For the Hilulah of the Chesed L’Avraham by Rabbi Eliezer Berland Shlit”a

TODAY, MONDAY, 24 MARCHESHVAN, IS THE 381ST YAHRZEIT (5404-5785) OF THE AUTHOR OF CHESED L’AVRAHAM, THE KABBALIST AND TZADDIK, RABBEINU AVRAHAM AZULAI BEN RABBI MORDECHAI, THE GREAT, GREAT-GRANDFATHER OF MARAN HACHIDA ZY”A.  BEFORE YOU IS AN EXCERPT FROM A SHIUR IN WHICH MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A EXPLAINS WHY THE CHESED L’AVRAHAM WOULD SIGN WITH A PICTURE OF A SHIP, AND THE GREAT MERIT OF LIVING IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL:

THE CHESED L’AVRAHAM WRITES THAT EVEN IF ONE WERE TO DROWN [ON THE WAY], IT IS WORTH IT TO ASCEND TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL.  THE CHESED L’AVRAHAM HAD A SIGNET WITH A PICTURE OF A SHIP, BECAUSE ON HIS JOURNEY, THE SHIP [HE WAS ON] NEARLY SANK, AND HE WAS SAVED.  SO HE WOULD SIGN WITH A PICTURE OF A SHIP.  THE CHESED L’AVRAHAM WRITES THAT WHOEVER DIES ON THE WAY TO THE LAND [OF ISRAEL] IMMEDIATELY ASCENDS TO LEARN TORAH DIRECTLY FROM THE KADOSH BARUCH HU, AND THE KADOSH BARUCH HU IMMEDIATELY RECEIVES HIM AND MAKES WINGS FOR HIM.  ANYONE WHO ASCENDED TO THE LAND WILL HAVE WINGS, AND IN THE FUTURE WORLD, THOSE WHO STAYED OUTSIDE ISRAEL WILL SEE THOSE WHO CAME TO ISRAEL, THAT THEY ARE WITH WINGS AND ASCEND TO HEAR TORAH FROM HASHEM YITBARACH AND DESCEND, AND THEY WILL ASK THEM WHAT THEY HEARD, WHAT NEW INSIGHTS THEY HEARD.  THEY WILL HEAR THE NOVEL INSIGHTS ON PARASHAT VAYESHEV.

IT WAS A MIRACLE THAT HE HELD ONTO HIS TEFILLIN.  HE WAS LEFT WITH NOTHING EXCEPT FOR TEFILLIN.  THEN HE MADE A SIGNET WITH A PICTURE OF A SHIP.  ALL THE SIGNATURES OF THE CHESED L’AVRAHAM ARE A SEAL WITH A PICTURE OF A SHIP.  SO EVEN TO DROWN IN THE SEA, EVEN TO BE DROWNED, THE MAIN THING IS TO ASCEND TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL, NO MATTER WHAT.  THE CHESED L’AVRAHAM, IN THE THIRD “MA’AYAN,” “MA’AYAN HA’ARETZ,” SAYS THAT A PERSON IS OBLIGATED TO ASCEND TO THE LAND OF ISRAEL, EVEN IF HE KNOWS THAT HE WILL DROWN AT SEA, KNOWS THAT HE’LL BE SOLD AS A SLAVE.  IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL, WE ARE IN THE WORLD OF YETZIRAH (FORMATION), AND SO THOSE WHO DESCEND, WHO GO OUTSIDE ISRAEL, DESCEND FROM YETZIRAH TO ASIYAH (ACTION), AND THEIR SOUL IS SWITCHED.  WHEN A PERSON LEAVES THE LAND, HIS SOUL IS SWITCHED.  WHEN HE RETURNS TO THE LAND, HIS SOUL IS RETURNED TO HIM.

(Excerpted from the shiurim of Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a over the years.  If any errors are found, they should be attributed to the compiler and writer, and not, God forbid, to Moreinu HaRav shlit”a)

PRAYER FROM MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A FOR THE DAY OF THE HILULAH (WRITTEN LAST YEAR, 5784):

Please, Hashem, in the merit of the Chesed L’Avraham, let us merit to reach the days of Mashiach and the life of the World to Come, and may we merit to see the complete redemption and Mashiach ben David.  May we merit to see the Temple of fire descend from heaven, and Eliyahu HaNavi bringing the offerings, and may we merit to offer them every day – the Tamid offerings according to their order and the Musaf offerings according to their laws.  And also may we merit to offer the Musaf offerings of Shabbat and the Musaf offerings of the Chag in their times and seasons, and through this, may we merit to the complete redemption, and that there will be no more exile!

אָנָּא ה', בִּזְכוּת הַחֶסֶד לְאַבְרָהָם, זַכֵּנוּ לְהַגִּיעַ לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ וּלְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם הַבָּא, וְנִזְכֶּה לִרְאוֹת אֶת הַגְּאוּלָה הַשְּׁלֵמָה, וְאֶת מָשִׁיחַ בֶּן דָּוִיד, וְנִזְכֶּה לִרְאוֹת בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ שֶׁל אֵשׁ יוֹרֵד מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְאֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא מֵבִיא אֶת הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וְנִזְכֶּה לְהַקְרִיב אוֹתָם מִדֵּי יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ – תְּמִידִין כְּסִדְּרָן וּמוּסָפִין כְּהִלְכָתָן, וְגַם אֶת מוּסְפֵי הַשַּׁבָּת וּמוּסְפֵי הֶחָג נִזְכֶּה לְהַקְרִיבָם בִּזְמַנָּם וּבְמוֹעֲדָם. וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נִזְכֶּה לַגְּאוּלָה הַשְּׁלֵמָה, וְלֹא תִּהְיֶה גָּלוּת עוֹד