R Alter Chaim Dovid Stern, zt’l, passed away yesterday at the age of 93.

R Stern had a very close relationship with Rav Berland, who he knew for decades when they were young men together in Bnei Brak, studying with the Steipler Gaon, the late R Chaim Kanievsky’s father.

I thought it would be a fitting tribute to go through OIAG 2, and to pull out some of the interactions between R Stern, zt’l, and the Rav.

It makes very interesting reading, and we can see 10 years on that the true Tzaddikim know what’s going on long, long in advance of the rest of us.

May his memory be for a blessing for Am Yisrael.

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Page 18, OIAG 2:

As news of the Steipler’s special treatment of the unusual young man from Haifa spread, another of the young men studying Torah in Bnei Brak, Dovid Chaim Stern, had the courage to ask the Steipler what he saw in Eliezer Berland.

“He was a very young man, while the Steipler was the Gadol HaDor and so much older than him. They were study partners, learning many hours together each day, so I was interested in finding out what he had to say about him,” explains Rav Stern. “The Steipler told me, ‘You should know, he is an expert in the entire Torah, a holy man and a tzaddik!’ That was the testimony from the mouth of the Gadol HaDor.”

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Page 64, OIAG 2:

When Rav Dovid Chaim Stern heard from one of the yeshiva students how Rav Berland had been praying alone for hours in the African jungle, in places where no other person would come without an armored jeep and a gun, Rav Stern said, “It’s because of his incredible kedusha! The animals don’t have permission to harm him—not the animals, and also not the human beings!”

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Page 105, OIAG 2:

When Operation Protective Edge began in July 2014, a leading kabbalist known as “the Milkman”, Rav Chaim Perachia Cohen, made the following statement: “They informed me from Heaven that the redemption process started today.  Am Yisrael is going to be redeemed.  No one knows how long it will take, dear brothers, but know that the complete redemption process (geulah sheleimah) has begun, and because of this, the troubles are not going to cease in coming.”

Meanwhile, the kabbalist Rav Dovid Chaim Stern from Bnei Brak told his students in the autumn of 2014 that the situation was only going to get worse from day to day, and that only Moshiach could solve the problem.

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Page 129-130, OIAG 2 – R Alter Chaim Dovid Stern’s ‘near death’ experience:

On February 12, 2015, the Dutch Secretary for Justice, Klaas Dijkhoff, ordered the Dutch courts to agree to the extradition of Rav Berland, the lack of evidence against him notwithstanding.

While the Rav’s legal team in Holland immediately lodged an appeal against this decision, the Rav continued on with his regular schedule of learning Torah, praying and doing acts of kindness for the community, completely unfazed by all the commotion surrounding him in the Dutch courts.

The next casualty in that terrible year was the kabbalist Rav Dovid Chaim Stern. Rav Stern collapsed during a visit to the U.S.A. around Purim 5775, and was also found to have suffered a serious heart attack. One of the students who was traveling with Rav Stern happened to be a first-responder for Magen Dovid Adom, and he immediately started to administer CPR to the Rav. For 40 minutes, this student fought for the Rav’s life, even though the Rav had stopped breathing and no longer had a pulse.

Eventually, his pulse returned and the Rav was taken to the intensive care unit in Maimonides Medical Center in New York. When he was admitted, the hospital staff considered his condition to be somewhere between critical and non-recoverable. The doctors didn’t really hold out any hope that the Rav would recover, and the word went out to his students and followers around the world to start urgently praying for Rav Stern’s welfare and recovery.

On the advice of the Gadol, Rav Shmuel Wosner, Rav Stern was also given the additional name Alter. An information hotline was set up to inform the public about the Rav’s condition, and to enable people to participate in round-the-clock prayers for Rav Stern’s recovery. Yet despite all these efforts, Rav Stern’s condition only continued to deteriorate.

After he was admitted to the hospital, he suffered a further two heart attacks, and a short while later it was discovered that both of his lungs had also completely collapsed, which meant he was now 100 percent dependent on life-support to breathe. If that wasn’t bad enough, on the following day his kidneys also collapsed, and the attending physician told the Rav’s son to call his other children to come to the hospital immediately, so they could be there when their father passed away.

One of Rav Stern’s sons knew how much his father respected Rav Berland, whom he’d known for more than 45 years, ever since Rav Berland had been the Steipler Gaon’s chevrusa back in Bnei Brak. In fact, he was still regularly in touch with him. He decided to phone Rav Berland, who was then in Holland, and tell him the whole situation.

Rav Berland’s attendant, Natan Salamon, passed on the message to Rav Stern’s son that Rav Berland recommended to immediately do a pidyon nefesh, and that if he did that, his father would get up and live.  Natan Salamon related that ten minutes after the pidyon had been arranged, a great miracle happened, and Rav Stern woke up. Even more miraculously, Rav Stern then proceeded to shock the doctors at Maimonides by very quickly regaining his health and strength.

A little while later, Rav Stern was healthy enough to fly back to Israel, to his home in Bnei Brak, and he marked the occasion by holding a gathering where he could properly express his gratitude to Hashem for the enormous miracles that had occurred.  This gathering was the first time that Rav Stern publicly explained what had happened to him and he revealed how many open miracles had taken place.

