Rav Yehuda Sheinfeld explains more of the links between the persecution of Rav Berland, and Coronavirus
The well-known kabbalist and senior student of the Milkman, z’tl, Rabbi Yehuda Sheinfeld, shlita, recently gave an interview to the Breslov Information Line (9148) about how the persecution of Rabbi Berland, and the persecution of chareidi Jews during the Coronavirus pandemic is connected.
In particular, Rav Sheinfeld – who also happens to be the father-in-law of the main person who has been behind the persecution of Rav Berland all these years – came out in a particularly strong way against the Rav’s persecutors.
We are happy to bring a partial translation of the interview, below. You can hear the full interview for yourself in the original Hebrew on the Breslov Information Line, by dialling *9148 within Israel, or watching the video below:
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Q: Honored Rabbi, we know that Rabbi Berland has been sitting in prison now for more than two months, despite having committed no crime, because he was stitched up with false allegations and slander. How can the Rav (i.e. Rav Sheinfeld) strengthen us?
A: We spoke about what the Tzaddikim said, that each tzaddik takes upon himself a part of the birthpangs of Moshiach, in order to save the Jewish nation from a war, etc, and other difficult things that could occur to the Jewish Nation.
The Yismach Moshe, in Parshat Vayeshev, comments about the Gemara in Sanhedrin, that says before the geula comes, there would be a great deal of informing [to the authorities] within the nation of Israel. That there would be informers, within the nation of Israel.
[He explains that] the [spiritual] reason for the informers is because [Hashem wants] to separate the klipah (evil side) from the kedusha (holiness). The people who need to be ejected from klal Yisrael are becoming informers – this is how they will be discharged from the Jewish people, and the geula won’t have to be held up because of them.
Usually, we would need to wait for everyone to return in teshuva [before Moshiach comes], but whoever becomes a moser (informer), we don’t wait for them to make teshuva.
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Q: How is it possible, that people with beards and side curls were the ones who informed against saintly Talmidei Chachamim (Torah scholars), including Rabbi Berland?
A: What are we going to do with the rodfim (persecutors)? The Tzaddikim told us already, more than 200 years ago, that in the generation of the geula, there would be people with beards and long payot, and I don’t want to continue to say what happens next, in relation to them.
Q: We hear your words, but we don’t understand how it’s possible for these informers to think that they are doing a big mitzvah?
A: It’s true, that everyone thinks that [when they sin] they are really doing a big mitzvah. The Communists also believed this, and the Nazis were sure that they were just doing a very big mitzvah. There is no person who thinks that he’s doing a sin, but rather, he thinks that he’s doing something good.
[Referring to those people who persecute tzaddikim, and who disgrace talmidei chachamim): Their heads are screwed on backwards, that is the definition of insanity. What does it mean, to be insane? That you do something crazy, but you think that you’re the most ‘straight’ person there is!
He acts in a crooked way, but thinks that he’s ‘straight’. This is how the Sitra Achra dresses himself up, in people.
What does it mean, to be drunk? That all the sins are ‘straightened out’ before him! Whatever he does (i.e. disgracing Torah scholars), this is ‘straight’ and upright. He’s drunk! He dictates to the Rabbis what to say, and if the Rabbis don’t listen to him, then he’ll go and slander them – just because they didn’t listen to him.
He [the persecutor] wants all the Rabbis to be listening to him, and whoever doesn’t do that, in his mind it’s ‘permitted’ to smear his name.
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Q: How can we strengthen ourselves, in these very difficult days?
A: In this period of time, we need to strengthen ourselves in temimut (innocence), and distance ourselves from lashon hara (evil speech).
As Rav Chaim Kanievsky said, that it’s written in the Torah that those who speak lashon hara are put in quarantine. People are being put into lockdown, so we need to do some teshuva about lashon hara, and other blemishes related to our speaking.
Q: What is our role, in the middle of everything that is playing out?
A: The Klausenberger Rebbe said at the time of the Shoah (holocaust) that the biggest ‘vengeance’ he could take for it, would be if Hashem would help him to get to Eretz Yisrael, and then he would build a hospital. And there, he would accept anyone, without any discrimination.
This is the biggest ‘revenge’ he could take! That he would build a hospital in Netanya, and this would be the biggest vengeance he could take against the Germans.
The best revenge is that Hashem should give koach (strength) to Rabbi Berland to stand up in everything that he’s taken upon himself. This is the best ‘vengeance’, that in the end everyone will see the tikkunim (spiritual rectifications) that Rav Berland is performing, by willingly accepting disgrace.
And then, they will be mortally embarrassed to show their faces.
“Thier faces will turn like the charred bottom of a pot” (quoting the gemara shabbat 30a about what happened to King David’s persecutors that at the end they were mortally embarrassed).
They will see just who they were going against, and this will be the biggest vengeance. Even if they merit to remain alive, they won’t know where to put themselves, because of all their terrible embarrassment.
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Q: We know that you were very close to the Milkman, what did he say about the persecution against Rabbi Berland?
The Milkman said that what can he do, Rav Berland himself chooses to accept this disgrace in himself. Originally the Milkman said that when Rav Berland would come back to Israel everything will change but then he said ‘What can I do? He still wants this disgrace.’
Q: What did the Milkman express about these persecutors and informers?
The Milkman said that they are all crazy.
Q: A lot of tzaddikim and rabbanim have weighed in to say their opinion that the suffering that is currently passing over the nation of Israel is a result of the disgrace and persecution of Rav Berland. Do you agree with this?
It’s obvious, that after all the persecution of Rav Berland, something like this wouldn’t go away quietly. Spilling blood like this – of Rav Berland and his community – is not something that would disappear quietly.
I’m certain that at least a part of why people are being harmed is because of the persecution of Rav Berland. I’m scared to see what the results of this will be from Heaven (i.e. what Heaven is going to do them).
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Rabbi Dovid Kivak: The persecutors are destroying yidishkeit, and they brought the pandemic
