A Lesson for the Residents of Beitar at the Residence of the Gaon and Tzaddik

On Monday, the night of the 2nd of Av, our community members from the city of Beitar Illit entered the residence of the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a for a lesson that lasted approximately fifty-five minutes. Below is a summary of the lesson:

The Rav shlit"a began the lesson with encouragement regarding the study of Gemara (Talmud) and explained the Sugya (Talmudic topic) of "a Kav in four cubits." Afterward, he discussed Parshas Shemos (the Torah portion of Exodus), explaining how Moshe's staff swallowed the staffs of all the magicians. He then continued with the Sugya of mustard and bees. Following this, he cited how Avraham broke the idols and performed "leitzanuta d'avodah zarah" (mockery of idol worship). During the talk, he told several stories about how Jews truly want Hashem and desire to return in teshuvah (repentance). Afterward, he returned to strengthen the matter of specifically studying Gemara, as brought in Torah 12 of Likutey Moharan. Moving from one Torah to another, he transitioned to Torah 3, also regarding the encouragement of studying Gemara at night, and he spoke against "nigunim d'kelipah" (unholy melodies).

He also encouraged the study of Chumash (Pentateuch) with Rashi and spoke about the verse, "A star has stepped forth from Yaakov, and it shall crush the corners of Moav," which Bilaam said to Balak—referring to King David who would emerge from him and destroy Moav. Afterward, he discussed the verse, "like them and like them a hundred times," explaining that Yoav, in the merit of his great acts of chesed (kindness), merited the famous doubling that the Rav shlit"a never stops speaking about—where one doubles the number two a hundred times, resulting in a thousand billion trillion.

Toward the end of the lesson, he discussed the Etz Chaim (Kabbalistic work) regarding the secret of "Who and who are those who go," explaining that the spies were from the Yesod (foundation) of Abba (the higher level of Wisdom), while Yehoshua and Kalev were from the Yesod of Imma (the level of Understanding). Therefore, the spies did not want to enter the Land, as for them, it would have been a descent in their spiritual level.