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One of Rav Stern’s sons spoke at the gathering and said the following: “Anyone who wants to know and understand what the subject of techiyas hameisim, or the revival of the dead, is all about, only needs to see what Hashem, in His tremendous mercy and kindness, did in front of our eyes [referring to his father’s miraculous return from the dead]. Even the doctors admitted wholeheartedly that what had happened here was nothing less than the revival of the dead.”

It was also told over at the gathering that during the time when Rav Stern was clinically dead, his soul had been in Shamayim and he was being judged in the Heavenly Court. Suddenly, the proceedings were interrupted by a bas kol, a Heavenly voice that was heard throughout all the spiritual worlds, saying that Rav Stern had to be returned to life.

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At the gathering, they also read a letter from the senior doctor at Maimonides who’d been responsible for arranging the medical aspects of Rav Stern’s flight home, who wrote the following: “I’m here to set down in writing the size and magnitude of the miracle that we witnessed with our own eyes. What occurred here was truly a case of the revival of the dead. The Rav suffered a heart attack and spent 40 minutes without breathing and without a pulse. In the emergency room, he suffered another heart attack and had to be resuscitated again. The first three days he was in the hospital, he really wasn’t ‘there’ at all, physically. According to the attending physicians, his chances of coming back to life and regaining consciousness, and especially of regaining his mental faculties, were zero. But it appears that God healed [the Rav] by Himself. Even in our generation, I have had the merit of seeing miracles as big as those done at the time of the Exodus from Egypt.” The letter was signed by Dr Kerstein, the head of the intensive care unit in Maimonides Hospital, New York.

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Page 166, OIAG 2:

Meanwhile, the Rosh Yeshiva and leading kabbalist from Bnei Brak, Rav Dovid Chaim Stern, had this to say publicly[1] while speaking in Bnei Brak on August 11, 2016:

“I know Rav Berland, we have a strong connection. He is an exalted Jew who stands above all others. There is no man who is completely kindness and mercy [as Rav Berland is]. Whenever he had money he immediately distributed everything to charity. It is clear to us that a person who distributes so much charity and kindness, Hashem imbues his Shechinah on him.

‘He who has mercy on Hashem’s creations, they have mercy on him from Heaven,’ and therefore Hashem imbues his Shechinah on him. Hashem will guide him as He sees fit. And it is clear to all of us, we are hoping and praying that Hashem will do miracles and wonders.

Others don’t know Rav Berland, like I know him. And they didn’t ask the Steipler what I asked about him.…He’s holy and pure—that’s it! We need to wake up the masses! A holy tzaddik is suffering in prison. I believe that every single action is the greatest mitzvah, to save this tzaddik as quickly as possible. He’s not guilty—he didn’t do anything!”

On another occasion, Rav Stern said: “Woe to whoever speaks ill of Rav Berland, for they will be punished severely.  All those who dare to speak ill of this tzaddik should fear for their lives, for they will all, without exception, receive severe punishments from Above.  I’ve known him for more than 50 years, and the way he learned with the Steipler was unmatched by any other.  He is entirely holy. 

The final test before Moshiach comes is Rav Berland. Anyone who talks against him, or who believes the rumors being circulated about him, won’t merit to witness the imminent redemption of our people.”

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Page 194, OIAG 2: Tel Aviv destroyed; the head of the snake

In October 2017, Rav Berland welcomed the Chassidic singer Mordechai Ben David on to his small stage, and also gave a blessing to the well-known kabbalist and head of the ‘Kiryat Baal Shem Tov’ institutions in Netivot, Rav Tzvi Hori.  Other visitors around this time included Rav Reuven Elbaz, the Spinka Rebbe of Bnei Brak, and Rav Aharon Stern, the son of the famous kabbalist from Bnei Brak, Rav Chaim Dovid Stern, and head of the Tzvi Yehuda Torah institution. At the request of his father, who was too poorly to travel at that time, he came to visit the Rav at the Beit HaRav at the beginning of October, very shortly before the Rav was formally released from house arrest. Rav Aharon made the following remarks to the community:

“Chazal teach that in the time to come (i.e. the end of days) truth will be absent, it will be completely lacking and absent in all sorts of ways, and that every lie will be called ‘the truth’. I want to tell you something about my teacher, Rabbi Yehuda Zeev Leibowitz[2], zt”l, who once decided to go to sleep when it was time for the Kol Nidrei prayer service on Yom Kippur, instead of going to pray in the synagogue.

Afterwards, he revealed to us that there had been a decree in Heaven on the Jews because so many of them were going to sleep on Kol Nidrei instead of going to synagogue. ‘So, I decided to also go to sleep,’ said Rav Zeev Leibowitz, ‘so in shamayim they cancelled the decree.’[2]

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We can see that the Tzaddik is doing something, but we don’t really understand that whole picture of what’s really going on with the Tzaddikim. We really have no idea about what their actions are doing. But, every act done by the Tzaddik is being done to sweeten the judgments on behalf of Am Yisrael.”

