Why Rabbi Berland shlit"a Traveled - The Full Words - "One Must Believe the Words of the Tzaddik Simply"

On Tuesday of Parshas Matos 5779 (2019) before dawn, our teacher, the holy Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Berland shlit"a, left his home. A few days later, the Rav shlit"a sent an emotional message in which he recounted what had occurred. These are the contents of his words from the eve of Shabbat Matos 5779.

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Without Moshe, Nothing Can Be Done

"Now is the time of the Three Weeks—three Torah portions: Matos, Masei, and Devarim. Matos corresponds to Keter (Crown), Masei to Chochmah (Wisdom), and Devarim to Binah (Understanding). After that come the 'Seven Weeks of Consolation' corresponding to Chesed, Gevurah, Tiferet, Netzach, Hod, Yesod, and Malchut (the lower seven Sefiros/Divine emanations)."

"All the portions now correspond to the Ten Sefiros (Divine emanations), ten Shabbats, all of which come to rectify the Sin of the Spies. It is written that the spies said, 'Here we are, and we will go up,' but without Moshe, nothing can be done. This was after they wept a 'pointless weeping' (crying without cause) while everyone else was walking surrounded by the Clouds of Glory."

Hashem Wanted the People of Israel to Enter a Land Empty of Enemies

"The Sforno (a classic Torah commentator) says that the ten spies could have conquered the entire Land of Israel. The moment the Canaanites saw the ten spies, they understood that the People of Israel were entering the land with six hundred thousand men and the Clouds of Glory. They put everything on wagons and began to leave the land. Instead of the spies being impressed and letting them flee—which would have left the land completely empty for Israel to enter—the spies twisted it. They claimed there was a plague, and that was why the inhabitants were fleeing. Therefore, Hashem could not forgive them, because everything was prepared for the People of Israel to enter without a single Canaanite or Amorite remaining."

They Said Something Forbidden About Moshe, Therefore They Returned in a Reincarnation

"Rabbi Shmuel, the son of Rabbi Chaim Vital, explains that after the spies heard the prophecy of Eldad and Medad—'Moshe will die and Yehoshua will bring [the people] in'—they went throughout the camp and shouted it. But they were forbidden from doing so; therefore, they returned in a gilgul (reincarnation) as deaf-mutes."

"It is written in Tractate Chagigah 3a: the members of the household of Yochanan ben Gudgada and the nephews of Rabbi Yochanan were deaf-mutes until Rebbe (Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi) prayed for them. It then became clear that they knew the entire Torah—Sifri, Sifra, Torat Kohanim (halakhic midrashim); there was nothing they didn't know. This was because they were the reincarnations of Eldad and Medad, who spoke without permission."

Moshe Said to Enter, So We Enter

"For the scripture says, 'To say' (leimor)—if a person receives a prophecy, he is forbidden from telling it to anyone. Prophecy is a most serious matter. Eldad and Medad thought they were doing a favor, but they caused harm. Because of this, the spies said, 'We will not enter the land.' They had an excuse to say, 'We are loyal to Moshe; without Moshe, we won't enter the land.' But Moshe said to enter!"

Because the True Intention Was for Moshe to Enter the Land

"All of this is brought by the 'Asarah Ma'amarot' of the Rama mi-Fano (Rabbi Menachem Azariah of Fano): The entire prophecy was that we were standing before the Resurrection of the Dead. Prophetic words are exactly the opposite of how they are understood. Instead of 'Moshe dies and Yehoshua brings [them] in,' the intention was that Moshe would enter the land, build the Holy Temple, and it would never be destroyed—and then the Resurrection of the Dead would occur immediately."

"For before the Resurrection of the Dead, everyone must return to their dust, even the greatest Tzaddik. Since they did not know the simple meaning (pshat) of the prophecy—and one cannot determine Halacha (Jewish law) based on prophetic words—and Moshe said to enter, that was the Halacha: one must enter. So how can you move even the tip of a letter 'Yud' (the smallest change)?"

When They Said "Because Hashem Hates Us," the Decrees Were Sealed

"Moshe said to enter, so we must enter, even if our children and wives are taken as spoils. Until they said, 'Because Hashem hates us'—this is written twice, both in Devarim and Va'eschanan. They claimed that all the Manna, the quail, the splitting of the Red Sea, and the Ten Commandments were all just a lure because Hashem wanted to kill us. The People of Israel inverted everything, and for such a thing, there is no forgiveness."

The Time for Rectifying the Sin of the Spies...

"Because of this, it was decreed upon us to spend 40 years in the desert, the destruction of two Holy Temples, and the Three Weeks. Therefore, now, during these weeks which are three Shabbats corresponding to Keter, Chochmah, and Binah, we are rectifying the Sin of the Spies, the sin of the generation of the desert, the pointless weeping, and the fact that they did not believe in Moshe simply, 'in the words of the Tzaddik simply.' For the test in every generation, every moment, and every second, is to believe in the words of the Tzaddik simply, without any interpretation."

"Then the complete Geulah (Redemption) will come speedily in our days, Amen."