Fugitive Rabbi's Worldwide Lecture Calls Ovadiia Yosef “Mashiach”

[Idaho Kid]

In Jewish tradition, there are two messiahs: one, Mashiach ben Yosef, who fights for the redemption but dies before it is achieved; and another, Mashiach ben David, who is crowned King of the Jews and succeeds in bringing the complete redemption.

Fugitive Rabbi Gives Worldwide Lecture Via Satellite, Calls The Late Rabbi Ovadia Yosef "Mashiach Ben Yosef"
http://failedmessiah.typepad.com/failed_messiahcom/2014/11/fugitive-rabbi-give-worldwide-lecture-via-satellite-calls-the-late-rabbi-ovadia-yosef-mashiach-ben-yosef-345.html

Rabbi Eliezer Berland (perhaps trying to gain the support of the Sefardi haredi Shas Party to help fight criminal charges if he is deported to Israel) claimed that the late founder of Shas, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, had the soul of Mashiach ben Yosef. Rabbi Yosef would have been Mashiach ben Yosef, but his generation was unworthy, Berland insisted.

Alleged Breslov sexual predator Rabbi Eliezer Berland is still in Amsterdam awaiting possible deportation to Israel.

Berland, who heads the Shuvu Banim Breslov yeshiva and sect based in Jerusalem's Old City, fled Israel almost two years ago after female followers, including at least one minor, claimed told police Berland sexually abused them. He fled from country to country, continent to continent, until he was expelled from Morocco and Zimbabwe and then twice almost arrested in South Africa earlier this year. Berland then flew from South Africa (perhaps on a false passport) to the Netherlands with the intention of traveling from their to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov's grave in Uman, Ukraine. But Dutch police spotted Berland and arrested on an international arrest warrant just after he got off his flight from South Africa in the days before Rosh Hashana.

Earlier this week Berland, who is free on bail in Amsterdam pending his appeal of the deportation order, gave a lecture which was transmitted by satellite to followers worldwide.

According to a report in Yeshiva World, during that lecture, Berland (perhaps trying to gain the support of the Sefardi haredi Shas Party to help fight criminal charges if he is deported to Israel) claimed that the late founder of Shas, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, had the soul of Mashiach ben Yosef. Rabbi Yosef would have been Mashiach ben Yosef, but his generation was unworthy, Berland insisted.

(In Jewish tradition, there are two messiahs: one, Mashiach ben Yosef, who fights for the redemption but dies before it is achieved; and another, Mashiach ben David, who is crowned King of the Jews and succeeds in bringing the complete redemption.)

Berland also spoke about teshuva (repentance) and claimed that many ba'al teshuvas (people who become Orthodox as adults) have turned Breslov into a type of "circus," dancing on tables and in the middle of busy intersections and the like. Berland condemned this behavior and said it does not follow the teachings of Rabbi Nachman, who died 204 years ago.