerusalem! The Gemara tells that he feared that the Israelites would go up to Jerusalem and remain there and not return to his kingdom, but the Gemara says more than that. There is a halacha that in the courtyard of the Holy Temple it is forbidden to sit – only the kings of Judah, no other king is allowed to sit there - Jeroboam calculated, if I come to Jerusalem and enter the courtyard everyone will see Rehoboam the king of Judah sitting and I, the greatest Torah scholar standing - how will I stand this shame?"

"Master of the Universe! Let him stand there for a minute, 5 minutes and leave, what is so difficult? No. He is not willing, even to stand there for a minute. What killed him? The honor! How can it be that I will stand for 3 minutes and Rehoboam will sit? He is the king of Judah and I am the king of Israel."

"But, this is the halacha and although he is from the tribe of Judah and rules only one tribe and Jeroboam over ten, but only the king of Judah can sit. How could such a great man go mad like this? In the Mishnah it is written that he is the worst in Gehinnom - the honor kills the person! Kills the person! Kills the person! Kills him!"

"Another example, sorry for extending, but it is hard to understand this. The Gemara says that in the Second Temple there were 300 High Priests, how can this be? The First Temple lasted 400 years and had 10 High Priests, each served for 40 years. Regarding the Second Temple, the Gemara says there were several High Priests who served for several years, afterwards in the remaining three hundred years every year another High Priest died! Every year, died. Entered, died. Entered, died. Died. Died. Died. Died. Why? Rashi says: because they bought the priesthood with money, although they were taught all the laws of the High Priest, but they bought the priesthood with money."

"What, are all these 300 High Priests crazy? If there was one, you could say a mistake, a corona, a corona. But after one, and the second, and the third, fifth, another one, each one died! Another one another one another one, up to 300 High Priests."

"No one does such a thing, buys the angel of death with money! Who does such a thing? Only a complete madman, why? Why? The Gemara says - honor! The Mishnah says: and great honor was given to the High Priest when he exited safely from the Holy of Holies, although he exited there by a miracle, stood to die in the Holy of Holies, but the main thing is that he merited honor! Will I lose this honor? Willing to die for the honor."

"All this I say to understand this point that a person does madness for honor."

"I saw concerning the trial, and I wanted to speak about it, that in Breslov many rose to fight this - to fight for a trial for the rabbi - what happened?? I once asked, who was the most honored in Breslov, they answered me: don't ask, Rabbi Berland is the head - and they are going crazy!"

"What is this? Gentlemen, this is what happened here! All these unfortunate ones calculated, Rabbi Berland is not a Breslover, I mean when he was a young man. Both I and he were in Hadera, there were no chassidim there, just a few. He and his wife were counselors in Bnei Akiva, they left the place and moved to become charedim in Bnei Brak. In Bnei Brak they became charedim, his wife had a job at Or HaChaim and he sat and learned."

"In Bnei Brak Rabbi Berland opened Shuvu Banim, there he progressed and became acquainted with the teachings of Breslov. He was one of the few who knew the teachings of Breslov, who knew then? What was then? Rabbi Berland began to organize a yeshiva, organize a kollel, organize Talmud Torahs, establish baalei teshuvah - and those baalei teshuvah..."

"Rabbi Berland returned hundreds of thousands to teshuvah, who made Breslov?"

"This is good, this is wonderful, but the honor he receives - it drove everyone crazy, how is it that this person was nothing, and now became like this?"

"Thus the movement against him arose - unfortunately"

"I, on the contrary, loved Rabbi Berland, I said: this person upholds Torah. I saw that he learned with young men the Ketzot HaChoshen, he is a Torah scholar full of Torah, he brings people close, Master of the Universe Rabbi Berland returned hundreds of thousands, hundreds of thousands, to teshuvah. Everyone respected him, both in Meron and in Uman."

"I was in Uman, because Rebbe Nachman said whoever comes to him and says Tikkun HaKlali and gives a coin to charity..., I traveled to Uman. I was in a group and they asked me to give a lecture. What should I lecture, ethics from Novardok? They study chassidut there, I opened Likutei Moharan, connected the matters together. I said a bit from Novardok, a bit from our Rebbe, they were so happy."

"It pains them, how Rabbi Berland goes everywhere at the head like a king of kings. They began to murmur: what was he, he is not even a Breslover, he does not belong to us - from here came the jealousy and the desire to cause him all the troubles - and Hashem will have mercy."

"And now they saw that they succeeded in toppling him from the head - I believe he will emerge from the judgment, because it is not possible that a person who brought multitudes close would be harmed."

"Who brought hundreds of thousands to Torah?"

"Rabbi Berland travels the land from house to house bringing people close to return them to teshuvah, he was ill, left the hospital and went to bring people to teshuvah - he gave his life to bring Jews close to our Father in Heaven, why did this happen to him? If I had known this I would have told him: my dear, do not let them honor you, you are killing them with jealousy. They say: I am an old Breslover and I have nothing, and you like a resident alien and everyone runs after you - an angel of Hashem."

