Story: "Do You Know Who You Signed Against? He Cleansed My Mind for Ten Years Now!" / Wondrous Stories

Story: "Do You Know Who You Signed Against? He Cleansed My Mind for Ten Years Now!"
It is truly horrific what is happening in our generation, and how such an awesome and formidable tzaddik—truly the Yosef HaTzaddik of our generation—is kept so hidden and subjected to such disgrace, may Hashem have mercy. A Jew related what happened to him: He saw one of the Roshei Yeshivot (Yeshiva deans) who had signed a petition against Morinu HaRav Rabbi Berland shlit"a. He approached him and asked, "Do you know who you signed against?" He then told him his personal story. He had been in a terribly low spiritual state, literally in the fifty gates of impurity, may Hashem protect us. He wanted to do teshuvah (repentance), but he suffered terrible agony from all sorts of evil thoughts from his past, and he simply could not get rid of them. He came to Rabbi Berland shlit"a. Rabbi Berland shlit"a opened the Aron Kodesh (Holy Ark) and placed his head inside it for some time. From that moment on, all those thoughts flew away and vanished from him. His mind has been completely clean ever since, through the power of this holy and awesome tzaddik, the Yosef HaTzaddik of our generation. If so, how are people not afraid to sign against and disgrace a Tzaddik Yesod Olam (the tzaddik who is the foundation of the world), may Hashem protect us.

A Wondrous Story: Why Did the Deceased Father Appear in a Dream to All Eight of His Children During the Shiva?
A Jew named Ami Weizman, may his light shine, who was an eyewitness to the event, recently related an awe-inspiring story. These words were told during a special chaburah (gathering) that takes place every Thursday night at the "Nachalei Netzach" Yeshiva in the Mea Shearim neighborhood. This shaking incident reveals a glimpse of the wondrous conduct of Rabbi Berland shlit"a and the immense power of a Pidyon Nefesh (redemption of the soul) in the Upper Worlds.

The Pidyon Nefesh and the Passing of the Father
There was a family whose father fell ill with a severe disease and reached a critical condition, literally on his deathbed. The worried family members rushed to Rabbi Berland shlit"a to beg for mercy for their father. Rabbi Berland shlit"a instructed them to bring a Pidyon Nefesh of a very large sum for his healing. The family members did as the Rav said and indeed brought the requested amount.
To their great sorrow, despite their efforts, the decree was sealed and the father passed away to his eternal rest. After the passing, the sons came to Rabbi Berland shlit"a and argued that since their father had passed away, they wanted to receive the Pidyon money back. Rabbi Berland shlit"a did not hesitate for a moment, and immediately returned the entire sum to them in full.

A Chilling Revelation in a Dream
The amazing turning point in the story occurred on the second day of the Shiva (seven days of mourning). On the morning of that day, all eight children woke up from their sleep completely shaken. They looked at each other in great panic, and soon the chilling reason became clear: they had all dreamt the exact same dream that very night.
In the dream, their deceased father appeared and addressed them with an unequivocal demand. "Return the money to the tzaddik immediately!" the father cried out in the dream, explaining the reason: "The Pidyon that you gave to the tzaddik is sorely missing for me in Heaven!"
The terrified sons hurried to return the Pidyon money to Rabbi Berland shlit"a, now understanding the magnitude of the spiritual action that had been accomplished for their father. This story, which joins several other similar stories from reliable sources, illustrates just how far the actions of the tzaddik are beyond our comprehension, and how the Pidyon Nefesh accompanies and protects a person even in the World of Truth.

An Awesome Story: The Severe Burns and the Promise That Astounded the Doctors
A Jew related a wondrous and awesome story about an open miracle that occurred with his brother. This brother was involved in building a mikvah (ritual bath) for the elevation of the soul of one of his children who had passed away. In the middle of the construction work, while he was inside a closed room together with his son, a sudden disaster struck. A pipe of boiling water suddenly exploded, and the two were severely burned. Their bodies swelled terribly, and their condition was critical. The doctors at the hospital were very pessimistic, stating that they had only a ten percent chance of survival.

A Cry from the Crowd
The worried brother rushed to Rabbi Berland shlit"a to beg for a salvation. When he arrived, it was very difficult for him to approach the Rav, as he was surrounded by a massive crowd of people. Since it was a true situation of pikuach nefesh (life or death), he did not wait and shouted to the Rav from afar: "Rabbi shlit"a! My brother and his son are in great danger!"
Rabbi Berland shlit"a heard his cry and answered him immediately: "Bring a Pidyon Nefesh of such-and-such amount." The Jew hurried to do as the Rav said and brought the Pidyon Nefesh as requested. Afterwards, Rabbi Berland shlit"a himself arrived at the hospital and entered the room where the wounded were lying. The sight was unbearable; the heads of the wounded were swollen to twice their normal size.

A Promise Against All Odds
Rabbi Berland shlit"a stood in the room and began to recite The Tikkun HaKlali together with the public with tremendous spiritual awakening. At the end of the recitation, Rabbi Berland shlit"a declared with absolute certainty: "In three weeks, they will be standing on their feet." To the doctors who heard this, the promise sounded like a joke, as their medical condition was critical and left little room for hope.
But the words of a tzaddik do not return empty. The Jew who told the story concluded his words with great emotion: The immense wonder indeed came true in full! Exactly as Rabbi Berland shlit"a had promised, after three weeks the two were completely healed and stood on their feet. Baruch Hashem (Thank God), today they are healthy and strong by the grace of Hashem, blessed be He, serving as a living testimony to the power of a tzaddik.

From Issue 79 — Parashat Vayakhel
From the series "Tzaddik Moshel Yirat Elokim" — "Shapir Amar Nachmani" Publications