Presented here are the full words of Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a ahead of the gathering this coming Thursday—the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul—in the City of the Patriarchs, Hebron:

The most accepted prayer is at the Cave of Machpelah—especially on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul. For on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul, all of Klal Yisrael gathers together. And then the prayer is accepted even more—it is literally like Rosh Hashanah.

Just as Rebbe Nachman said: someone who comes to him already for Selichos—it is as though he is at Rosh Hashanah: “The world would have wanted such a Rosh Hashanah—like by you, on the eve of Rosh Hashanah.” (Chayei Moharan 305). He said this is the true Rosh Hashanah—Rosh Chodesh Elul already. We merit to welcome Elul—something that made the elders faint. Reb Yitzchak Breiter would faint: when he would bless the new month and say “Elul,” the moment he said “Elul,” he would faint. And so it was among all the Litvaks as well: all the Roshei Yeshivah would faint when they said “Elul,” and their students would hide under tables, under benches, out of sheer fear. When they say “Elul!” the whole body trembles! The whole body trembles! Therefore, Elul is not “no”—it is “to Him,” twice “to Him.” Because in Elul we see: “His deeds are surely directed to Him”—that Hashem orchestrates events, new events every day. Every second is completely new; each second is newer than the second before it. For the world keeps becoming “shener and shener” (more and more beautiful) [see Sichos HaRan 307]. Even though the generations decline, the souls are lower; and if we were close to breaking, we would be good—because the Shechinah is the Tzaddik, and the Tzaddik is constantly renewed. If a person is drawn close to the true Tzaddik, he is renewed every second. He becomes a completely new person—this is already a new sun. It is not as people think—that it is the same sun and the same moon. Every second is already a [new] sun: “Who renews, in His goodness, each day, continually, the work of Creation.” So when the month of Elul arrives—it is like a virgin birth: literally an entirely new birth, a new formation. Elul is a new creation. For on the 25th of Elul the world was created—fifteen [of Av], says the Bnei Yissaschar, is forty days earlier. Just as the 15th of Shevat is forty days before the 25th of Adar. All this is explained by Rabbi Eliezer HaGadol: the world was created on the 25th of Elul; the 1st of Tishrei is Adam HaRishon—then Adam came. Therefore, in Hebron—everyone must be in Hebron; not one person may be absent! It must not happen that someone did not arrive for Elul. On Thursday night, the entire People of Israel must be there—all its groups and factions. It makes no difference: we are all one person! Like one man with one heart—like one person!

“One portion above your brothers” (Bereishis 48:22)—this is written regarding Yosef HaTzaddik, because Yosef is found wherever everyone is found. The Yerushalmi says: Rav Huna entered the house of Reb Chiya, and he saw Yosef HaTzaddik. Wherever the Tzaddikim are, there Yosef HaTzaddik is found—this is like traveling to Shechem.

Now, when we travel to Hebron for the gathering—which is a gathering of Rosh Hashanah—we draw down all the Tikkunim of Rosh Hashanah, and all sins are atoned for—when a person truly does complete Teshuvah.

 It is a great merit to donate toward funding the buses for this important gathering: 0583246148

To listen to the full words of Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a ahead of the gathering at the Cave of Machpelah on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul:

Courtesy of the Breslov Chassidim information line 9148*

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