"We are obligated to travel to Uman!" - Rav Berland

RABBI BERLAND SAYS: WE ARE OBLIGATED TO TRAVEL TO UMAN Are we going to travel to Rabbenu, Rebbe Nachman, this year, or chas v’shalom, not? THIS IS THE QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN PREOCCUPYING THE MINDS OF MANY PEOPLE IN RECENT WEEKS. As is already well known, the journey to Uman is no longer the preserve of just the Breslov community, as many thousands of Jews from all backgrounds have been making the trip out for many years, now. IN RECENT TIMES, MANY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF JEWS HAVE BEEN FLYING OUT TO UMAN FOR ROSH HASHANA. But this year, thanks to the extraordinary situation we find ourselves in, where nearly every country in the world has shut its gates to outsiders, there is now a burning question of whether we will be able to get to Uman for Rosh Hashana – or not. ==== On Thursday, the 35th day of counting the Omer, Rabbi Eliezer Berland, shlita, gave over the following message on this subject, in a special shiur from Tzalmon prison, when he was asked this question. WE ARE PLEASED TO SHARE A TRANSLATION OF HIS WORDS, BELOW: ==== “Today, the day of malchut she be’hod, today is the counting of hod, today, we are counting the 35th day, and concluding the sefira of Hod, regline d’regline (lit: the legs of the legs – a kabbalistic reference to where the sefira of hod is located in the supernal man); katnut d’katnut (smallness of smallness). [THIS ‘SMALLNESS’ IS EXPRESSED INASMUCH AS] A PERSON CAN’T STUDY, AND CAN’T PRAY. He should say tehillim, he should travel to Meron, he should travel to Hevron, he should travel to the grave of the Prophet Yitro. I was there. Is it possible to travel to there, or is it now locked with padlocks? You don’t have any zchut (spiritual merit) that permits you to close any kivrei Tzaddikim (tombs of Tzaddikim)! This is against the law! This is against the Geneva Accords, and the Oslo Agreement! ==== Today, we completed the counting of hod, regline d’regline, katnut d’katnut. Now, it’s a long bein hazmanim (time when there is typically no formal Torah learning in yeshivas – referring to the fact that all the yeshivas got closed down because of Covid-19). IT’S SAID THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE LIKE THIS UNTIL TISHA B’AV. TISHA B’AV IS ON A THURSDAY, THE 30TH OF JULY. UNTIL JULY, THE CORONA WON’T BE FINISHED. > Until then, there is harsh ‘isolation’ in England, and in Britain. Queen Elizabeth has entered a bunker, to hide herself from people. And it’s said, that this is going to continue until after Tishrei (the first year of the Jewish calendar – i.e. Rosh Hashana). ==== BUT – WE ARE OBLIGATED TO TRAVEL TO UMAN!! There is no excuse! Shuvu Banim is obligated to be in Uman, there’s nothing else to say. Now, we are going to start to count the sefira of yesod. Yesod she be’yesod, everyone will be by Yosef HaTzaddik, with no exceptions to the rule. Hod she be’hod, this is by Rabbi Shimon [in Meron]. Netzach she be’netzach, this is to be by Rabbenu (Rebbe Nachman). Next year, on netzach she be’netzach, the whole of Shuvu Banim – 10,000 students – will be by Rabbenu, on netzach she be’netzach. And after that, there will be another time, on Rosh Hashana. Now, we find ourselves in malchut she be’hod. Hod she be’hod, this was the regline de’regline, katnut de’katnut, that a person already can’t learn, and can’t pray, and can’t do anything. SO THEN, RECITE TEHILLIM, GO TO THE FIELD, FIND A FOREST, FIND A GROVE. We were in Givat HaMivtar (a neighborhood in Jerusalem), on the street Sheshet HaYomim – there is a wonderful grove there. ==== YOU CAN HEAR THE RAV GIVING THIS OVER IN THE ORIGINAL HEBREW, HERE. [https://www.shuvubanimint.com/%d7%a0%d7%a1%d7%99%d7%a2%d7%94-%d7%9c%d7%90%d7%95%d7%9e%d7%9f-%d7%a8%d7%90%d7%a9-%d7%94%d7%a9%d7%a0%d7%94-%d7%a7%d7%95%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%a0%d7%94-%d7%94%d7%a8%d7%91-%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%9c%d7%a0%d7%93/] https://ravberland.com/everyone-should-fly-to-uman-for-rosh-hashana-5779/