Last week, on Monday night, the 21st of Tevet, Parshat Shemot, ninth graders from the preparatory program (“mechina”) of “Shuvu Banim Nechamat Tzion” entered the inner sanctum for a special shiur from Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a at his home.
Here is a summary of the shiur which the Rav shlit”a gave over to the boys:
The Rav shlit”a began the shiur on the topic of Parshat Vayechi and the incident of Shimon and Levi killing the men of Shechem, discussing the dispute between the Rambam and Ramban about the reason for which all the men of Shechem were liable to death. The Rav brought in the name of Likutey HaRim that this was the Bar Mitzvah sermon of Shimon and Levi. Afterwards, he discussed the burial of Rachel Emeinu and encouraged travelling to Rachel’s grave every day, saying that through praying at her grave, one merits to see all salvations. In the course of this topic, he said that Binyamin was called a “thief son of a thief,” because Rachel stole the Terefim, and now he stole the goblet. He said that in the merit of the brothers beating him — since they thought that now they would be slaves forever [as punishment for his having “stolen” the cup] — and because Binyamin accepted the blows happily, he merited that the Temple was in his portion, as it says, “Dwells between His shoulders” – because in the merit of them striking his shoulders, he merited to be the “shoulders” for the Temple. The Rav said that if he had received even one more blow with love and joy, he would have merited that the whole Temple would have been in his portion.
Later in the shiur, the Rav discussed the story brought in the Talmud in Kiddushin about Rav Bibi bar Abaye, who subdued the seven-headed serpent, speaking about this at length.
Likewise, in the shiur, the Rav shlit”a spoke about Parshat Shemot regarding Batya bat Pharaoh, who rescued Moshe, and that all her maidens who tried to prevent her from saving him died. He said that the Tzaddik is called Moshe, since the Tzaddik draws (מושה) each person from the sinful waters. The Rav shlit”a concluded the shiur discussing the switching of the plates between Betuel and Eliezer, saying that the true miracle was that Eliezer ate from the poisoned plate and Betuel died.
