(VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE)
Two weeks ago Rabbi Berland created a new Minhag. YWN published footage of the Rabbi spinning his Draidel a week before Chanukah while in the middle of Davening Maariv. But now, it seems that the Rabbi that thousands are still flocking to for Brachos and Yeshuos has introduced another Minhag.
In the attached footage, we see Rabbi Berland in his Shul wearing his Taalis and Tefillin and Davening Shacharis.
The crowd is standing around him, many of them children. He is seen smearing olive oil on the neck of a child standing next to him while the crowd watches in awe. YWN spoke to a follower of Berland who says (direct quote) “everyone should only be lucky to have the holy Tzadik smear oil on their necks. Many people are known to see great Yeshuos and Segulos from this”.
Additionally, a flyer is being passed around in Shuvu Banim, demanding every boy and girl over the age of 16 to donate 1,000 Shekels each to Rabbi Berland on the last day of Chanukah “Zos Chanukah”.
“אשרי מי שפועל למען הצדיק בזאת חנוכה שמסוגל לישועות וניסים מעל הטבע מסירת הפתקים עד רביעי בצאת הכוכבים”
The announcement (see poster attached below) says that this money is needed to keep Rabbi Berland from going back to jail.
Rabbi Berland was released from house arrest just before Rosh Hashana, the result of a conviction for assault. Berland pleaded guilty to his actions against multiple victims. he had first fled Israel and traveled from country to country, thus avoiding extradition to Israel, where a warrant for his arrest had been issued. He spent time in the United States, Italy, Switzerland, Morocco, Egypt, Zimbabwe, and Johannesburg before being arrested and extradited to Israel where he faced the law.
His followers claim that Berland willingly took upon himself this disgrace, suffering, and exile, “which spiritually protects the Jewish People from heavenly decrees of annihilation”. It should be noted that audio footage was released where Berland was talking to his attorney about the details of one of his assaults.
Despite the charges and the guilty plea, he continues to be a celebrity-rabbi with many well known Jewish music stars flocking to his Simchas Bais Hashoeva which hosted thousands of people.
He was recently given the honors of being Mesader Kedushin at the wedding of a son of prominent Breslov Mashpia Rabbi Mota Frank.
(Charles Gross – YWN)
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15 Responses
I wouldn’t allow my child to be touched by or even get close to a convicted s– offender.
Is there some fascination with this freak show to warrant continuing coverage of this self-acknowledged abuser and felon?? After some point, the sense of pervasive sickness that eminates from these images should tell us to move on. He has served his prison term and absent new charges, he can engage in any sort of shtus he wishes along with those who find it entertaining. However, I suspect that before long he will engage in some new perverted acs that warrants putting him back into a jail cell, hopefully for the remainder of his life.
Shame on yeshiva world news for spreading rechilus and being motzi shem rah about a real Tzadik who is respected by many known tzadikim.
The greater a Tzadik is, the more hidden his ways are. Especially someone who gave over his entire life (busha and bizayon is like death) as a kapparah for am yisrael. Yes, including the same people in am yisrael who are continually mivazeh him. But only when he is finished with this awesome tikkun oilam that is taking place, the world will know the truth. Just pray that you are on the right side of the fence when that day does come.
why do you cover this ausvoorf? nebech, we have many jews who confuse weirdness and magic for frumkeit. he is never to be allowed within 100 yards of another human. i would count a reform rabbi to a minyan before him
Wow! The hate…
“…Especially someone who gave over his entire life (busha and bizayon is like death) as a kapparah for am yisrael”
Where have we heard this apikorsus before??…about 2,000+ years ago they were saying essentially the same thingk about another “yid”….
“And when they heaped shame and abuse on Him, he suffered and bore our sins…. so that we might live to righteousness Peter: 2: 24
He is clearly in need of psychiatric help. Gadolhadorah, good posts.
Looks like a bunch of Lowlife Baalei Lashon Harah run YWN these days.
Could you stick to what your good at.
nebuch
and he completely blocked the street and blasted very loud music until 2:30 AM!
Repeated calls to the Police did nothing!He needs the money to pay off bribes to the Police who turn a blind eye to this fiend and let him get away with breaking laws .House arrest for abusing his female followers? Sick,sick,sick!
I must make a machaa. This is 100% pure lashon hara. Posting this or reading this is the equivalent (or maybe worse) of eating pork. Im not posek, but ask any rav if there’s any reason this is not pure lashon hara. It serves no purpose except to degrade a jew. Theres absolutely zero toeles in this infoirmation (and also with the playing dreidel post last week). Ywn you should be ashmed of yourself.
” Especially someone who gave over his entire life (busha and bizayon is like death) as a kapparah for am yisrael. ”
And what exactly did he do for “Am Yisrael”?
However, The concept of smearing oil on the forehead though is not new… I recall it being a segulah for Torah and chochmah..
Gadolhadorah, you stole the words out of my mouth.
DrYidd, I too questioned why YWN kept writing stories about this man, but have since come to believe it is important. He still has nebech many followers who like “aguteryid ” worship this man. I now believe YWN is doing us all a service by continually showing why we must be careful who we follow.
The a pattern you can see is when a leader is a true Godol, his followers do not worship him as much as the followers of all false leaders such as the man referenced by Gadolhadorah, and latter day “Messiah’s”.
aguteryid
You must be a Gilgul from the Kat Shabtai Zvi who also claimed with frumkeit not to talk Loshon Hora & Motzie
Shem Ra etc. on their Rebbe Shabtai Zvi. SRY.
If you would learn the Halachos you would know that it is a Mitzvah Lefarsem this convicted sex offender
to prevent others from falling in his trap and so that he doesn’t get a chance to re-offend.
This is so sad to see.
Berland should be happy that he can walk around a free man,and just keep a low profile,and away from the public.
Is that asking too much???