But then the dark era of Communism started. Torah study and keeping Mitzvos were forbidden. It wasn’t too long that Eliezer found himself in Siberia.
Twenty years Eliezer was in Siberia but Eliezer was determined and come what may he never desecrated Shabbos. He wouldn’t even go to work on Shabbos. Instead he did an extra day’s quota during the week.
More than once Eliezer was brought to the court in Siberia for not following orders. The officers threatened to kill him. But Eliezer wasn’t moved. He turned to the officers and said, “you can’t kill me.”
“What do you mean,” asked the officers? “We kill people all the time!”
“But I have a promise from my Rebbe that you can’t do anything to me.”
On Shabbos Eliezer would run around in his room to avoid freezing in the ice cold weather of Siberia that would reach -40 degrees Celsius / -40 degrees Fahrenheit.
One Shabbos he collapsed. While he lay on the floor the Rebbe the Reshab came to him in a dream. “Not only what I said that the sword of Pharaoh will have no power over you, you will also merit to go and live in Eretz Yisrael.”
Rabbi Eliezer Naness survived the horrors and the cold of Siberia and lived in his later years in Yerushalaim where he passed away at the age of 99. He penned his years in Siberia in the famous book ‘Subotta’.
