Lesson for Breslov Chassidim of Modi'in Illit at the Holy Residence of the Gaon

Last night, Monday, the eve of the 4th of Adar I, the community of Breslov Chassidim from Modi'in Illit entered for a lesson at the residence of our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days).

Before you is a summary of the lesson:

Our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, began the lesson regarding the story of Megillat Esther (the Scroll of Esther). He expanded greatly on the story of the Megillah, adding many Midrashim (homiletic teachings) and chiddushim (original Torah insights). During his words, he read from the Ben Ish Chai (a classic work by Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad) regarding Megillat Esther about the greatness of the peyos (sidelocks) of Mordechai. As mentioned there, the thing that angered Haman more than anything else was that Mordechai had thick and coarse peyos, and the Rav spoke about the importance of the peyos of a Jewish person.

After these words, he spoke about additional topics, including: the greatness of Nachshon ben Aminadav who jumped into the sea, saying that in this merit, he was privileged that King David would be among his descendants, as brought at the end of Megillat Ruth (4:18) in the genealogy of Perez - Nachshon - David.

Moving from one topic to another, he cited the verse, "There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them (rodem), the princes of Judah, their heap of stones (rigmatam)" (Psalms 68:28), explaining that the tribe of Benjamin jumped into the Yam Suf (Red Sea) after Nachshon ben Aminadav but before the established order of the tribes. Because of this, the tribe of Judah pelted them with stones, as it says, "the princes of Judah, their heap of stones." In the merit of the tribe of Benjamin accepting the bizyonos (humiliations) with love—as did Benjamin the son of Jacob in Egypt during the story of Joseph's cup—they merited that the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple) would be built in their territory. Afterward, he spoke about the greatness of songs and dancing, mentioning the words of Reb Noson regarding the importance of increasing hand-clapping and dancing, especially in the month of Adar—the month of joy.

Later in the lesson, he told many stories of the first trips to Uman during the era of the Iron Curtain, and how his son, Reb Nachman, managed to reach Uman through miracles against all odds.

Toward the end of the lesson, he gave encouragement regarding prayer and Hisbodedus (secluded prayer), citing the teaching found in the books Siach Sarfei Kodesh and Kochvei Or: they told Moharnat zy"a (Reb Noson, of holy and righteous memory) about a scholar who knew a thousand pages of Gemara (Talmud) by heart. Reb Noson replied, "My student, Reb Ozer, can say 'Ribono Shel Olam' (Master of the Universe) a thousand times!"