Emotional: Eulogy by the Esteemed Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a for the Honored Chassid Rabbi Moshe Tzanani zt"l
The passing of Rabbi Tzanani zt"l is the greatest loss for the Jewish people, the greatest loss!
He was the most outstanding at the university, number 1, but he left the university in the middle. He left everything, he saw the light of the Torah. He went to Rabbi Ginzburg in Kfar Chabad, and then Moshe Shvili brought him to Shuvu Banim.
Since then he guarded his eyes, he saw nothing, he did not open his eyes from the moment he arrived. He arrived in 5737, and in 5738 on Simchat Torah he entered my small room that was in the Stipler's apartment. He entered the small room and did not move, saying, I will not move from here,I want a yeshiva to be opened.
Because I was against opening a yeshiva, I always told Rabbi Wizenfeld, I told everyone who was with me, Rabbi Shimon Teichner, I am not willing to open a yeshiva, I want to study. A yeshiva is public business, it is not for me, I want to sit in my corner and study.
Rabbi Tzanani forced me, he said, I will not move from this room. Everyone knows the small room on Rashbam Street 23 (Bnei Brak), it became his room. Within a week there were 20 young men in the room. Then after
two weeks Teichner arrived, took them all to his home and then his wife was blessed as he took them all to his home.
They were with Rabbi Teichner for 3 months, after that we moved to Eilat Street in Neve Chesed in Shikun V'. We placed there 4 rooms, a dining room, a study room and two bedrooms for the young men, after that we moved to Pardes Katz.
Since Rabbi Tzanani came close to Shuvu Banim, he was our Rebbe himself, our Rebbe was within him. It was evident that every movement of his, and every thought of his was only attachment to our Rebbe.
He did not miss one Rosh Hashanah (with our Rebbe) his entire life. In all the most dangerous journeys (before the fall of the Iron Curtain) they said they would send us to Siberia, they promised us, committed to us that next time (we would be sent to Siberia). Once when I already came with the Israeli passport, they told me we do not believe you. You have 20 names it is certainly not you, convincing them was very difficult, the Russians are stubborn.
But Rabbi Tzanani stood in all the trials, in all the disputes, in all the upheavals that passed over Shuvu Banim. He passed through everything with strength now he is an exemplary figure, he did not pass away at all.
It is written in Gesher HaChaim that it is forbidden to say about a tzaddik that he passed away – just as our Rebbe lives and exists so too he lives and exists. We are not dead chassidim, on the contrary we are living chassidim. The other chassidim are the dead ones, because their Rebbe is dead, they do not live at all. Our Rebbe lives and exists and anyone who comes close to our Rebbe lives and exists.
He merited, Rabbi Moshe Tzanani merited, Rabbi Moshe ben Yemima merited that he lives and exists. He did not pass away at all, it is forbidden to think so he is here with us. It is written: Brothers in the eulogy I stand (Shabbat 153a), Rav said to Rav Shmuel bar Shilat: Warm up the eulogy (who is eulogizing) I am within you, I am present I live and exist, I did not pass away.
Rabbi Tzanani goes before us, now there is a decree of destruction on the Jewish people, he sweetened everything. Now we can live another 200 years in Jerusalem in peace – now there were terrible decrees on the Jewish people, anyone who is knowledgeable knows this. They already wanted to annihilate us completely, to destroy us completely, even Trump is already siding with the Arabs, he is already against us – thanks to him (Rabbi Tzanani) now we can live in Jerusalem, the holy city, for at least 200 years, until the end of the sixth millennium when Mashiach ben David will come.
He was the neshamah (soul) of Mashiach of the generation, the Chatam Sofer says (Choshen Mishpat 98a) that in every generation there is a Mashiach only we are not worthy for him to be revealed. And he (Rabbi Tzanani) was Mashiach ben David the neshamah of our holy Rebbe, he was our Rebbe himself.
He lives and exists and he continues to lead the yeshiva, the entire yeshiva he leads it. I was his student, he led the yeshiva, he led everything, he led the young men, the married students. Just seeing him a person would do teshuvah (repentance) at that moment, as it is written about Rabbi Aharon of Karlin that he had 80,000 (who he brought to repentance). When did he speak with 80,000? Rather, they just saw him, they just saw him and all did teshuvah!
Anyone who saw him (Rabbi Tzanani) immediately did teshuvah, all the students in Shuvu Banim it is his merit. Today there are 10,000 students in Shuvu Banim, it is all his merit, and he lives and exists he did not pass away.
Everyone must accept upon themselves absolute guarding of the eyes and study 24 hours. That is the main thing, now the Shovavim, what do we do in Shovavim?
We study – simply!
Our Rebbe is only to study Gemara, (our Rebbe said) I want to draw the world to action that you should only study Gemara 24 hours. Go with the Gemara in hand wherever you are, standing in line for the bus or when standing in line at the clinic. You can then finish several tractates, a person stands an hour in line he can finish 10 tractates.
This was Rabbi Moshe Tzanani, he merited a word on the Shas every year, as our Rebbe says (to finish every year) Shulchan Aruch and all matters. Everything was fluent in his mouth, he was unique in his generation unique and special.
The whole point is that we need only to follow his footsteps, to know that he goes before us, the pillar of fire, he lives and exists. And everyone should accept upon themselves now in the days of Shovavim and afterwards, to study 24 hours.
Dozing over the Gemara, falling asleep on the Gemara, tzaddikim did not enter a bed at all. Already from the age of 13 they did not enter a bed, they would fall asleep on the Gemara and continue learning further. And then they learned with candles, therefore the Gemaras were burnt, all the Gemaras were charred.
All the Gemaras from the period before the invention of electricity were all charred, because they would fall asleep on the Gemara with the candle in hand. They put the candle in hand to wake up when the candle burns them, but in the meantime the candle burned them and they did not wake up. Until they woke up their fingers were already burnt, the Gemara was burnt, the Shulchan Aruch was burnt, therefore everything is seen charred.
And this was he in our generation that he (Rabbi Tzanani) studied 24 hours, and he did not divert his attention, did not lift his eyes. He could walk upright and his eyes were hermetically closed – everyone should accept upon themselves to close their eyes.
Now it is Shovavim, now it is Parshat HaGeulah, within fifty days they reached the fiftieth gate. Within fifty days, in Parshat Bo the redemption already begins. From Pesach to Pesach (were the ten plagues), and afterwards from Pesach to Shavuot another 50 days.
On Pesach the 10 plagues began and on Pesach (afterwards) was the last plague, the plague of the firstborns. Afterwards 50 days until they reached Mount Sinai, then they already reached the resurrection of the dead – now we are in the resurrection of the dead.
Rabbi Tzanani did not pass away, God forbid, it is forbidden to think for a moment that he passed away, he can now revive the dead. On the contrary, now he has ascended in rank, great are tzaddikim in their death more than in their life, he can now revive all of us, revive the dead, heal the sick.
Anyone who mentions his merit, anyone who is now at this funeral will be healed from all illnesses.
He and his descendants and the descendants of his descendants forever.