Watch: Short Stories – The Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a – Dancing with Criminals

You do not need to be a close follower to hear and witness great miracles linked to the name of the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. However, often, it is precisely the events that seem to be on the sidelines—those moments we are sometimes unaware of, which suddenly leap into our consciousness later—that reveal to us a little of the Tzaddik's greatness.  

Oren Elbaz is a Torah student at Yeshivat Nachalei Netzach. We met with him to hear his beautiful story regarding our teacher, the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. "This took place in the days before I did teshuvah (returned to observance), when I was working in Eilat together with my friend Yissachar Attias. The brother of the owner of the stall where we worked had fallen into debt in the 'grey market' (loan sharks), and the creditors were unsavory characters. That brother was at a loss, because he knew that if he didn't repay the debt, his fate was sealed... therefore, he was very afraid. My friend Attias, hearing about this, advised him to go up to Jerusalem to the Tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, and perform a Pidyon Nefesh (redemption of the soul). In his distress, the brother called the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a and told him about the violent and unwanted visitors who were harassing him frequently. The Rav shlit"a told him that the next time they come, he should go outside and start dancing. The brother was stunned to hear the Rav's advice and answered in amazement: 'With all due respect to the Rav, the Rav probably doesn't understand that these people are criminals. An act like going out and dancing will look like weakness in their eyes, and my situation will only get worse.' However, the Rav continued and told him not to fear and to do it. He also added instructions to say, 'In the merit of Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a,' and through this, he would see miracles and wonders."

"Two weeks later, the holiday of Purim fell out exactly then, and the lenders arrived again. That brother, remembering the advice of the Rav shlit"a, went outside and started dancing and singing, 'Save me from the husk (kelipah) of Haman-Amalek and sanctify me with the holiness of Mordechai and Esther.' The neighbors came out to see who the strange person dancing in the street was. The criminals, embarrassed by this, left, saying to themselves, 'This man must have gone crazy.' That brother returned to the Rav and told him that the criminals indeed never returned, but he wondered why the Rav had told him to dance. The Rav answered that it is written: 'How does one dance (merakdim) before the bride?' The word 'merakdim' contains the letters 'marak din' (scouring judgment). Meaning, when a person dances, he scours the judgment away from himself."