The Daily Ma’amar of our Rebbe Rav Eliezer Berland shlit”a, from 26 Sivan, the Hilulah of Rabbi Yehonatan ben Uziel. Courtesy of the “Hashem Hu HaElokim” leaflet:
Yehonatan ben Uziel – fire surrounded him, and every bird that flew over him was burned!
Like Rabbi Elazar ben Arach, that Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai was riding on the donkey, and Rabbi Elazar ben Arach was driving the donkey behind him. Rabbi Elazar ben Arach said to Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai: Does Rebbe permit me to say before him one thing that you taught me? He said to him: Speak! Immediately Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai came down from the donkey and was wrapped in a Tallit and sat for himself on the rock under the olive tree. Rabbi Elazar ben Arach said to Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai: For what reason did you come down from the donkey? Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai said to Rabbi Elazar ben Arach: Is it possible that you would expound the Ma’aseh Merkavah [the ”Working of the Chariot” – a form of highly advanced mysticism] and the Divine Presence is with us and the ministering angels are escorting us, and I would ride on a donkey?! Immediately Rabbi Elazar ben Arach began to speak about the Ma’aseh Merkavah and expounded, and fire descended from Heaven and surrounded all the trees that were on the mountain and in the field. Immediately, all of them began to sing. What song did they sing? – “Praise Hashem from the heavens, sea giants and all watery depths, fruitful trees and all cedars, Halleluyah.” An angel from Heaven answered and said: Behold, behold, the Ma’aseh Merkavah. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai stood and kissed his head and said: Blessed is Hashem, God of Israel, who gave a son such as this to Avraham Avinu [Chagigah 14b].
And likewise Rabbi Abahu, when he would make rhymes from Torah to Nevi’im and from Nevi’im to Ketuvim, fire would descend from Heaven and surround him [Midrash Rabbah, Shir HaShirim 11b].
And likewise, Rabbi Eliezer HaGadol and Rabbi Yehoshua, when they appeared at the brit milah of Elisha ben Avuyah, and Avuyah was one of the extremely wealthy people of Jerusalem, and all of them came to the brit of Elisha ben Avuyah, and they were all speaking about business matters – about the exchange rate of the dollar, the Euro, and the Pound. Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenus said to Rabbi Yehoshua: We have to flee from this place before our souls leave us from sheer misery! And they found a basement room on the bottom floor, and they sat and began to rhyme together words of Torah – from Torah to Nevi’im, and from Nevi’im to Ketuvim, and fire descended from Heaven and surround the entire house, and everyone fled. And Avuyah, the father of Elisha, came out to see the source of the fire and to extinguish it, and he revealed that the fire was breaking out of the basement room below, and he broke down the door and saw Rabbi Eliezer ben Horkenus sit with Rabbi Yehoshua and fire was emerging between them. He said to them: So you came to burn down my house?! They said to him: Chas v’shalom, rather we were rhyming together words of Torah – from Torah to Nevi’im, and from Nevi’im to Ketuvim, and there were joyful things as they were given from Sinai.
And likewise, Yehonatan ben Uziel was surrounded by fire day and night, and every bird which flew over him — was burnt! (Succah 28a).
To download the original Hebrew, click here
