Words of the Esteemed Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a in Yitzhar - Motza'ei Shabbat Parshat Va'era 5779

The holy words of the esteemed Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a as delivered in the settlement of Yitzhar. "They asked in the Gemara to Rabbi Yossi how it is possible to marry two sisters? Rabbi Yossi answered, no..., Merav had five sons, every woman must have five sons. Merav had five sons within two weeks, like the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite who had six sons from each wife within three months. He had eight daughters-in-law, eight daughters-in-law times 6 is 48, he also had six born to him, and together that is 54 children, plus 8 from - [*] together 62. A person must reach 62 sons like the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite."

"Shaul gave Merav, his daughter, to Adriel the Meholathite for a wife (Merav was promised to David after his victory over Goliath. Shaul did not fulfill his promise, and she was given to Adriel). Adriel was dancing all day, hence he was called Meholathite. It is written in I Samuel (10:20-22) "And Samuel brought near all the tribes of Israel; and the tribe of Benjamin was taken. And he brought near the tribe of Benjamin by their families, and the family of Matri was taken; and Saul the son of Kish was taken, but when they sought him, he could not be found. Therefore they inquired of Hashem further, if the man should yet come thither. And Hashem answered, Behold, he hath hid himself among the stuff." They searched for Saul who was hiding among the vessels and did not find him."

""And Samuel said to all the people, See ye him whom Hashem hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people? And all the people shouted, and said, Long live the king. And Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before Hashem; and Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house. And Saul also went to his house to Gibeah; and there went with him the band of men, whose hearts Hashem had touched. But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no present. But he held his peace." (I Samuel 10:24-27). Saul was the tallest in that generation, for the king must be tall. "And they despised him, and brought him no present; but he held his peace" (ibid 27), because Shechem is called the son of Hamor, the nations are like donkeys. Just as a donkey, the son of a donkey, can marry his donkey daughter, or his donkey mother, so the nations have the law of donkeys, they marry their daughters, their mothers. Donkey with donkey, hence he is called a snake."