On Lag BaOmer One Sees Hashem Eye to Eye • A Fiery Lesson from the Gaon and

Before you is a fiery lesson delivered by the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a on the night of Lag BaOmer in the year 5780 (2020):

Netzach of Netzach (endurance within endurance) is our Rebbe (Nachman), Hod of Hod (splendor within splendor) is Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. For the entire matter is Hod of Hod; all the spiritual work is Hod of Hod—to rectify Hod of Hod, the "smallness within smallness" (spiritual constriction). Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai rectifies even the furthest edge of smallness in the world. There is no state of smallness that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai does not rectify, even the first level of smallness of Abba and Imma (the higher intellectual emanations).

For the first day—meaning the Sefirah (counting of the Omer) which is seven weeks—always, every first day of the week of the Sefirah is the first level of Gadlus (greatness/expansion) of Abba. The second day is the first level of Gadlus of Imma. Afterward, the third day in the week of the Sefirah is the second level of Katnus of Katnus (constriction within constriction) of Abba and Imma. The fourth day is always the Sefirah of Netzach, which is the second level of Gadlus of Imma. The fifth day of the Sefirah (of the week) is Katnus of Katnus, Hod of Hod. Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai) comes to rectify Hod of Hod, so that we may see Hashem eye to eye, even in Hod of Hod—in the deepest state of smallness.

The Kohen Gadol (High Priest) must change into linen garments. Rashbi is the Kohen Gadol who was in the cave for thirteen years in linen garments until his entire body was worn away. "And he shall put linen breeches upon his flesh," "it shall be linen for linen." The word "Bad" (linen) in the At-Bash (alphabetical substitution) system is "Sh-K," which spells "Sak" (sackcloth). Esau came toward Jacob with 400 men, and the "Sak" nullifies this; "Sak" has the numerical value (Gematria) of 400. This is the secret of "he shall put linen breeches upon his flesh."

Rashbi merited "he shall put linen breeches upon his flesh." Rashbi is the Kohen Gadol; he is in the aspect of the High Priest who enters the Kodesh Kodashim (Holy of Holies). For the Rambam (Maimonides) brings in the seventh principle that Moses entered the Holy of Holies every day. Every day, every moment, every second, he was in the Holy of Holies. When one reaches the Rashbi, they are in the Holy of Holies. Also, when one reaches the Tziyun (gravesite) of our Rebbe (Nachman), they are in the Holy of Holies, as Rabbi Avraham ben Rabbi Nachman said—that the Tziyun of our Rebbe is the Holy of Holies at every second. What the High Priest does once a year, one experiences every second in the Holy of Holies.

Therefore, Abba Umna (the Talmudic sage), who would travel every Erev Rosh Chodesh (eve of the New Month) to Uman, merited a greeting of peace from Heaven every day. Every day he was in the Holy of Holies. Even when Abba Umna was bloodletting, he was in the Holy of Holies; his entire life he was in the Holy of Holies. The service of Abba Umna was that his whole life he was in the Holy of Holies, so he merited to receive peace from Heaven every day. Abaye only received it every Erev Shabbos (Sabbath eve), and Rava—who was the soul of Lot, "And they took Lot and his goods (Rechushu), the son (Ben) of Abram's brother (Achi)" where the first letters of 'Rechushu Ben Achi' spell Rava—Rava was a spark of Lot, and he only received peace once a year on Erev Yom Kippur.

And Abaye, every Erev Shabbos. "Abaye" is an acronym for "Asher Becha Yerucham Yasom" (In You the orphan finds mercy). This is the secret of Joseph, whose mother Rachel passed away in his youth. "Yasom" (orphan) is an acronym for "Yefeh Toar V'Yefeh Mareh" (beautiful in form and appearance). What is "beautiful in form and appearance"? That he merited to be an orphan. This is the greatest level—that a person merits to grow up without a father and mother, for then he serves Hashem alone, not because he is being educated into it, but because he sees eye to eye.

