On a Birthday, One Triumphs Over Everyone • The 87th Royal Birthday of our

Today, the 23rd of Tevet, is the "Royal Birthday," marking 87 years since the appearance in this world of the great light, the healer of souls for the final generation, our master, teacher, and Rebbe, the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days). May he lead his kingdom for many years until the coming of Mashiach (the Messiah), our righteousness, with our King at our head, Amen!

Presented before you is a collection from the lessons of our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, regarding the greatness of one's birthday:

The Jerusalem Talmud asks: What did Amalek do? He took people whose birthday it was that day. People ask, "What is a birthday?" The Baal Shem Tov celebrated his birthday, as did all the great Halachic authorities, because it is the greatest day of the year. On this day, all sins are forgiven—everything! On one's birthday, one should stay awake during that night and perform special tikkunim (rectifications), because then the soul triumphs over everyone. He can be victorious! He can wage war against the entire world; he can fight the whole world alone. The whole world! He has no fear! A Jew can fight the entire world and fear no one. He can walk among Arabs, among terrorists, with no fear at all. No one has any control over a Jew if he only performs teshuvah (repentance) and guards his thoughts and the holiness of his eyes. No terrorist can have power over him. Especially on a birthday, no one can harm him! The Gemara in the Jerusalem Talmud says that Amalek took people on their birthdays. A person doesn't need to do anything special [to be protected]; on his birthday, it is impossible to defeat him! Even a non-Jew cannot be defeated on his birthday. So what did Amalek do? He took people for whom it was their "lucky day," their birthday. Then, no one could defeat them. What did Moshe (Moses) do? He switched the constellations (mazalos), the birth dates. For each person, he changed their birth date and their constellations. He changed the constellations "by the hand of your fellows." This is how the Korban HaEda commentary explains it: "Through sorcery, he brought war on his birthday." A person cannot be defeated on his birthday; "A person is not easily harmed on his birthday, for then his mazal (fortune/destiny) rules and assists him." Moshe switched the constellations so that the mazal would not rule—so that the luck of the birthday would not be able to protect them.

***

"And they took counsel that on a certain day there would be a birthday feast for the king, which they call 'Mininis' (birthday)." This is called 'Mininis' in Russian. Even today, when we first came to Russia, we wanted a driver to take us to Uman. He said, "Today I have my Mininis, I cannot." So we knew from the Sippurei Ma'asiyos (Rebbe Nachman's Stories) what the meaning of "Mininis" was—that it is a birthday. So it is called "Mininis" in Russian—a "small miracle" (nes katan). A birthday is a small miracle, if a person merited to reach his birthday. This is already a miracle; it is full of miracles! Every day that a person lives is another miracle and another miracle! Every day that he lives! He needs to reach his birthday. The Tzaddikim say that a birthday is a day of teshuvah (repentance). A person needs to remember: "Today I was born, I came into the world, thank Hashem another year has passed, and what have I accomplished in the world? I have done nothing..." Once, a person could overturn the whole world; there were kings who began to reign at the age of 8, like King Jehoiachin and King Josiah. King Solomon began to reign at the age of 12. A person needs to think about his own age—there were already kings who had already overturned the whole world. And where am I? Where do I stand? So a person must know that when a birthday arrives, it is a day of teshuvah! That is to say, his wedding day is truly a day of teshuvah. For a birthday is called a day of teshuvah, and this is the "Kingship," because the Rebbe [Nachman] says that the day a person does teshuvah is like Yom Kippur. Every day that a person does Hisbodedus (secluded prayer), it is above time! That very day that a person did Hisbodedus is above time! Therefore, no one can harm him, and in everything he does, he will succeed! For this day is above time!