Watch: Rav Berland eulogizes R' Avraham Hanania ztz"l • "He was literally the neshama (soul) of Rebbe Nachman"

On 14 HaChoma HaShlishit Street in Jerusalem, beneath the holy windows of our teacher the Gaon and Tzaddik Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, stood the levaya (funeral procession) of the Chassid R' Avraham Hanania ztz"l. The masses filled the narrow alleyway, the silence was awe-inspiring, and the bed covered with a tallis rested upon a simple wooden stand. The levaya passed on its way from the Shamgar funeral home through the entrance of the home of our teacher the Rav — to a place than which there was no more fitting place, a place where R' Avraham walked for fifty consecutive years with devotion, faith, and boundless dedication.

And when the holy ark was captured and the coffin of the hidden tzaddik was brought before the home of our teacher the Rav, the eyes of all present were directed upwards, to the high window from which our teacher the Rav has gone out to the people of his generation for decades. The equipment was set up, the microphone was passed to his trembling hand. Our teacher the Gaon and Tzaddik Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a was brought out in a wheelchair while connected to an IV (intravenous drip), and with a choked voice and with all his remaining strength, he opened his mouth and delivered a trembling, soul-stirring eulogy — a eulogy that shook the heart of the entire House of Israel.

"He was literally the neshama (soul) of Rebbe Nachman"

"Rav Avraham shlit"a was literally the neshama (soul) of Rebbe Nachman. He has already been here for fifty years. Fifty years. He did not leave the Rav despite all the disputes, despite all the quarrels."

Fifty years. For five consecutive decades — despite all the storms that passed over the house of our teacher the Rav, despite all the disputes that tried to divide between a Chassid and his Rav — R' Avraham Hanania stood like an unshakeable iron pillar. He did not turn right or left. He was not swayed by the wind. He was the loyal follower of our teacher the Rav in every breath and every heartbeat.

Founder of Shuvu Banim

"He would take seventeen people in his car and he established the yeshiva. He established Shuvu Banim. There was no tzaddik like him. He was Rebbe Nachman himself, he was Rebbe Nachman himself who came down to the world and he wanted to bring tens of thousands of people closer."

Seventeen people in one car. This is how R' Avraham established the "Shuvu Banim" yeshiva which today raises generations. He drove, supported, spent from his own pocket, left his home to elevate sunken souls. He did not work for publicity, he did not seek honor. He walked with quiet humility and the dedication of a simple worker, while our teacher the Rav — in a voice choked with tears — declared about him that he was "Rebbe Nachman himself who came down to the world."

Fifty years of dwelling in tents

R' Avraham Hanania ztz"l was born on the 7th of Tevet 5716 in Tehran, Iran, to his father R' Nuriel z"l and his mother Mrs. Esther a"h. While still in his youth, he merited to immigrate to the Holy Land as part of the aliyah of Iranian Jews, and they settled in the transit camps amidst hardship and great faith. After his marriage, over thirty years ago, he drew close to our teacher the Rav shlit"a and his soul became bound to his soul.

All his days he was a dweller of tents and diligently studied his learning with scrutiny and depth. His abstinence from this world was renowned — his figure and appearance testified to his asceticism and self-mortifications. He was especially known for his strict adherence to immersing in the mikvah (ritual bath); even in harsh cold conditions, even in weakness, even in suffering — he did not give up, and would immerse many times a day. For many years he delivered sermons and words of encouragement in all the centers of Anash across the country, and would awaken hearts to the service of Hashem out of faith, joy, and strengthening.

Over two years ago, he was struck by the severe illness. Even in the most difficult hours, his spirit did not fall — on the contrary. Many testified that they came to strengthen him and left strengthened sevenfold. He accepted all his suffering with great love, with pure faith that no evil descends from above.

"They called him to Heaven on Memorial Day"

And from the depths of the words of our teacher the Rav emerged a point that shook all those present: specifically on this day, Holocaust Remembrance Day, this tzaddik was taken to the heavens.

