On Acts of Kindness -- Rav Berland's Avodah in Kindness and Charity
* RAV BERLANDâS GREATEST STUDENTS IN MOVING STORIES ABOUT THE RAVâS CHARITABLE AND CHESED (KINDNESS) WORK * WHY AN IMPORTANT ROSH YESHIVA ON PONEVITCH HELPED COLLECT MONEY FOR RAV BERLAND * A 12-HOUR CHAVRUTA OF CHESED * WHO SHINED THE SHOES OF THE STUDENTS AT YESHIVAT KFAR HASIDIM? * WHY THE DOOR OF THE RAVâS HOUSE IN BNEI BRAK DIDNâT HAVE A LOCK * WHAT THE TAXI DRIVER IN BNEI BRAK RELATED * AND MORE⌠GATHERING TZEDAKA (CHARITY) ON ONE SHOE Rosh Yeshivat Maginei Aretz, Rav Michael Gol relates: âMany years ago, we entered the large Torah hall of Yeshivat Ponevitch with the goal of collecting money for the wedding of Rav Berlandâs daughter. To our astonishment, one of the important Rosh Yeshivas, upon hearing for whom we were gathering the money, stopped his learning and accompanied us while encouraging the many students of the yeshiva and kollel to donate generously, and thus, for the sake of that Rosh Yeshiva, their hearts opened up and the contributions multiplied. After the Rosh Yeshiva was satisfied, he explained to us the reason for his enlisting himself for the purpose of fundraising for the wedding of Rav Berlandâs daughter: âMany years ago, a kollel student, an important Torah scholar here in Bnei Brak became caught up in many debts and a very difficult financial situation, and Rav Berland, who was then a young kollel student amongst the students of the yeshiva, went out on a fundraising campaign on all the streets of the city with self-sacrifice. I accompanied him, and on the way I saw how one shoe was torn. He picked it up [the shoe] and continued to walk for hours barefoot in the blaring sun until he succeeded in gathering a substantial sum of money. I was very amazed. I saw what is kindness for oneâs fellow. I was amazed by the greatness of the soul of Rav Lazer Berland, and therefore itâs no wonder that I went out of my way when you came to gather money for himâŚâ THE TORAH OF KINDNESS â 12 HOURS FOR ANOTHER PERSON One of the important Torah scholars in Breslov today relates that in his youth, despite being a son to a Breslover Chasid, nonetheless, he still hadnât acquired a proper way of learning until after Rav Berland once sat with him in the Breslov yeshiva in Bnei Brak several hours and related to him the whole story of Rabbi Yisrael Ber Odessaâs drawing close to Breslov and strengthened him a lot in the area of Rabbeinu HaKadosh with regard to learning. When the youth voiced to Rav Berland his problem in understanding his learning and his being without a chavruta (learning partner), the Rav said to him that from today he would be his chavruta, and so for at least a half-year, the Rav learned with him chavruta every day for around 12 hours! When in the middle the youth would go to lunch, the Rav would stay in the yeshiva and afterwards would continue with him. Only in the merit of this, the youth became an important Torah scholar who sits every day on the Torah and the Avodah (service of Hashem). Similarly, Rav Nachman Horowitz relates about another Torah scholar and Breslov Chasid who personally related to him how Rav Berland mamash stood him on his feet. This was after he was mamash weak in his learning and almost left the Torah world completely. Over the course of a full month, Rav Berland learned with him every day for several hours. ANOTHER PERSONâS PHYSICAL [NEEDS] IS MY SPIRITUALITY â KINDNESS WITH HIS BODY SHINING SHOES The acts of kindness of our Rebbe Rav Berland shlitâa already began in his younger years. Rav Nachman Horowitz relates to âHitchadshutâ that he heard from Rav Berlandâs friends who learned together with him in Kfar Hasidim, that the Rav was accustomed every Motzshei Shabbat (Saturday night) to shine and clean all the shoes of all the yeshiva students so that they would be clean all week long. HOSPITALITY TO GUESTS After our Rebbe Rav Berland begin his work of outreach, his home turned into an accommodation for guests with the Rav and Rabbanit bringing to their home all the students of the Yeshiva and all types of people in need of chizzuk (strengthening), while laundering their clothes and taking care of their food. All of this was in spite of the crowdedness in their home, and all of this with a good feeling and warmth. More than once, the Rabbanit and her children went out to search for mattresses for the guests⌠and at night the entire house was full of mattresses. Rav Nachman Horowitz further relates that the door of the Ravâs home in Bnei Brak didnât have a cylinder and lock which closes the door â a house of hospitality to every person in need. This was to such a point that once when someone came to the Ravâs house to go with him to the field, the Rav told him that he couldnât because in every room of their house several people were sleeping at the moment! BRING THE POOR TO YOUR HOUSE Rav Nachman Horowitz relates in the name of Rav Nissim Gweta another amazing story of kindness, which the latter heard from an eyewitness â a taxi driver. There was a taxi driver in Yavneh who would frequently take our Rebbe Rav Berland to the field. Once, while returning from hitbodedut at late night hours, the Rav requested from the taxi driver to travel in the direction of the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station. When they arrived there, they saw a drunk sleeping on the ground with filthy clothes⌠To the astonishment of the taxi driver, the Rav woke up the drunk and brought him into the taxi, and in this way they came to the house of the Rav. There Rav Berland took care of him for several months, rehabilitated him and concerned himself with all his needs, and afterwards even married him off. RAV BERLAND SLEEPS ON THE FLOOR A kollel student relates a story which gives us a little glimpse of the greatness of the unusual hospitality of our Rebbe Rav Berland and the Rabbanit. Once this kollel student came to Bnei Brak in the evening hours for a number of reasons, and in his preparing to return to Jerusalem, he understood that he was late for the final bus. In those days, there wasnât another possibility for traveling to Jerusalem. Being acquainted with Rav Berland, he decided to walk to his house, and so the Rav warmly received him, fed him, and gave him a bed to sleep on. When he woke up, he was astounded to see the Rav sleeping on the floor. HE DISTRIBUTED WIDELY TO THE DESTITUTE â KINDNESS WITH HIS MONEY The avodah of Tzedaka of our Rebbe Rav Berland arouses amazement, acquiring an unfathomable quality. Of course, also this avodah already began in his younger years in yeshiva in Kfar Hasidim. In those days, he would bring a cake and the like and would cut a slice for himself and the rest he would distribute to others. (So related the Gaon Rav Aharon Golovenditz ztâl, who learn in Kfar Hasidim with the Rav shlitâa). PURCHASE CREDIT There was kollel student who related to Rav Berland that he would spend the Shabbat by his father-in-law because of the fact that his pocket was empty, and he couldnât make Shabbat in his home. The Rav tried to bring him a sum of money, but he refused to accept it. To his wonder, a short while later he received a telephone call from the grocery store near his home, informing him that he had a purchase credit of 2,000 NIS, which someone donated for him⌠THE STEIPLERâS INSTRUCTION The majority of the stipend which he would receive from the kollel, Rav Berland would distribute to Tzedaka already before he reached his house, when he saw poor people or debtors, etc. Because of this, the Steipler (Rav Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky ztâl) instructed that the stipend be brought directly to the Rabbanit tlitâa, so that she would have a livelihood for the home. TZEDAKA ON THE ACCOUNT OF TEETH There was a period that our Rebbe Rav Berland was in need of dental care in his entire mouth, something which cost a fortune. However, it was put off for one reason: every time that the amount of money had accumulated, the Rav would give it over directly to all types of poor and people who were close to him who needed money, and this was in spite of the great suffering from toothaches which the Rav went through thenâŚ