סיפורים קצרים – הגה"צ הרב אליעזר ברלנד שליט"א – לרקוד עם עבריינים

The Gray Market Debt and the Surprising Advice

Oren Elbaz, an avreich in the 'Nachalei Netzach' yeshiva, shares an amazing story about the power of faith and the advice of a tzaddik. The story begins a few years ago in Eilat, where Oren's friend, Yissachar Atias, worked at a local market stall. The brother of the stall owner fell into heavy debts in the gray market to dangerous criminals, and did not know how to extricate himself from the threatening situation.

When Yissachar saw the distress, he suggested to the brother to turn to the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a in Jerusalem, hoping that he would merit to do a pidyon nefesh (redemption of the soul) and that Hashem would grant him the merit to repay his debts.

"Go Outside and Dance"

That man called Rav Berland and told him about the troubles and the threats from the criminals. The Rav's answer was surprising and unconventional: "If they come again, go outside and dance."

The debtor was astonished. He feared that dancing in front of criminals would be interpreted as weakness and cause them to harm him even more. But the Rav calmed him and said: "Do not worry, you will go out and dance, and say my name - in the merit of Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a - and you will see miracles and wonders."

The Miracle in the City Streets

Two weeks later, the criminals arrived again to collect the debt. It was close to the holiday of Purim. The debtor, imbued with faith in the words of the tzaddik, went out to them and began to dance passionately in the street. He sang loudly: "Save me, save me... from the kelipah of Haman-Amalek, and sanctify me with the holiness of Mordechai and Esther."

The criminals and the neighbors standing around did not understand what was happening. The criminals felt embarrassed by the bizarre situation, thought the man had gone crazy, and decided to leave him alone. Since that day, they never returned to bother him again.

The Spiritual Secret: Cleansing Judgment

When the man returned to Rav Berland and asked about the meaning of the strange advice that saved him, the Rav explained to him the secret hidden in the word "merakdim" (dancing).

In the Gemara it says, "Keitzad merakdin lifnei hakallah" (How does one dance before the bride). The Rav explained that the word "merakdin" (מרקדין) shares the same letters as "memarek din" (ממרק דין - cleansing judgment). When a person dances with joy, and especially in the face of difficulties and harsh judgments, he is actually cleansing and canceling the harsh judgments hovering over him. In the merit of the joy and the dancing, that man merited to be saved from danger and to sweeten the judgments.