"And now he is called to the Heavenly Yeshiva on this day, the Memorial Day of the six million, and he is now rectifying all the souls. They called him to Heaven on Memorial Day and he is now performing a tikkun (rectification) for all the six million souls — actually nine million who were burned alive in all the strange deaths in the world."

And our teacher the Rav, in his holy wisdom, revealed an awesome secret in the timing: "And this is hinted at in the word 'Bereshit' — the year 5700, 5701, 5702... five years of terrible decrees upon the Nation of Israel. And now this is the tikkun (rectification) — 5786. 'A woman of valor is the crown of her husband' — the crown of her husband is 5786. Now it is 5786, this is the tikkun."

"R' Avraham was literally Mashiach ben David"

"Mashiach needs to be revealed on the holiday of Shavuot, and in fact, he was Mashiach ben David. R' Avraham was literally Mashiach ben David. Mashiach ben David — and now he will be revealed, he will be revealed anew this very year."

Words that struck the ears of all of the Jewish people. Our teacher the Rav shlit"a revealed what fleshly eyes cannot see — that within the modest and simple figure of his faithful student, the soul of the actual Mashiach ben David was hidden. And now, as he ascends to the Upper World, he is destined to continue the revelation of the Geulah (Redemption) from above, this very year.

Carefulness from lashon hara (evil speech) — the main tikkun (rectification)

"And now all that is needed is to be careful from lashon hara. This is the cause for so many people passing away in recent months, because of lashon hara. And now Avraham, Rabbi Avraham of blessed memory, he is now sweetening everything, all the lashon hara."

And our teacher the Rav shlit"a explained in depth the secret of lashon hara, in a soft voice and with tears: "Because for lashon hara one never does teshuva (repentance), because they think it is good speech. Lashon hara, they think it is truthful speech. A person who speaks lashon hara thinks he is speaking the truth, that he is doing the greatest mitzvah. But all of his mitzvot pass over to that person, and his entire life also passes to the other."

"Therefore, from now on we must do a tikkun for this soul. Everyone should accept upon themselves not to speak lashon hara — not even about the truth, not even for a necessity. Let everyone now say ten chapters of Tehillim (Psalms) during the levaya (funeral procession), and this will be for the elevation of his soul."

The Gaon and Rav, Rabbi Shalom Arush shlit"a also arrived to deliver a eulogy

Not only did our teacher the Rav shlit"a come to part from his disciple. HaRav HaGaon Rav Shalom Arush shlit"a, one of the greatest disseminators of Breslov teachings in our generation, also arrived especially for the levaya (funeral procession) at the entrance to our teacher the Rav's home, and delivered a brief eulogy — short, but drenched in tears — about the hidden tzaddik whom he had known for many years. In a trembling voice, with only a few broken words, Rav Arush spoke about the figure of Reb Avraham — a man of truth, a man of the mikvah, a man who sought no honor for himself, but only the honor of his rabbi and the honor of Heaven.

A promise of Geulah

"And now he is in the sanctuary of Rebbe Nachman. He was the soul of Mashiach ben David, the neshama (soul) of Rebbe Nachman literally. He will now bring the complete Geulah speedily in our days, Amen."

Thus our teacher the Rav shlit"a concluded his eulogy. In these final words, a light of comfort broke through the darkness — the tzaddik has not left. He ascended to the sanctuary of the holy Rebbe Nachman of Breslov zy"a, and from there he will continue his work — until our righteous Mashiach is revealed speedily in our days, Amen.

R' Avraham Hanania ztz"l left behind two sons, four sons-in-law, and dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren who follow in his path. His eldest son, the Chassid and Rav, R' Natan Hanania shlit"a, serves as the director of the "Shuvu Banim – Nechamat Tzion Institutions".

May his soul be bound in the bond of life. May it be His will that his merit stands for all of the Jewish people, that we cling to his ways — in love for the tzaddik, in diligence in Torah, in the immersion of purity, and in guarding one's speech — until we merit the revelation of the King Mashiach speedily in our days, Amen and Amen.