Lesson for the Volunteers of the Rashbi Hillula Organization at the Residence of

On Monday of this week, Parshat Bechukotai, the night of the 20th of Iyar, the volunteers of the Rashbi Hillula (celebration of passing) organization merited to enter the residence of the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days) for a lesson in the inner sanctum.

As we expanded upon in the coverage of Lag BaOmer in the shadow of the Rav shlit"a, this year the lighting was held across Shivtei Israel and HaChoma HaShlishit streets. This was because Lag BaOmer fell on Motzaei Shabbos (the conclusion of the Sabbath). From the moment the Sabbath ended, many young men volunteered to help prepare the Hillula (celebration). This included distributing "Chai Rotel" (a traditional 18-measure quantity) of drinks and cake to all participants, as well as setting up fences and assisting with the music production. To show gratitude to these volunteers, they merited to enter the inner sanctum on Monday night, the 20th of Iyar, before the Maariv (evening) prayer for a lesson in the inner sanctum. Before you is a summary of the lesson, which lasted about forty minutes:

The Rav began the lesson by discussing the greatness of those who assist in honoring the Hillula (celebration of passing) of the Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai). He also spoke about Yocheved and Miriam, who saved all of the Jewish people. He further delved into how Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, saved Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses our Teacher), and in the merit of her mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice) in ignoring the decree of her father—King Pharaoh—he was called by the name Bithiah gave him: Moshe. This is the secret of the "green line that renews the months," which refers to the Tzaddik, and this is the secret of "Esther was greenish (of sallow complexion)." He cited the words of the Likutey Halachos (the primary legal-spiritual work of Breslov) on this, explaining that every righteous woman can be like Queen Esther. During his words, he also discussed the greatness of Samson the Hero, as well as the greatness of Absalom, who lost everything because he opposed the Tzaddik—his father, King David.

Afterward, he spoke about the verse, "From on high He sent fire into my bones, and it prevailed against them," explaining that only angels from heaven burned the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple), because in truth, no human could ever burn the Holy Temple! He also spoke about Sennacherib, who tried to conquer Jerusalem and gathered all the armies of the world, arriving with an army of one billion, six hundred million minus one, and discussed everything mentioned in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) regarding the story of Hezekiah and Sennacherib. Later, he spoke about the plagues the Egyptians received at the Sea, and how they turned to the teachings of Rabbi Akiva, who expounded all the homilies. He explained that the more plagues one expounds upon, the more healings there are, because "all the disease which I put upon Egypt I will not put upon you, for I am Hashem your Healer." He linked this to the portion of Parshat Bechukotai, noting that it is written in the Zohar that in truth, all ninety-eight curses are transformed into ninety-eight blessings.