An Amazing Story: When Rabbi Berland Instructed to Travel to Kever Yosef in the Heart of Danger / A Wondrous Story of Rescue

A sudden instruction from Morinu HaRav Rabbi Berland shlit"a sent eighty chassidim to the tomb of Yosef HaTzaddik (Joseph the Righteous) in the heart of Shechem (Nablus), with simple faith and without fear, in order to sweeten the judgments over the Jewish people.

An Amazing Story: When Rabbi Berland Instructed to Travel to Kever Yosef in the Heart of Danger

This week, on Monday night, a special and sudden instruction arrived from Morinu HaRav Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. The Rav directed that a large group should go out to the tomb of Yosef HaTzaddik, peace be upon him, in the city of Shechem. The goal was clear: to prostrate themselves at the holy tziyun (gravesite) and cry out to Hashem, may He be blessed, that the harsh judgments should be sweetened from upon the Jewish people.

The Rav asked the travelers to act so "that destruction and ruin will no longer be heard, and no Jew will ever be killed again." The exact instruction was for the chassidim to enter the holy tziyun and barricade themselves there throughout the entire night, with shouts and cries to Hashem, may He be blessed, in order to nullify the harsh decrees.

Simple Faith in the Heart of Danger

When the tzaddik commands, his students have no questions and no doubts. This is true even though it involves terrible danger to enter the "lion's den," in the heart of a hostile city and among dangerous elements. The people of the tzaddik are already educated in simple, pure, and refined emunah (faith).

They know that no one determines the reality in the world—not the police and not the army; rather, only the tzaddik determines it. If the tzaddik commands, there is no need for permission from anyone, because either way, there is no true protection in the world other than the protection of Hashem, may He be blessed.

Setting Out with Mesirus Nefesh (Self-Sacrifice)

Out of that burning faith, knowing that if Hashem, may He be blessed, is guarding them, "who is he and where is he who would dare do anything," the operation was put into action immediately. Four vans loaded with about eighty men set out that night toward the holy tziyun of Yosef HaTzaddik.

They traveled with tremendous mesirus nefesh (self-sacrifice), armed with a burning emunas chachamim (faith in the Sages), in order to fulfill the words of the tzaddik and protect the Jewish people from all evil.

A Wondrous Story of Rescue: Bullets Flew, Vehicles Were Pierced, Yet No One Was Harmed

The chassidim and followers of Morinu HaRav Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a are accustomed to traveling to the holiest and most dangerous places, out of burning faith and trust in the power of the tzaddik. On one of these journeys, a group of the tzaddik's followers arrived at a holy tziyun. They stood there, pleaded with the Creator of the Universe, and recited The Tikkun HaKlali with great spiritual awakening.

An Ambush on the Way Back

After completing their order of spiritual service, the chassidim boarded the vehicles and began their way back. However, the way back held a terrible danger. Suddenly, cursed terrorists, may their names be erased, emerged and began firing bursts of bullets toward the convoy of vehicles, may Hashem protect us.

Open Miracles and Wondrous Marvels

In those moments of terror, Hashem, may He be blessed, showed them miracles and wonders. These were true wondrous marvels in the face of the inferno. The whistling bullets struck the vehicles with force and tore large holes in the glass windows, but by an open and incomprehensible miracle, not a single bullet hit any of the passengers.

Despite the hail of gunfire and the tangible danger, Divine Providence hovered over them in the merit of the tzaddik's power. Everyone, without exception, was saved from the deadly ambush. They returned to their homes for life and peace, thanking Hashem, may He be blessed, for the wondrous rescue.

From Issue 84 — Parshas Vayakhel

From the series "Tzaddik Moshel Yiras Elokim" (A Tzaddik Rules Through the Fear of God) — "Shapir Amar Nachmani" Publications