Machloket kills: Why so many of our young people are dying
Coming on the heels of a number of awful tragedies that have taken the lives of young people in the Breslov community, the following question was put to Rav Eliezer Berland, shlita:
Honored rabbi, why are so many young Breslov men being killed in all sorts of strange ways, and how can we put an end to this awful situation?
Rav Berland replied:
“[It’s happening] because of the opposition to the Rav. [The people who are against the Rav] have been trying to cause young men to stumble into going against the Rav. They are putting stumbling blocks before them, and they are believing them.
“And so, there are traffic accidents, and people drowning in bodies of water, rachmana litzlan.”
The heart hurts to hear these things, and Rav Berland was clearly grieving over every loss to the people of Israel as he spoke these words.
Rav Berland has devoted himself to taking on the suffering of Am Yisrael in order to sweeten the judgments that hang over our heads, and that are continually renewed against us.
Machloket literally kills
But, Rebbe Nachman warned us that machloket – division, strife and hatred – gives the Soton an opening to make more harsh accusations against us, even against the chassidim, and even before a person has completed his tikkun, or spiritual rectification in the world.
We are bringing these words here to underline the importance of staying away from all forms of machloket, and the terrible price being paid in our community for ignoring this warning.
We want to stress that the tzaddikim who passed away were not guilty of being involved in any machloket themselves, G-d forbid, but were taken as a result of all the spiritually poisonous machloket still circulating in the environment.
The evil words of the holkim (opponents of the Rav) are causing untold damage, even just to those who happen to hear them in passing.
