You Want Hashem to Guard Your Covenant, Then Be 'And It Shall Come to Pass'

"And it shall come to pass, because (V'hayah Ekev) you hearken... the covenant," do you want the guarding of the covenant? You will merit it through "V'hayah Ekev."

On the night of the third day of the week of Parshat Re'eh 5778, August 7, 2018, the Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a arrived in the city of Holon.

Rav Berland shlit"a held a public reception at the home of Yoel Salomon. In addition to the photo gallery from the reception, we bring the holy words of Rav Berland shlit"a which he delivered on the fifth day of the week of Parshat Ekev.

"We must know that now we are repeating all of history, the sin of Nadav and Avihu and what happened with Korach; Moshe reminds them of all these things. The flaw was that they thought they had already drawn close to Hashem; the flaw was 'in their drawing near before Hashem' (Vayikra 16:1). If a person thinks he is close to Hashem, then he becomes distant, and then he immediately falls into despair."

"A person thinks he is close to Hashem and sees that he is not close, so he falls into despair. But if he knows that he is distant—he knows that he deserves nothing—he knows that 'I have not even begun to see Hashem at all,' then he has nothing to despair about."

"If a person knows that he is distant from Hashem, then he also does not sin; he does not stumble in the flaws of the covenant, because 'anyone who is arrogant stumbles with a married woman' (Sotah 4b)—arrogance brings about the flaws."

"A chiddush (novel insight) of Rebbe Nachman in Torah 169: 'And it shall come to pass, because (V'hayah Ekev) you hearken... the covenant.' Do you want the guarding of the covenant? You will merit it through 'V'hayah Ekev.' If you want Hashem to guard the covenant for you, then be 'V'hayah Ekev,' that the joy should reach down to the heels—that you should jump on your heels. The entire wedding is to jump on the heels—then Hashem guards the covenant for you, then you have no suspicion."

Words of Rav Berland shlit"a edited from the Shevivi Or newsletter

Photo gallery from the home gathering in Holon

[gallery link="file" size="full" ids="12968,12967,12966,12965,12964,12963,12962,12961,12960,12959"]

The photos are courtesy of Natan Salomon