The Daily Chizzuk of our Rebbe, the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit”a – “We remove the head of the serpent at Tikkun Chatzot”
Monday, 21 Sivan 5782
[The words of our Rebbe Rav Berland shlit”a are based on the Gemara in Kiddushin (29a): Rav Acha was very meticulous in his order of learning and whatever he didn’t manage to learn during the day, he would learn at night. The Gemara relates the story of a miracle which happened to him when he sent his son, Rav Yaakov, to learn with Abaye. After his son didn’t satisfy his father’s desire, Rav Acha went to learn Torah in his place.
In the city of Abaye, there was a study hall where a demon resided, so that if two people came, even during the day, it would harm them. The power of the demon was difficult to understand, as demons attack only at night and don’t attack two people together, rather only individuals, all the more if they were Torah sages, who are afforded greater protection on High. Since Abaye knew that Rav Acha was accustomed to miracles, he ordered the local residents to not give him a place to stay. Rav Acha was forced to sleep in that study hall. A demon rose up against him and appeared to him like a serpent with seven heads. Rav Acha prayed (Tikkun Chatzot according to the Rav shlit”a), and with every bow in his prayer he took off a head from the demon.]
These are the words of Rav Berland shlit”a:
Now we discussing the yeshiva of Abaye. Abaye had a giant yeshiva of a thousand students, and a serpent would come there every morning immediately after sunrise and cause everyone to flee.
The students would see a giant serpent twelve meters long, [which] could swallow 100 people, because twelve meters can swallow 100 people, Hashem have mercy.
The serpent came every morning and the students fled every morning. Everyone fled, and they didn’t return until they found them in the afternoon.
Abaye didn’t know what to do. They told him them that Rav Acha was coming. Rav Yaakov [his son] was a child who wasn’t so sharp. He loved to play. So Rav Acha said to him: “Go and hide there, support the home. I’m going to learn. You go every night to Nechama’s Bakery. What is this? Like this, you won’t progress at all!”
He didn’t progress. Rav Yaakov was there [in Abaye’s yeshiva] a half year, from 1 Cheshvan until 1 Nisan. He didn’t progress a millimeter.
Rav Acha said to him, “I’m going to learn in Abaye’s yeshiva in your place.” But how will he go? Will he go on a donkey? Rav Acha is poor. It’s left for him to sleep on the benches in the yeshiva, on the tables. He didn’t have a bed. He didn’t have anything.
Suddenly, at 12 at night, the clock rings for him. He had such a clock which rang at 12. He got up at Chatzot [halachic midnight] at 12, sees a serpent with seven heads. A giant serpent 12 meters [long]. It could swallow him, seven times swallow him. Every head could swallow him, swallow more people.
What do we do? Where to flee? What terror! Don’t know where to flee.
He began to rise at Chatzot, began to say Tikkun Chatzot (the midnight lamentation). Every moment that he bowed in prayer, a head fell from the serpent. Bows – a head falls, bows – a head falls.
Each person needs to bow and bow.
Surrender to Hashem without conditions
On 8 Iyar, the Nazis concluded the surrender – unconditional surrender. The main thing is to surrender to Hashem unconditionally.
Here we see, a person needs to surrender to Hashem unconditionally, unconditionally.
We need to rise Chatzot, to surrender to Hashem without conditions. If [one] makes conditions, it’s already not worth anything – submission without conditions.
