Every day at the Breslov synagogue in Beitar Ilit there are melodious prayers and a multitude of shiurim. Likewise, the activities of the synagogue are managed by Rabbi Nachman Zonenshein, who merits to draw close tens of young men and strengthen them with niggunim and holy words of fire. At the moment, the managers of the Beit Midrash want to expand the borders of holiness and have decided to build a permanent structure for the tens of prayer attendees. In light of this, the managers of the Beit Midrash came to the home of our Rebbe Rav Eliezer Berland shlit”a on Wednesday, the night of 25 Shevat, with the Rav writing for them a letter of encouragement. Afterwards the Rav gave over a shiur chizzuk that lasted for more than fifty minutes.
Among the topics covered in the shiur were that Shmuel’s father would fly in the air, the greatness of Beniyahu ben Yehoyadah, Avner and Shmuel HaNavi, the obligation to learn the books of the Ben Ish Hai, and how the tribe of Zevulun nullified itself to Devorah. Below is an excerpt from the shiur:
“It is written, ‘There Binyamin, the youngest, rules them, the princes of Yehudah stoned them; the princes of Zevulun, the princes of Naftali’ – everything in one verse, in chapter 68 [of Tehilim]. That Zevulun went after Binyamin. ‘There Binyamin, the youngest rules them’ – Binyamin jumped into the sea. He doesn’t care. Then they threw stones at him. [Tell him] to get out. Why did they throw stones at him? Because he pushed through in line, like Shuvu Banim – push their way in line. Why are you pushing through in line? Stand in line! There’s a line! You’re last, you were born last. This is not okay. You will be last. Binyamin decided: ‘I will be first’ – jumped into the sea! Then ‘the youngest rules them,’ then ‘RoDeM – [he] rules them.’ What is ‘RoDeM’? [It is] ‘yaRaD yaM – descended to the sea!’ ‘The princes of Yehudah stoned them’ – they decided to throw stones at him. So this is my interpretation: ‘Princes of Zevulun, princes of Naftali’ – that Zevulun and Naftali jumped in after Binyamin! It’s not understood what is the relevance here of ‘Zevulun and Naftali.’ Rather, Zevulun is without heart. He says, ‘Binyamin jumps in? Also I jump in.’ He doesn’t think ‘yes or no,’ ‘drown or not to drown’ – it doesn’t interest him. What does it interest him to drown or not to drown? The main thing is to jump into the sea!”
After a shiur of fifty minutes, the Rav concluded with Kaddish and blessed the managers of the synagogue with success in building the Beit Midrash, in making the Torah great, and in outreach in the city of Beitar Ilit.
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