For the first time in nearly fifteen years, a gathering for the 'Hitachdut HaAvreichim' (Union of Torah Scholars) group took place with the participation of our teacher, the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days).

The Purim preparation gathering took place on the night of Ta'anit Esther (the Fast of Esther), the eve of the 13th of Adar, in our Beit Medrash (study hall), with the participation of nearly five hundred of the "silk" avreichim (elite young married Torah scholars) of the holy community of Shuvu Banim. The gathering was held under the auspices of "Hitachdut HaAvreichim" by the Shuvu Banim institutions. During the gathering, the avreichim sang songs of emotion and spiritual awakening. At the peak, our teacher the Rav shlit"a entered to participate and sing the songs of emotion and awakening together with the holy avreichim. During the singing, the hour of Chatzos (midnight) arrived, and the avreichim, accompanied by an orchestra conducted by the musician R' Shimon Marian and R' Natan Godes, sang 'Shaarei Zion', 'Kol B'Ramah Nishma...' and other Chatzos melodies. At the conclusion of the awakening melodies, they sang the deeply stirring Breslov melody for the Purim holiday, which gives full meaning to these exalted days standing at our doorstep: "And there 'Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim'", "Oh, save me from Haman-Amalek, he stands over me with a drive!!!" Then, a hush fell over the hall of our Beit Medrash, and our teacher the Rav shlit"a delivered his holy words during the preparation gathering for about half an hour. Before you is a summary of the topics the Rav shlit"a discussed during the lesson:

"A person came to the world to be the Rogatchover (the legendary genius Rabbi Yosef Rosen); today was his yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing). Everything I drew close to Breslov for was to be the Rogatchover—to learn the entire Shas (Talmud) every day. This is the whole of Purim: to learn Gemara and Ketzos HaChoshen (a fundamental work of Jewish law). 'He overturned the mountain over them like a tub'—from all the miracles they saw, they could no longer refuse, and free will was nullified. But on Purim, it is 'they again accepted it out of love,' for there were such miracles, the likes of which never were and never will be, where they saw Hashem face to face. It is impossible to see Hashem face to face except through the study of Ketzos HaChoshen. The story and the issue of the 'Get of Cleves' (a famous halakhic controversy). The 'Cleft of the Rock' is only for one who fasts forty days and forty nights. The story of Rabbi Chaim Farhi and how he released the Jewish children from the Sheikh's prison. Korach said Moshe Rabbeinu was staging all the miracles, that it was all a mirage. On Purim, one ascends to Adam Kadmon (a high Kabbalistic realm); Purim is the revelation of Yesod Abba (a Kabbalistic light). The Megillah reading is greater than Yom Kippur. Whoever merits to be with me during the Megillah reading merits to be sealed with the King's ring! Where it is written 'With Me' (Itti), this is the secret of the Cleft of the Rock from where Moshe and Eliyahu (Elijah) ascended to heaven, and from there the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are drawn. The story of Shemai and Choniyo, who was a true tzaddik and never opened his eyes or saw what a woman looked like. Everyone asked how such a thing could happen to such a tzaddik, the son of Shimon HaTzaddik, but in truth, jealousy removes a person from the world. On Purim, one does not get drunk; the Kol Bo says it is a Torah prohibition, and one who gets drunk is like one who violates three severe sins, missing prayers and harming others, Hashem protect us. The secret of Rabbah 'slaughtering' Rabbi Zeira on Purim—that it is possible to revive the dead on the holiday of Purim. In truth, they were debating whether 'sharpening' (intellectual clarity) precedes 'whitening' (clarification/purification), and Rabbah slaughtered Rabbi Zeira with a glowing knife so he would tell him if the 'signs' (of ritual slaughter) were burned before they were cut. What this comes to teach us is that one first needs 'Chiduda'—to sharpen the mind—before 'Libuna'—before bringing fire into the service of Hashem. 'A great golden crown' refers to Adam Kadmon; on Purim, one merits to ascend to Adam Kadmon. The issue of slaughtering two signs in the Rambam, who rules that he is not considered dead and can write a Get (divorce document) or betroth a woman and does not go into exile. With Hashem's help, everyone will know what the Cleft of the Rock is!"

After the lesson ended, our teacher the Rav shlit"a went up to his holy residence. On the way, he remarked, "How did we merit such avreichim from hidden and exalted worlds?" He said these words to his grandson, R' Shmuel Isaac Rubinstein, who is the hand behind the scenes raising the entire enterprise of "Hitachdut HaAvreichim of the Holy Community of Shuvu Banim." How fortunate are we!