"I do not want to speak about what the Beit Din did, they are dealing with it, I hope they succeed - I always shouted - what are you talking about Rabbi Berland, telling stories about him and causing him suffering, take him to a Torah court. One day three young men from Breslov entered me, still young, they tell me they established a Beit Din, I was surprised - is this how a Beit Din is established, what did you do? We brought witnesses and they confessed to us."

"I asked: what about Rabbi Berland, was he at the Beit Din? No! How can you judge not in his presence? How is it possible? This is against halacha! They said, no, he is known as a violent and dangerous person according to halacha it is permissible to judge not in his presence because he might kill the litigants. I said, what violent person?? He barely walks, a violent person? He was ill in the hospital! Is this a violent person, what will he do, give blows to the police? Who decided he is a violent person? [They said] "We did!" [I told them] you decided he is the angel of death, you are the witnesses, you are the judges, you are the litigants, you are the judges, and you are the ones who decide he is a violent person, you do everything!"

"And this is a verdict?"

"So I told them to go to the Eida Chareidis. I do not want to speak against the Beit Din, but I do not understand why they do not care for the yeshiva, I wrote this, and we are dealing with it."

"You remember the last time the rabbi was abroad and I came to strengthen the yeshiva. [I said] be careful do not weaken, on the contrary, you love your rabbi so learn better - through this he will come out."

"I tell them: if you destroy the head of a yeshiva take care of the yeshiva first, I asked them what will be with the yeshiva, what will be with the kollelim?"

"[They said] 'let them disband, what do we care!' they do not care, they are not interested in anything."

"Hundreds of thousands of baalei teshuvah who will lead them? 'Let them disband, let them go back!' Therefore I was in favor of the Beit Din of the Eida Chareidis, because the elders have more experience in life to know how to judge and correct judgment, but they did it and I could not oppose."

"To annul a judgment, fine, they talk about it, I just say - why did they not care for the yeshiva?? Why did they not care for the baalei teshuvah? There are thousands, what will be with them? Will they be lost? This pained me, this matter, and I spoke about it with the rabbis of Breslov - do not despair, take care of the yeshiva, the kollelim, take care of the baalei teshuvah - do not let it fall."

"These seek honor - they do not care if there will be destruction."

"The main thing is to achieve their goal, I do not know why the Beit Din did not pay attention to this, I thought he would speak with them."

"With my consent I asked why they did not care for the students - before the judgment one must care for the Torah, therefore now for this holy community, Hashem will help, I do not want to speak against the Beit Din."

"The Beit Din did what it did - Hashem knows how to lead things better."

"You need to care for the community, and I spoke that all your Talmud Torahs will be accepted into our network, the Maayan HaChinuch HaCharedi network - I hope Hashem will help as He helped Rabbi Berland and you."

"The Rambam says - Israel is not redeemed except through teshuvah. Do not worry, the Torah has already promised that Israel will return in teshuvah and immediately be redeemed - who will bring the redemption? All the baalei teshuvah! This is what the Rambam says, and the Torah has already promised that the people of Israel will do teshuvah."

"Hashem appointed Rabbi Berland to bring people to teshuvah - now the Satan has come, unfortunately, I hope you will find the way [to continue]."

"In the meantime do not neglect, do as much as possible - visit all the places Rabbi Berland used to visit and strengthen in teshuvah."

"Strengthen the yeshiva, and Hashem will help, the main thing is to strengthen, because the Torah is our life, this is our redemption. I always say: why does the Rambam write that the Torah has already promised? Say that Hashem promised, but to hint that this promise will only be through Torah study, therefore we must strengthen the Torah among the young, the adults, and the elderly. Anyone who has a mouth to speak should go and bring people close, I hope with Hashem's help that the bad feeling will pass - and people will return close to those who truly bring them close with all their heart."

"Rabbi Berland had the power to turn wild people into human beings. I have a grandson like this who was a wild person, thefts, trials, what will the police do? Take a child to prison?"

"Until he met Rabbi Berland - and became a real human being, a tzaddik?"

"May Hashem have mercy on the people of Israel and annul everything so that Rabbi Berland can continue this - to save the people of Israel, especially Rabbi Berland has the power to do this."

"The Torah promised that through Torah study the baalei teshuvah will come and the redemption will come, amen. Soon, soon, Hashem will help, I hope the sufferings of Rabbi Berland will cease and he will be healthy."

"These sufferings will not go in vain - does not the Gemara say that the Mashiach is a man of sufferings."

"[Mashiach] atones with the heart, he atones with the feet, these are sufferings, Rabbi Berland suffers greatly in his feet, yes the feet."

"And the redemption will come soon, amen and amen."