Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland’s holy words from Motza’ei Shabbat of Simchat Torah in which he eulogizes the souls of those murdered for the sanctification of God’s Name, holy martyrs murdered by Hamas terrorists, Yemach Shemam.
The name is the soul, now we are in a situation of the Ten Martyrs, like Rabbi Akiva, who was scraped with iron combs, and Rabbi Chaninah ben Teradion, who was thrown into fire.
Rabbeinu warns in [Likutey Moharan] Lesson 260, that every year numerous souls need to go for the sanctification of God’s Name — and this is the greatest unification, of the Ten Martyrs. The unification of the Holy One Blessed is He and His Shechinah (Divine Presence), about which we say, “God of Vengeance Hashem, God of Vengeance appear” — that everything happens because of the sale of Yosef.
Therefore, we are obligated to travel every week to Yosef HaTzaddik in order to atone for the sale of Yosef, and the main atonement is through self-sacrifice.
The Ten Martyrs sent Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha to ascend to Heaven. Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha was not born from man at all — he was born from angels. He ascended to Heaven and they told him that because of the sale of Yosef, they had been ensnared.
Rabbi Chaninah ben Teradion was burned in fire, was placed within the fire, within the pyre, and the pyre did not burn him. They poured on him gasoline, kerosine — nothing helped. They executioner asked him, “What is happening with you? You enable rebelling against the government; the government wants to burn you, but the fire flees from you. How much you rebel! How stubborn you are!”
Rabbi Chaninah said, “You cannot burn me without my permission. I need to ask in Heaven. I will ascend now to Heaven and ask if they want me to be burned, and then I will be burned. You don’t decide — not the government and not the emperor — only I decide.” Only the Ten Martyrs who protect all the generations, in their merit we came to the Land of Israel.
And it is impossible to rectify unifications above — the greatest unification is made through those who are killed for the sanctification of God’s Name.
Rabbi Natan of Breslov prayed about this in [Likutey Tefilot] Prayer 47, that at the conclusion of 120 years, everyone should merit to go for the sanctification of God’s Name. This is the true unification, that only through this unification is it possible to come to the Land of Israel, because the souls ascend on high through self-sacrifice; they return to the Shechinah. They are included in the Shechinah, in Keter of Keter [the highest point in the highest of the Ten Sefirot]; for all those souls who now ascended in a whirlwind to Heaven, in a chariot of fire and horses of fire, they are all included in Keter of Keter.
They merited more than we did, because they sacrificed their souls for the sanctification of God’s Name in truth. And this, if we look at the Shechinah — because all the Jewish people are a portion of the Shechinah, every soul is a portion of the Shechinah. And all those who are killed for the sanctification of God’s Name are a portion of the Shechinah mamash, “are borne [by God] from birth” (Yeshayahu 46:3).
And when they return to the Shechinah, the Shechinah takes pride. Now after such a Yom Kippur — that has not been since the creation of the world, this is the greatest source of pride.
So we merited that now, several hundred souls went for the sanctification of God’s Name — “See what a child I have come to You with.” And the Shechinah receives them with love, and Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov come out to welcome these souls, as it is written, “And he [Avraham] was sitting at the entrance of the tent in the heat of the day” (Bereishit 18:1).
“And he saw” — twice “and he saw” (ibid 2). Once he saw the angels, the second time he “saw and ran to greet them” — these [refers to] all those who were killed for the sanctification of God’s Name.
So Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov — “Avraham would rejoice, Yitzchak would exult, Yaakov and his children would rest on it” [from the Shabbat prayer of Minchah] — Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov come out to welcome them. All these 200 souls [as was reported at the time of the shiur] who now ascended to Heaven in a chariot of fire, horses of fire, Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov welcome them.
They enter straight into the Chamber of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov — “See what a child I have come to You with.” And then supernal longing transpires, and the greatest unification is made. Therefore, every time, killing happens anew, until the Third Temple is built, the Sanctuary of Peace.
Because now, the rectifications of the Third Temple which were accomplished through offerings, elevation and peace offerings, sin and guilt offerings, all the rectifications are accomplished only through those who are killed for the sanctification of God’s Name. The whole rectification of the offerings of the two Tamidim, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, is accomplished only through those who are killed, chas v’shalom, for the sanctification of God’s Name.
And therefore, every time, every year, several hundred souls are killed, and there will be the greatest unification, Keter of Keter.
And through this, there will be the complete redemption, speedily in our days, Amen.
