Things You Didn't Know - Rabbi Daniel Dayan shlit"a on His Connection with Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a - "I Had a Great Privilege to Serve Him"

Rabbi Daniel Dayan shlit"a, one of the greatest influencers in Breslov Chassidus today and one who has worked and continues to work extensively for the holy Zion (gravesite) of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, shares strong and rare words regarding the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. This is a rare talk from the year 5767 (2007) delivered to a small group, in which Rabbi Dayan shlit"a recounts surprising points about his strong connection (in his words) with our teacher, Rabbi Berland shlit"a.

"I think that all the accusations and separations that have occurred between us (Breslov Chassidim in particular and the Jewish people in general) stem from the fact that we are lacking in the Torah of 'Azamra' (meaning, we do not strive enough in the great command of Rebbe Nachman to search for a good point in one another)," opens Rabbi Daniel Dayan in his talk.

"I remember that on Rosh Hashanah of last year (5766), I arrived at Rav Lazer's (our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a). I had already known him years prior, when he stayed for a long period in the settlement of Canaan near Safed, where I reside. I used to take Rabbi Berland shlit"a to the mikvaos of purity every morning."

"I had a great privilege to serve him," Rabbi Dayan shares his impressions with us. "I remember we used to go to the vacation home of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe of Mekor Baruch, and since then, several of Rabbi Berland shlit"a's practices are etched in my memory. The Rav was there in utter lowliness, bending down until he kissed the floor before entering the inner sanctum. Every time I waited for him to finish the Maariv prayer, I would see him go down to kiss the dust of the synagogue floor. Since then, I have had a great connection with him."

"How did I merit to connect to Rabbi Berland? My wife used to rent out apartments during the summer, and I had such a yearning to reach Rav Lazer, but I had many obstacles in reaching him. I would do Hisbodedus and pray that I would merit to meet him. One day, Rav Lazer and the Rabbanit needed to rent an apartment, and so they came together right to us. Rav Lazer (Berland) turned to me and said, 'You brought me all the way to you' (meaning that the prayers during Hisbodedus worked)."

[caption id="attachment_7442" align="alignnone" width="611"] Rabbi Daniel Dayan - one of the great activists for Rebbe Nachman's Zion, in a rare talk regarding the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a[/caption]

"Since then, I became bound to him with a true bond of love, seeing the self-nullification he has toward every person. I know that everything happening around him is truly as far as heaven is from earth from what Rabbi Berland shlit"a truly is. I saw that all the vanities of this world do not interest him. For example, I speak to him, but instead of answering me, he nullifies himself to me and waits for me to answer in his stead. I went to him last year, and he blessed me regarding several problems I had."

At this stage of the conversation, Rabbi Daniel Dayan shlit"a turns to tell of a choice piece of advice he received from our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a in those days, advice that contributed greatly to him and is engraved in his heart to this day.

"Many years ago, at the beginning of my path in serving Hashem, I had many obstacles. I told this to Rav Lazer (Berland), and this is what he said to me: 'When you enter the house, the wife is the commander and you are the soldier.' I took this advice with me to Hisbodedus and cried out a lot with it to Father in Heaven. I would count the good points in the field and say to Hashem, 'Master of the World, I am acting like Adam HaRishon. I say, "The woman You gave to be with me"—am I an ingrate? My wife cooks for me, bakes for me; what Shabbos meals she toils over and prepares! She keeps Shabbos, says Tehillim. Look, Father, how many good points.' I would count the good points in this way until the entire point of contention would shrink and disappear."

We should mention that this advice from our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, which Rabbi Dayan mentioned, became an important pillar in the lives of many couples. Rabbi Berland shlit"a has repeated it on many occasions since then, and it even served as a foundation for his students who spread it in his name and even authored books around it.