In honor of the holy yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) of the holy Tzaddik, Rabbi Binyamin Ze'ev Cheshin zt"l, on the 17th of MarCheshvan—which falls on Shabbat this year (5782)—we present an interview and personal testimony regarding the great esteem held by Rabbi Binyamin Cheshin zt"l for Morinu HaRav Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

"My name is Yuval. I met Rabbi Berland shlit"a when I was still a young man. At that time, about 40 years ago, I was very close to Rabbi Binyamin Ze'ev Cheshin zt"l and would meet with him every day. Rabbi Ze'ev Cheshin zt"l had a synagogue where he would sit, and I would bring people to him so he could strengthen them."

"Rabbi Binyamin Cheshin was a master of spiritual perception, and I saw this with my own eyes—how he knew in advance what we were going through. During that period, people told me about the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. I heard him give a class and was very swept away. Since then, I traveled to him in Bnei Brak several times, and I even had the opportunity to travel with him from Bnei Brak to Jerusalem."

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  "The day after I heard Rabbi Berland shlit"a and even merited to speak with him, I approached Rabbi Binyamin Cheshin zt"l and told him about it. I told him that I had heard Rabbi Berland shlit"a in a class."

"Rabbi Binyamin Ze'ev Cheshin answered and said to me: 'Oh, Rabbi Berland! Such a soul has not existed for hundreds of years. A soul like Rabbi Berland descends to the world only every few hundred years; there are no such souls in our generations.'"

"Rabbi Binyamin Ze'ev Cheshin continued and told me regarding Rabbi Berland shlit"a:"

"'He (Rabbi Berland) has very great powers, supernatural powers; there is no such thing [elsewhere] (like Rabbi Berland).' I saw that he was satisfied that I told him I had drawn close to Rabbi Berland shlit"a."

"Rabbi Berland was so spiritual that he had no connection to this world. At that time, I was close to many tzaddikim, such as Rabbi Tzion Bracha zt"l, Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi zt"l, Rabbi Refael Levin zt"l, and Rabbi Zisman. However,

there was no one like Rabbi Berland shlit"a; he had no connection to this world, no relation to materiality whatsoever. I felt that he was truly something Godly; I simply could not express it in words."

"Rabbi Berland shlit"a possessed great holiness even then. He was always burning for Hashem. I would walk with him, and suddenly he would disappear. For example, I would ask him for money for the yeshiva students, and he would immediately pull it out without any thought—truly above the entire material world. I observed him and saw that his 'self' was simply erased; he was truly 'Ayin' (nothingness). Rabbi Berland was filled with the light of Hashem Yitbarach."

"At that time, I arranged an introduction between Rabbi Berland shlit"a and Rabbi Tzion Bracha zt"l, and Rabbi Berland would come to Rabbi Bracha zt"l's synagogue. After the prayer, we would study with Rabbi Bracha for hours, while all that time Rabbi Berland would continue standing in the Shemoneh Esrei (silent prayer). From the time of netz hachama (sunrise), Rabbi Berland would stand in prayer until 12:00 in the afternoon, hours upon hours. He was not connected at all to the reality in which we live; days and nights he would not sleep."

Testimony courtesy of the Breslov Emet line (02-800-8800 from USA 18456400007 from UK 442038073333)