Now, on Lag BaOmer, one sees Hashem eye to eye. A person's work is to see Hashem eye to eye. A person comes to the world to see Hashem eye to eye; every second a person sees Hashem eye to eye. Man was created for only one thing—to see Hashem eye to eye. This is his entire creation; this is the whole purpose of Lag BaOmer. This is why we travel to Miron on Lag BaOmer—to see Hashem eye to eye. Whoever merits to come to Miron sees Hashem eye to eye. "Eye to eye they shall see when Hashem returns to Zion." Now we see Hashem eye to eye. We came to the world to see Hashem eye to eye; we were created to see Hashem eye to eye. "No eye has seen, O G-d, besides You"—this is Gan Eden (Paradise). Inside Gan Eden sits Melech HaMashiach (the King Messiah), and Gan Eden is located outside of the world, and at the entrance of Gan Eden sits Melech HaMashiach. This is what Rashi says, that Gan Eden is entirely outside the world, and the Mashiach connects Gan Eden and the world.

And the Mashiach is Rabbi Shimon; he is called Mashiach. "You ascended on high, you took captives (Shavi)"—the first letters of "Shavi" are Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai. [-] Nachman ben Simcha. A person's spiritual work is Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai; this is a person's entire work: to see Hashem eye to eye every second, every hour to see Hashem eye to eye, every minute to see Hashem eye to eye. Wherever he goes, to see Hashem eye to eye. "And He called to Moses"—Hashem calls to a person every second, every minute. Every moment Hashem calls to the person to come.

And now is the moment they are calling to the person. Now is "And He called to Moses." Now is Lag BaOmer, when we are close to Hashem, Hod of Hod, to rectify the shoes. For Rashbi was a cobbler of shoes; Rashbi and Chanoch (Enoch). He is Chanoch who sews shoes; with every stitch he says: "Blessed be the Name of His glorious Kingdom forever and ever." This is what the frog says, the "Tzippor De'ah" (Bird of Knowledge), for the Rebbe says the frog is the Bird of Knowledge—this is the true Da'as (knowledge), that she sees Hashem eye to eye. We must sew shoes for Hod of Hod, so that the Shechinah (Divine Presence) can descend below. The Tzaddikim sew shoes. The Tam (Simpleton) sews shoes (see Rebbe Nachman's Stories, Story 9). Rashbi sews shoes, our Rebbe sews shoes. Our Rebbe is the Tam—he sews shoes. A person comes to the world to sew shoes; a person's entire work is to sew for the Shechinah. "Because they sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes." Everything is for the sake of the shoes. Therefore it is written in Siman 291, Halacha 2, that he puts the shoes on the donkey (chamor). "Chamor" refers to "Issachar is a strong-boned donkey (chamor garem)," meaning a person should be like a donkey—his whole life like a donkey, "chamor garem," who doesn't need to sleep and doesn't need to eat. A Libyan donkey doesn't sleep and doesn't eat; for ten days it walks without eating or sleeping.

This is the secret of Rashbi—that in his life he never slept. He was inside the cave, inside the pit; for thirteen years he did not sleep at all. Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet) taught him Torah. If a person does not sleep, Eliyahu HaNavi himself is revealed to him. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi arrived and wanted to enter; he said, "What is my portion in the World to Come?" It is Rashbi who lets people in. Rashbi decides all things; from the smallest to the greatest, Rashbi decides. Everything that happened in the world, Rashbi decides. Everything that happens in the Land of Israel is Rashbi's decision—that everyone should be in the Land of Israel, that everyone should go up to Miron, and everyone should be at the Hadlakah (bonfire lighting). This is Rashbi's decision. Therefore, Rashbi is the Holy of Holies; he is the Dvir (Inner Sanctuary). This is the true Dvir, the true Holy of Holies—this is Rashbi. Rashbi is [the soul of] our Rebbe—Rabbi Nachman. Until sunset, it was Netzach of Hod; now it is Hod of Hod. We switch the 'Shin' and the 'Nun', and then we will merit the complete Geulah (Redemption) speedily in our days, Amen.