A Story About the Secrets of Baking Matzos by Rabbi Eliezer Berland / A Story About Sensory Faith

A wondrous story about the immense spiritual intentions and hidden secrets revealed by Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a during the baking of matzos, and how one can merit ascending to the Upper Garden of Eden through them.

A Story About the Secrets of Baking Matzos by Rabbi Eliezer Berland

One of the students relates the tremendous spiritual awakening and exalted intentions of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, approaching the holiday of Pesach. The Rav revealed to his students the hidden secrets concealed behind every single stage of preparing the matzos. He provided them with holy words to recite during the work in order to merit a tremendous deveikus (attachment) to the Creator.

The Secrets of Baking and Rolling the Matzos

This is how the Rav shlit"a taught to pray during the preparation of the matzos: "Master of the Universe, the Almighty, grant me the merit through the baking of the matzos to be included in Adam Kadmon of Adam Kadmon (the highest primordial spiritual realm). May I merit during the time of baking and rolling the matzos to ascend to Adam Kadmon of Adam Kadmon, and may I only see Hashem face to face."

The Rav continued, describing the immense deveikus (attachment) that one can reach while fulfilling the mitzvah: "May I merit to see Hashem during the rolling of the matzos literally face to face, to feel Hashem in every moment and second. May I merit to feel this in all parts of my soul—in the Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah, and Yechidah (the five levels of the soul), and may I always merit to remain at the highest level of Yechidah."

Ascending to the Upper Garden of Eden

Continuing his words, the tzaddik explained the spiritual journey a person undergoes through the matzah. "Because during the rolling and baking of the matzos, we ascend to the Lower Garden of Eden," the Rav revealed. "And during the serving and eating of the matzos, we ascend to the actual Upper Garden of Eden."

However, this ascent is not automatically guaranteed; rather, it depends on a person's preparation and purity. The Rav emphasized that the spiritual elevation occurs "according to the level of holiness we merit during their rolling, their kneading, their baking, and their eating." Every single moment in the process demands deep holiness and purity of thought.

The Shape of the Matzah and the Secret of Faith

Concluding his words, the Rav shlit"a addressed the traditional shape of the Shmurah matzos, revealing the tremendous hint concealed within them. "It is ideal that the matzos be round," the Rav explained, "as it is stated, 'and Your faithfulness surrounds You' (Psalms 89:9), for emunah (faith) is in the aspect of circles."

These holy words of the tzaddik illuminate the mitzvah of baking matzos in a new light. They teach us how the physical act of kneading and baking can transform into a mighty spiritual journey, bringing a person to absolute deveikus (attachment) to the Creator of the Universe and strengthening complete emunah (faith).

A Story About Sensory Faith: The Cry That Shook the Heart

Anyone who merits to be in the presence of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, constantly hears from him the tremendous request and aspiration, which he also writes many times during prayer: "And may I merit to see Hashem."

Anyone who spends time in the presence of the tzaddik sees tangibly that he is a person who lives the Divine reality, seeing Hashem in every single moment. Such strong and sensory emunah (faith) in Hashem is a supreme spiritual level that is far greater than ordinary physical sight.

The Cry in Uman

This brings to mind the well-known story that took place in the city of Uman. At that time, there was a group of heretics in Uman whom all the tzaddikim of that generation distanced due to their heretical views, which were in the aspect of the "forehead of the snake" (brazen impurity). The only one who drew them close and brought them back in teshuvah (repentance) was the holy Rebbe, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov zy"a.

The holy Rebbe forbade all of his students from speaking with those individuals, with the exception of his foremost disciple, Rabbi Noson zy"a. Rebbe Nachman explicitly instructed him that he was the only one permitted to converse with them.

Once, one of those heretics, a man named Hirsch Ber, approached Rabbi Noson. He began to pose his challenging questions and raise his doubts in faith before Rabbi Noson.

Suddenly, Rabbi Noson let out a mighty cry from the depths of his heart: "What are you talking about? 'And I see Hashem'!" This cry, which erupted from a burning faith and a sensory vision of the Creator, penetrated deep into the heart of Hirsch Ber. He accepted the words immediately, abandoned his doubts, and began to believe in Hashem with pure and sincere faith.

So too in our generation, the burning faith and spiritual vision of the tzaddik illuminate souls and awaken hearts to simple and pure emunah (faith) in the Creator of the Universe.

A Story of Rare Charity: One Hundred Thousand Dollars Transferred Immediately to the Rosh Kollel

One of the close followers relates an amazing and moving story from the period when our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, was staying in the Netherlands. This story illustrates more than anything the tzaddik's absolute detachment from the matters of this world. Through this event, one can see his tremendous self-sacrifice for the poor of Israel and those who study Torah.

A Pidyon Nefesh of One Hundred Thousand Dollars

One day, a very wealthy Jew arrived at the residence of the Rav shlit"a in the Netherlands. This Jew entered the inner sanctum and asked to give the tzaddik a Pidyon Nefesh (a monetary redemption for the soul). He placed on the table an enormous and unfathomable sum of one hundred thousand dollars in cash.

Immediately afterward, another Jew entered the room. It was a Rosh Kollel who supported many impoverished Torah scholars under his auspices, and he painfully shared with the Rav that the Kollel was in severe financial distress. He described to the Rav the great hardship and the difficulty in paying the stipends to the scholars.

An Immediate Transfer to the Rosh Kollel

Without hesitating for a moment, the tzaddik took the entire one hundred thousand dollars he had just received from the wealthy Jew and handed it immediately to the Rosh Kollel. This incredible act took place right before the astonished eyes of the wealthy donor. He merited to see with his own eyes how the massive sum he had donated was transferred on the spot to support Torah and for pure charity.

This story teaches us a profound lesson in the laws of charity and in emunas chachamim (faith in the Sages). For the tzaddik, money is nothing but a tool to increase loving-kindness and Torah in the world, and the distribution of charity is done in a wondrous manner the likes of which is unheard of.

From Issue 79 — Parashas Tazria

From the series "A Tzaddik Rules in the Fear of God" — "Shapir Amar Nachmani" Publications