Five and a Half Hours of Prayer on Hoshana Rabbah with Rabbi Eliezer Berland

On Hoshanah Rabbah, the last day on which the judgement is sealed after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we merited to pray Shacharit, Hallel, the Hoshanot, and Musaf together with our Rebbe Rav Eliezer Berland shlit”a.

Shacharit and Hallel for four hours!

At 5:15 am our Rebbe Rav Berland shlit”a entered his home’s balcony for the prayers of Hoshanah Rabbah, with almost a thousand people who came to pray on the “Day of Judgement” together with the Rav shlit”a standing in the courtyard of our Beit Midrash, the Prayer Hall, all of them wrapped in white with Tallit and Kitel.  Immediately upon the Rav’s entry, he began saying the liturgical song “Shaarey Tzion” with the portions that are customary to say during Chol HaMoed.  Afterwards, he began with the morning Zemirot with vitality and fervor.  After the Zemirot, the Rav began Shacharit, the Korbanot (sacrificial passages), and at 6:00 blessed on the Tallit and said Bircot HaShachar, followed by the long Pesukeh D’Zimra which is customary to say on Yom Tov.  After Shacharit, at 7:45, the Rav announced a break of five minutes for taking the Lulav, and after a few minutes the Rav began saying Hallel with niggun and great vitality for over an hour and fifteen minutes, especially the song “Betzeit Yisrael MiMitzrayim – When Israel left Egypt” which he sang for 25 minutes.  Afterwards he sang “Hodu L’Hashem Ki Tov -- Thank Hashem for it is good” over the course of a half hour, with the Rav waving the Lulav as is customary.  Afterwards, he said “Ana Hashem Hosheah Na -- Please Hashem save now” for a half hour!  The entire community sang together with the Rav with great vitality and fervor.

After Hallel, he began the saying of the Hoshanot, the main event of the day, for over a period of 40 minutes, word-by-word, with the Rav circling the Bimah on his balcony with his Four Species.  In particular the Rav said “Kol Mevaser” in a roar together with the entire community with great fervor.  At the conclusion of the Hoshanot, the Rav sang for a number of minutes.  This was followed by the beating of the Aravot (willow branches), about which the Rav said that it subdues all the forces of the Other Side, and all enemies and accusers will be destroyed.

The reading of the Torah and Musaf

After forty minutes of Hoshanot was the reading of the Torah portion of the day and Maftir, with four aliyot, the Rav ascending for the Aliyah of Rebbe Nachman.  Afterwards, the Rav prayed Musaf, singing the niggunim “Vekarev pizueinu – draw close our scattered ones” and “Vehevienu l’Tzion Eirecha – Bring us to Zion, Your city” for over ten minutes.  After Musaf, the Rav sang “The Song of Glory,” the Tikkun HaKlali, and concluded with a short shiur before entering his home.  Fortunate are we that we merited!