Breslov Chassidus was struck with shock with the histalkus (passing away) to the heavenly realms of the Tzaddik Rabbi Shimon Shapira zt"l (of blessed memory) this past Monday. Last night, a letter in the handwriting of Rabbi Shimon Shapira was published, addressed to our teacher, the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he be distinguished for a long and good life). In an interview with the Breslov Chassidim Information Line—his eldest son, Rabbi Nachman Dan Shapira shlit"a, tells for the first time what stands behind this historic letter:

"Thank Hashem (God), for decades I have been privileged to learn Chumash (Five Books of Moses) with Rashi on the weekly Torah portion with my father every week. Throughout all the years of the controversy surrounding our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, my father never spoke a single word against the Rav shlit"a. Every Friday night, I would visit him to say 'Gut Shabbos' (Good Sabbath), and he would always take an interest and ask how our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, was feeling. For all those years, people in the Yeshiva and also from outside would say to me, 'You are his son, you need to speak with your father [about the controversy].' I told them, 'I do not interfere with my father in anything in life. I pray to Hashem; every person has their own choice, and he knows the truth.' A few weeks ago, one of the great Tzaddikim of Jerusalem, not from Breslov Chassidus, came to me and said, 'It is your duty, you are his son, speak with him.' I said to him, 'If you want, you go and speak with him. I will not speak with him under any circumstances; I do not interfere in anyone's life, and certainly not my father's.' Now, a few weeks ago, I came as I do every week to learn with him. Before the learning, he said to me, 'After the learning, I want to write a letter for you.' We learned for about an hour, the entire Chumash with Rashi for that portion. After the learning, he said to me, 'Wait, I want to write a letter.' He sat down at the living room table with total yishuv hadaas (composure). He sat there for about ten minutes. After he wrote it, he said to me, 'I want you to go and deliver this letter personally to Reb Lazer [Rabbi Berland], and you are not to show it to anyone, not even the gabbaim (assistants). You personally, not through the gabbaim, not through anyone. And also,' he told me, 'if you deliver the letter, take an envelope and seal it.' I went specifically to my shop to get an envelope to seal it. It took him about ten minutes to write; he looked very, very focused on what he wanted to write. I put the note in the envelope without looking, without anything. I sealed it. After I delivered it, I returned to my father and told him that I had fulfilled his mission, and he was very happy.

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The content of the letter in the handwriting of Rabbi Shimon Shapira zt"l:

B"H (With the help of Heaven) 5th of Cheshvan, 5785
To the honor of the Rav
Rabbi Eliezer shlit"a
I ask for forgiveness
for all the years, and please pray
for me, and with Hashem's help, I too
will pray for you
Shimon Yisrael
ben (son of) Frieda
Shapira

This article was edited courtesy of the Breslov Chassidim Information Line *9148