Rav Stern continued: “When I first came to Rav Leibowitz, zt”l, to care for him, I said to myself: ‘What are all these weird actions and different types of behavior?!’ Once, I was thinking to myself about why the Tzaddik was conducting himself in ways which meant that sometimes, it appeared as though he was doing things that were contrary to the halacha, but without saying anything about it.

Then, Rav Leibowitz raised his eyes from his Gemara and said to me: ‘Aharon, did you know Rebbe Aharon of Belz?’ I told him that no I didn’t, because he died before I was even born. Rav Leibowitz continued: ‘Do you know, that he used to show up five minutes before mincha (the afternoon prayers) and only then start praying shacharis (the morning prayers)? How can this be? But did anyone speak out against him? The Lelover Rebbe used to show up on motzei Shabbat, and begin shacharis then—did anyone speak out against him? Rav Shach didn’t give in to anyone whose halacha he didn’t agree with. So why didn’t he come out against the Admor of Lelov?!’”

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“Rav Berland is a Tzaddik who comes from the aspect of ‘law’, and no-one can touch him. Our Rabbi is holy and awesome, and all of his behavior, even if it seems to us to be strange, in truth, it’s all for our own sake. Because he’s taking our illnesses upon himself and he’s suffering for our sake.”

Rav Aharon continued: “My saintly father arranged this evening, with the agreement of Morenu Rav Berland, shlit”a. He visited Rav Berland around two months’ ago, and Rav Berland asked him: ‘Esteemed Rav, I know that you’re taking pills for a urinary tract infection, but please stop now, as I’m taking that upon myself.’ And my father stopped [taking the pills]! Who told the Rav about my father’s illness? How did he know?!”

Rav Stern then struck a very somber note, saying: “We are currently in a period of time similar to that which occurred before the holocaust, but we have nothing to fear, inasmuch as we are sheltered under the tallis of Morenu, Rav Berland, shlit”a.”

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Rav Stern continued: “It gives me great sorrow that my father is so ill that he can’t come to this gathering himself, and that the Samech Mem (dark side forces) are preventing the Tzaddikim from meeting. But when I came here, I met Morenu Rav Berland, shlit”a, and he said to me: ‘Rav Stern, don’t worry! Everything is on my shoulders. From the 25th of Elul, motzei Shabbos (September 16, 2017), you’re going to see the beginning of the salvation of Am Yisrael!’ I ask you, where else can you find a rebbe like this?”

Rav Aharon Stern concluded his remarks by saying: “I’d like to request just one on thing, that we should have achdus and love between us, which will bring us the geula. Before his death, Rav Leibowitz ordered me to make the following announcement about America, so I repeat this every opportunity I get.

“He told me that the anti-Semitism in the United States is only going to continue to grow, until it gets to the point where the Jews will be forced to flee. We can also see how the forces of nature are going crazy there, and this is because we see how the people there are overturning everything, and no longer know who their Mother and Father is….The same is true in Tel Aviv, which is why Rav Leibowitz told me: ‘Tel Aviv will be destroyed.’

Morenu Rav Berland, shlit”a, is fighting against the head of the snake, in direct combat. Rav Berland is gouging out it’s eyes and he’s taking upon himself all our troubles. I heard from my teacher and father, shlit”a, who told me: ‘I’m scared…I don’t know how Rav Berland is doing this! There is no other rabbi in Israel, there is no other rosh yeshiva in Israel, there is no other rebbe or admor in Israel who knows how Rav Berland is able to fight this war, and to fight against the head of the snake itself.”

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Page 214-5, OIAG 2:

Rav Dovid Chaim Stern from Bnei Brak (one of the greatest kabbalists from the Lithuanian tradition, known to have Ruach Hakodesh, was close to the Steipler and many Torah giants of the previous generation):

(As told to Nachman Mintz, a student of Rav Berland, who went to receive a blessing from Rav Dovid Chaim Stern at a time that Rav Berland was in exile in Zimbabwe.) Before he went into the room to speak to Rav Stern, Rav Stern’s attendant asked him who he’s a student of, and he answered “Rav Berland”. Rav Stern said to him, ‘You aren’t a student of Rav Berland because you don’t even know who Rav Berland is!‘”

On another occasion, Rav Stern said publicly: “Anyone who speaks badly about the tzaddik Rav Berland, everyone without exception will receive tremendous punishments from Heaven.”

On another occasion, Rav Stern said that Rav Berland is: “Holy of holies. No one is on his level of holiness,” and said that he is “one in a generation”.

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These are the original footnotes from the book, where Rav Stern recorded his statements supporting Rav Berland – I’m pretty sure the cholkim got all this stuff taken down, with false claims of copyright issues:

[1] You can see the video of Rav Stern speaking here: https://youtu.be/Wtj6PWBOSjM

[2] Rav Yehuda Zev Leibowitz, z”tl was a hidden Tzaddik who died just a few short years’ ago and was rumored to be the head of the ‘Lamed Vav’ Tzaddikim in whose merit the world is sustained. He’s buried in Bnei Brak.