"Who Hit Noach?" - A Class by Morinu HaRav Berland shlit"a for a Group of Followers from Central Israel on Motzaei Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan

On Motzaei Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan 5785, Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a delivered a class in his home to a group of followers from central Israel, including soldiers in uniform. The class opened with a question from the weekly Torah portion, Parashas Noach, and traversed through stories from his yeshiva days, travels around the world, and archaeological findings, culminating in the question of what is the ultimate purpose of man.

"Who Hit Noach?" - Ten Minutes of Chumash (Five Books of Moses) with Rashi

The Rav opened with a question: Who hit Noach, and why? "You don't learn Rashi," he said with a smile, and explained how simple it is:

"Bereishis takes ten minutes, with the Rashi another half hour, and after that Noach takes ten minutes, and with the Rashi another half hour. Then you will know who hit him and why they hit him."

The Rav shared that he heard this question in his youth in yeshiva, when the Mashgiach (spiritual supervisor), Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian zt"l, spoke about it for a whole hour, "He let out shouts, roars, and yelled at us: Who hit Noach?"

Diamonds in One Hand, Gemara in the Other

The Rav told of a Jew who worked in diamond polishing "and held a Gemara, and polished the diamonds like that, never leaving the Gemara for a second." And from this, a lesson for everyone:

"What do you care if you are frying falafel? Make falafel, and hold a Gemara in your hand... to hold a Gemara in your hand, to finish the Rashi."

"I See Hashem, I Cannot Move"

The Rav described Victoria Falls in Africa, where "Grandma Shoshana" refused to move from the spot: "I see the creation, I see Hashem, I cannot move." And so too is going out to the fields and to the graves of tzaddikim: "Just to see the wonder of creation, to see Hashem."

Nature or Nurture? The Cats of Rabbi Yonasan Eybeschutz

The Rav recounted the famous debate in the king's courtyard in Prague: What is stronger, nature or nurture? They trained ten cats to walk on two legs and serve trays like waiters. Rabbi Yonasan Eybeschutz opened a snuff box, a mouse jumped out of it, and all the cats threw down their trays and chased after it.

"A person is born with a nature... only with Rebbe Nachman, only in Uman" can one truly change it.

And the Rav added that these are the stories worth telling children on Shabbos.

The Gemara Lives in the Earth

From an archaeology book, the Rav showed findings that confirm the words of Chazal (our Sages): the "Beis Kathros" inscription of the priestly family mentioned in the Gemara in Pesachim, a golden bell from the garments of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest), and even evidence of Herod's talking doves. "We need to know the entire Shas (Talmud) by heart," he said.

For What Purpose Was Man Created?

In conclusion, the Rav spoke about the preacher Rabbi Chaim Zaid, who asked an audience: What is the ultimate purpose of man? One said an apartment and a villa, another said to be a soldier and eliminate the terrorists. And the answer:

"We will play my melodies in the House of Hashem all the days of my life" - "The true purpose is to sit at the three Shabbos meals with the children, to sing all the zemiros (Shabbos songs), and to create an experience for them."