Rabbi Berland's First Student Shares Special Majestic Memories:

The Chassid Rabbi Eliyahu Sukkot raises memories and majestic impressions from years past: The last lesson of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Bender in the 'Shul' (synagogue) • The holy hand he placed on our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a, and the longing gaze of our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a • A whole week in the fields under heavy rains and a wet streimel (fur hat) • And memories from Shabbat Chanukah in Meron with Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of blessed memory, and our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a

To Swallow Every Word

For nine years, I merited to come every Shabbat morning to the 'Shul' (synagogue) for the lesson on the Sippurei Ma'asiyos (Rabbi Nachman's Stories) given by Reb Levi Yitzchak after the prayer. I was also there on the last Shabbat that Reb Levi Yitzchak came to the Shul. It might have been at the beginning of the month of Nissan. Afterward, he no longer felt well. It was the Shabbat-Chatan (the Shabbat before a wedding) of Nachman Grossman. His father, Reb Gabriel, is a close student of Rabbi Berland. I sat next to Reb Levi Yitzchak, and the Rav sat opposite him. Reb Levi Yitzchak placed his hand on Rabbi Berland's hand and spoke. I saw that our teacher Rabbi Berland looked at him the whole time with such a gaze that is difficult to describe; it was as if Rabbi Berland was seeing him for the first and last time, and wanted to swallow every word for all eternity.

Reb Levi Yitzchak spoke then about how, if one goes to sleep with holy longings to wake up for Chatzos (the Midnight Lament) and to serve Hashem, with prayers to Hashem that we merit to wake up for Chatzos, then when one wakes up, they certainly wake up with longings and yearnings for Hashem. In retrospect, I understood that Reb Levi Yitzchak was also speaking about the World to Come—if a person departs from the world with such holy longings and yearnings, they will certainly be in the palace of Rebbe Nachman in Heaven as well.

And as I said, that gaze—how the Rav looks and wants to drink in every word—is something engraved within me to this day. Because there is the matter of "looking" (spiritual perception). And it is not necessarily just physical sight. It is known that once Reb Nachman of Tulchin sighed before Moharnat (Rabbi Nosson) because he did not merit to see Rebbe Nachman, and Rabbi Nosson said to him: 'You have nothing to sigh about; you see me—you see Rebbe Nachman, because you see the eyes that saw Rebbe Nachman. And this is not just any sight, because even Yossele, the one who steered the ship and transported people, also saw Rebbe Nachman many times. Is that called "seeing"??? The main thing is to receive the path!'... After Reb Nachman heard this, he said: 'Fortunate are the eyes that saw the eyes that saw the Rebbe…' Reb Levi Yitzchak once said that we, too, should say: 'Fortunate are the eyes that saw the eyes, that saw the eyes, etc.'...

A Water-Soaked Streimel

This was in Bnei Brak nearly fifty years ago. Rabbi Berland went to the field on Shabbat for Hisbodedus (secluded prayer), and stayed there until the following Friday afternoon!... During all those days, heavy rains fell, and Rabbi Berland was in the field in his Shabbat clothes, with the streimel (fur hat) that had belonged to one of the great Rebbes. Rabbi Berland returned on Friday, placed the wet and water-soaked streimel on the table, and said: "This streimel has already completed its tikkun (rectification)"... The wonder was that after a few hours, the streimel dried completely and returned to its previous state…

Shabbat in Meron with Reb Levi Yitzchak

I also recall special impressions from Shabbat Chanukah in Meron with our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a and Reb Levi Yitzchak. It was also Rosh Chodesh Tevet, and also the aufruf (pre-wedding celebration) of Reb Nachman Berland, the Rav's son. After the Friday night prayer, I was together with Rabbi Berland in Reb Levi Yitzchak's room; it was on the bottom floor where the police station is today.

Reb Levi Yitzchak ate some soup, spoke words of Torah, and then said: 'Nu, Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals)'... By 11:00 PM, he was already at the Tziyun (holy gravesite) and began Chatzos (the Midnight Lament). Thus, he spent the whole night in the service of Hashem... Also present were Reb Gabriel Grossman, may he live long, the father-in-law of our teacher the Rav shlit"a, Reb Tzvi Zutolovsky, and Reb Michel Dorfman.