Wondrous Story: Release from Prison on the Fourth Appeal in the Merit of the Rav's Blessing and 3 More Stories

A chilling story about a prisoner who lost hope after three appeals were rejected, but merited a wondrous release from prison on the fourth appeal, exactly as our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, had promised.

Wondrous Story: Release from Prison on the Fourth Appeal in the Merit of the Rav's Blessing

A certain Jew found himself in a desperate situation, locked inside a dark prison cell in a foreign country. The prosecutors demanded that he remain behind bars for life, Hashem should protect us. However, our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, made him a wondrous promise: after three appeals are rejected, he would be released on the fourth appeal.

Despair and the Surprising News

Indeed, the miracle began to unfold exactly as the tzaddik (righteous one) had foreseen. His lawyers filed three appeals one after another, but they were all rejected. The prisoner had already grown accustomed to his harsh situation in the dark prison. Time and time again they would take him to trial, and the prosecutors continued to stand by their severe demands.

Then came the date of the trial following the submission of the fourth appeal. Hashem, may He be blessed, showed miracles and wonders, and as it is said, "The tzaddik decrees and Hashem fulfills." Suddenly, the judges informed him that in nine months he would be set free. "When I heard this news, I almost fainted from excitement; I didn't know whether to laugh or cry," he later recounted.

The Surprising Path to Freedom

This is how things unfolded, until one day police officers entered his cell. They instructed him to come with them and announced, "A vehicle is waiting for you outside." The officers drove him directly to the airport and put him on a flight en route to the Holy Land.

When he landed, the authorities told him: "You are now a free man." They returned his passport to him, along with a sum of four thousand five hundred dollars that belonged to him and had been confiscated. At that moment, he saw clearly how the blessing of the tzaddik was fulfilled in its entirety, a wonder of wonders.

Wondrous Story: The New Number That Only Rabbi Berland Knew About

A certain Jew, who had just been released, experienced an amazing revelation of Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration). Immediately after his release, he entered a communications store to buy a new SIM card for his phone. He inserted the SIM into the device, without a single person in the world yet knowing what his new number was.

The Surprising Phone Call

A mere ten minutes had passed since he turned on the device, and suddenly the phone began to ring. He answered the call and was astonished to hear the voice on the other end of the line. It was none other than our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, calling him directly from Jerusalem.

"Take a taxi and come to me immediately," the Rav shlit"a told him. The Jew stood stunned, not understanding what was happening around him. After all, he had only just been released and bought the phone, and the Rav shlit"a, who had never met him face to face, knew his new number and invited him over.

The Reception in Jerusalem

In any case, he didn't think twice. He hailed a taxi and traveled immediately to the holy city of Jerusalem. When he arrived at the home of the Rav shlit"a, another moving surprise awaited him. The Rav was already standing at the window, waiting for his arrival.

The Rav shlit"a immediately brought him into the house, hugged him warmly, and told him joyfully: "You have been released, Baruch Hashem (Thank God)! Baruch Hashem!"

That Jew, who recounted the story himself, remained awestruck by the open miracle. This amazing story illustrates how the eyes of the tzaddik roam throughout the entire land, and he sees and knows everything through his Ruach HaKodesh (Divine Inspiration), even things that are hidden from every other person.

Wondrous Story: The Severe Liver Disease That Vanished as if it Never Existed in the Merit of the Tzaddik

A certain Jew had been feeling unwell for a period of time and decided to go to the hospital to undergo a comprehensive series of tests. The results were not long in coming, and they were unbearable: the doctors discovered that he had a very severe liver disease. In his distress, he hurried to our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, to seek advice and salvation.

The Tzaddik's Wondrous Treatment

When he entered the inner sanctum, the tzaddik immediately calmed him and told him not to be afraid at all. Rabbi Berland shlit"a gave him drops and pills, instructing him to take them regularly. As is known, the Rav shlit"a gave drops and pills to many people, as it is the way of the tzaddik to clothe the remedies for the most severe illnesses within the laws of nature. Everyone who merited to receive them immediately understood that this had nothing to do with nature at all, as they miraculously helped with everything and all types of problems.

The Rav instructed the Jew to take the drops and pills for three consecutive months, and only afterward to return to the hospital for follow-up tests. The Jew followed the Rav's words with complete faith. After three months, he arrived at the hospital and approached his attending physician to check his condition.

The Doctors' Astonishment and the Sanctification of Hashem's Name

The doctor examined him and looked at the imaging scans. He stared at the scan time after time, over and over, struggling to believe his eyes. Finally, he turned to the Jew and asked in astonishment: "Tell me, where have you been? This is completely bizarre! Everything is clean; you are completely healthy!"

The Jew smiled and answered him simply: "I was with a great tzaddik, Rabbi Berland shlit"a." The doctor, who was far from faith, asked him dismissively: "Do you really believe in these things?" The Jew did not remain silent and answered him boldly: "And you don't believe? Here Hashem, may He be blessed, healed me completely after you had already given up on me, so why do you insist on not believing?"

Faced with the clear medical facts, the doctor was forced to admit that there is a Creator and Ruler of the world, and there are tzaddikim whose voices Hashem, may He be blessed, listens to, completely altering the laws of nature for them. The entire event caused a tremendous sanctification of Hashem's Name within the walls of the hospital, proving once again the immense power of the tzaddik.

A Chilling Story: The Jew from Abroad Who Saw Rabbi Berland Hovering in the Air

Rabbi Shimon Pesach, who served as the holy attendant in the home of Morinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, related the following wondrous story before dozens of people. The story took place in the dead of night, and it reveals a glimpse of the miraculous and hidden conduct of the tzaddik.

A Surprise Visit in the Dead of Night

Once, in the middle of the night, around two o'clock, knocks were heard at the Rav's house. At the door stood a Jew who had flown in from abroad, urgently requesting to enter the room of Morinu HaRav shlit"a. He explained that he had come specifically to see the tzaddik, and he needed to return abroad immediately.

Rabbi Shimon Pesach explained to the guest that it was absolutely impossible to enter right now. "The tzaddik is currently praying the Maariv (evening) prayer, and there is no possibility of disturbing him," he told him. But that Jew refused to give up, insisting and pleading over and over to be allowed in, even for a brief moment.

Finally, after many pleas, the Rebbetzin (may she live) intervened and said they should let him in. They approached the door of the Rav's room and opened it with holy awe, without knowing what an exalted sight awaited them beyond the door.

A Wondrous Sight Above the Ground

The sight that was revealed to their eyes at that moment was incredibly awe-inspiring, something completely above the laws of nature. They saw the tzaddik standing and literally hovering in the air, at about the height of a person, immersed in an awesome state of deveikus (attachment) to the Creator of the world.

That Jew who had arrived from abroad was struck with absolute shock. A terrible fear and exalted awe fell upon him at the sight of the hovering tzaddik. Out of sheer fear and trembling, he simply left the envelope with the Pidyon Nefesh (redemption of the soul) inside the room, fled from there in tremendous anxiety, and disappeared into the night.

This chilling testimony was related by Rabbi Shimon Pesach, may Hashem guard him and keep him alive, at the regular gathering in the "Nachalei Netzach" yeshiva on Thursday night. The dozens of people who heard these words stood amazed, meriting a rare glimpse into the supernatural holy service of Morinu HaRav shlit"a.

From Issue 81 — Parashas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim

From the series "A Tzaddik Rules Through the Fear of God" — "Shapir Amar Nachmani" Publications