Youth who learn in Yeshivat “Tzama Nafshi” under the auspices of Rabbi Yaakov Amzaleg shlit”a merited to come to a shiur last Monday, the night of 23 Cheshvan, in the home of Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a. Below are some of the words and topics which the Rav shlit”a spoke about during the shiur:
The Rav shlit”a began the shiur on the subject of the conundrums which Eliezer had about Avraham Avinu, that he didn’t understand how Avraham is sending him to find a marriage match for his son in the most impure place in the world and even more so from the most impure family of Lavan and Betu’el, who were sorcerers. In the midst of his words, the Rav shlit”a aroused the young men about impure technological devices, especially the Xiaomi, which appears to be a Kosher device, but really there are concealed in it great dangers, and it is basically an immoral device for all intents and purposes.
Afterwards, he spoke about how this year during Chanukah we will not read neither Parashat Mikeitz nor Vayigash, and said that this year the Hilulah of Rabbi Natan will take place in Parashat Vayigash, because Rabbi Natan screams, “I am Yosef,” and said that the brothers did not understand that everything that was happening to them in Egypt, with the taking captive of their brother, and the theft of the goblet, was all because they sold Yosef. Likewise, the Rav shlit”a discussed how Lot was the first captive and Avraham Avinu did not fear and went to war with millions in order to free Lot. Afterwards, he spoke about the horrible massacre on Simchat Torah, and said that Hakafot are what defend against attacks [“hatkafot”], and it was a mistake that they cancelled the Hakafot of Motza’ei Simchat Torah, because this would have protected against more people being killed. The Rav brought the words of the Ben Ish Chayl that a person needs to go with thick Peot, and likewise brought the words of HaMayim Adirim of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Shklov, a talmid of the Gaon of Vilna, who says that Peot are what protect a Jewish person, as it’s written, “U’Machatz Pa’atei Moav — He shall pierce the nobles of Moav.” The Rav shlit”a said that Peot are like tanks; no one can harm a person who has Peot.
After this, the Rav shlit”a took up the subject with which he began the shiur, the conundrums (Kushyiot) of Eliezer about Avraham, and said that “KaShYA” is the initial letters of “Shema Hashem Koli Ekra — Hear, Hashem, my voice when I cry out” — that if a person has conundrums about the Tzaddik, he should go to the field and pray and scream to Hashem! The Rav spoke about Betu’el and Lavan, who said, “The matter came from Hashem,” because they saw and even performed sorcery during their lifetimes, but such a miracle as Eliezer eating poison and Betu’el dying, they never saw before!
During the shiur, the Rav shlit”a spoke about how Balak feared the Jewish people mainly because he knew that David would come from his own people — Moav, and he would cut off Moav and all the nations. Therefore, his fear was very great when he requested of Bil’am, “Go and curse Israel for me.”
The Rav shlit”a said a chidush (novelty concept) in the name of his Rabbi, Rav Eliyahu Lopian tzvk”l, who asked how could it be that Rabbi Yochanan went around with the bone of his tenth son in his pocket, and, as it were, didn’t feel grief about this, but when Reish Lakish died, his mind became disturbed from his terrible grief over him. He explained that from here we see that a student is more important than a son. The Rav shlit”a also spoke about Rebbe Nachman, saying that whoever believes in Rebbe Nachman can get the entire world to repent. Towards the end of the shiur, he spoke about the situation in the Holy Land and about the terrible massacre of Simchat Torah, comparing the horrific act of Hamas to the acts of the Nazis. Likewise, he related a number of stories of rescue from the time of the Warsaw Ghetto.
Afterwards, he spoke about the incident that is brought in Baba Kama 117, that when Rav Kahana learned by Rav, he killed a slanderer and because of this, Rav instructed him to flee to the Land of Israel and not to raise difficult questions for seven years. When he came to the Beit Midrash of Reish Lakish, because he was silent during the shiur, he moved him seven seats backwards, and said that this was counted for him as like seven years. Rav Kahana asked difficult questions to Rabbi Yochanan and he was unable to respond, and it appeared to him as if Rav Kahana was smiling about this, and so since he resented this, Rav Kahana died. The following day, Rabbi Yochanan understood that Rav Kahana had not been smiling and went to the burial cave where he found a snake which didn’t allow him to enter until he said, “May the student enter to be by his Rabbi.” He prayed for mercy for him and revived him, and Rav Kahana solved all the difficult questions of Rabbi Yochanan, and this is what Rabbi Yochanan said, “[At first,] I said [that the Torah] is yours [of those in the Land of Israel, but now I realize that] it is [actually] theirs [of the Babylonians],” that everything that I have is from those in Babylonia. Afterwards Rav Kahana returned to Babylonia. With this, the Rav shlit”a finished the shiur, forty minutes of fiery words of Torah!
