A Lesson for Shuvu Banim Rehovot in the Residence of the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi

Even in the city of Rehovot, there are students of our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days). Some of them merited to enter the inner sanctum for a lesson in the residence of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, yesterday, Wednesday, the night of the 22nd of Iyar. Before you is a summary of the lesson delivered to the participants:

Our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, began the lesson regarding the abundance of prophecy that existed during the period of the First Temple, and the fact that most of the girls would prophesy, as brought in the Midrashim (homiletic teachings) on the Tanakh (Bible). He cited the prayer of Chanah, in which the miracle of Chanukah and even the miracle of Purim were already hinted at five hundred and eighty years prior, in the verse "The bow of the mighty is broken" – these are the Maccabees. "Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread" – these are the seventy sons of Haman who came to ask forgiveness from Mordechai.

Afterward, he cited the words of the Gemara (Talmud) in Sanhedrin regarding the fact that the gates of the Holy Temple did not open in the days of King Solomon, except in the merit of David. The Rav also spoke about the Molad (new moon announcement) of the month of Sivan, in which we receive the Torah, and he also spoke about the greatness of the counting of this week – the counting of the Sefirah of Yesod (foundation).

Later in the lesson, he spoke at length about the seventh principle out of the 13 Principles of Faith of the Rambam (Maimonides) in the introduction to Perek Chelek (a chapter in the Talmud), where it is explained that Moshe Rabbeinu – the Tzaddik – completely nullified all physical matters, and there was no prophet like him, nor will there ever be a prophet like him. Afterward, he spoke about many topics, including: the greatness of the tribe of Yehuda – Nachshon ben Aminadav; and the greatness of the tribe of Binyamin, who jumped first into the sea before the tribe of Yehuda.

Likewise, he spoke about the greatness of the tribe of Dan, which was the "gatherer of all the camps," and here he transitioned to speaking about Samson the Hero and the entire account brought in the Prophets. During the lesson, he brought a story from the author of the Tosafot Yom Tov and shared many stories of miracles that happened to people during the Holocaust and more. At the end of the lesson, he returned to the matter of Gevurah she'be'Yesod (Strength within Foundation) and the preparation for the holiday of Shavuot, the holiday of the Giving of the Torah. After more than forty minutes, he concluded with Kaddish (sanctification prayer) and went out for the Maariv (evening) prayer on the balcony of his home.