In the Shadow of Iranian Missiles: Shabbat Behaâalotecha in the Shadow of Rabbi Eliezer Berland Shlitâa
HERE IS AN EXTENSIVE REVIEW OF THE PRAYERS AND SHIURIM THAT TOOK PLACE ON THE HOLY SHABBAT OF PARASHAT BEHAâALOTECHA â 18 SIVAN 5785, IN THE PRESENCE OF MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLITâA: EREV SHABBAT KODESH At 7:12 pm, Moreinu HaRav shlitâa came out to the balcony of his home for the Mincha prayer of Erev Shabbat, adorned in his Shabbat clothes. âOr Zarua LaTzaddikâ was sung for 23 minutes. After that, the Rav shlitâa stood for Mincha. At the conclusion of Mincha for Erev Shabbat, he recited the order of Hitkashrut word for word, with the entire congregation repeating after him. He then began Kabbalat Shabbat with all the Mizmorim from âLechu Neranenaâ until âMizmor LeDavid.â Following that was the singing of âLecha Dodi,â which lasted for 41 minutes. Then he recited âKâGavnaâ and continued with the Maâariv prayer of Friday night, with singing and melodies. It should be noted that before the Amidah, during the singing of âVâShamru Bnei Yisrael,â a missile attack began. As we elaborated on elsewhere [https://ravberland.com/how-rabbi-eliezer-berland-shlita-worked-to-mitigate-the-iranian-attack/], Moreinu HaRav shlitâa continued to dance and clap his hands to sweeten the judgments. After ten minutes of singing and sweetening all the judgments, Moreinu HaRav continued with Maâariv. Later, during the Shabbat night Zemirot, as another missile attack began, the Rav was singing âOz VâHadar Levusha...â The prayer concluded at 9:45, after more than two and a half hours (2.33) of Friday night prayers amidst sirens and missiles. SHACHARIT Moreinu HaRav shlitâa came out for Shacharit at 5:15 am, later than usual. Immediately upon coming out, he began singing âOr Zarua LaTzaddikâ for 20 minutes. At 5:35, two minutes after sunrise, he began reciting the verses from Tikkun Chatzot that are customarily said on Shabbat and festivals. Then came the morning Zemirot and the Korbanot in order. At 6:20, he began âHodu LâHashem Kiru Vishmoâ and continued with Pesukei DâZimrah with melody and fervor. âBaruch Sheâamarâ was at 6:50. The singing of âKi Kol Peh Lecha Yodehâ was extended for about 9 minutes, and âEin Aroch Lechaâ for about 8 minutes. Moreinu HaRav shlitâa stood for the Amidah at 7:45. TORAH READING After the repetition came âShir Shel Yomâ and the singing of âYehe Raâavaâ for a few minutes, followed by âTorat Hashem Temimah.â Then the Sefer Torah was taken out, and the Rav shlitâa began reading Parashat Behaâalotecha. One after another, those with celebrations or yahrzeits, who merited to stand next to Moreinu HaRav shlitâa during the prayer, came up. After the Torah reading, the Rav shlitâa read the Haftarah. The Torah reading and Haftarah together took about 40 minutes. MUSAF AND THE MORNING KIDDUSH Following the Haftarah, the Rav began singing âZara Chaya VâKayamaâ for about 13 minutes, followed by âAv HaRachamim.â At close to 9:20, he began Musaf. After the repetition of the Amidah, the prayer concluded in order, ending with the Tikkun HaKlali. He made Kiddush on a cup for Kiddusha Rabbah, and gave a five-minute shiur during which he spoke about the 23rd of Sivan â the day of the nullification of decrees â a day when everything turns around and the head of the Iranian serpent, a descendant of the wicked Haman and Achashverosh the Persian, is subdued. During the shiur, the Rav began singing âVatosef Esther Vatedaber Lifnei HaMelech â Esther once again spoke before the kingâ for another five minutes. Afterward, he said Kaddish and gave another one-minute shiur. At 9:43, he entered his holy home, after nearly four and a half hours (4.27) that we merited to Shacharit, the Torah reading, Musaf, and Kiddusha Rabbah with Moreinu HaRav shlitâa. MINCHA At 7:21 pm, Moreinu HaRav shlitâa entered for Mincha of Shabbat Kodesh on the balcony of his home and began with the song âOr Zarua LaTzaddikâ for 15 minutes. Afterward, he said Kaddish and the ark was opened with the singing of âYehe Raâavaâ for about 8 minutes, followed by the Torah reading of Shelach Lecha with three aliyahs. Immediately afterwards, he stood for the Mincha Amidah of Shabbat during the minutes before sunset. RAâAVA DâRAâAVIN After Mincha, at sunset, still at his place on the balcony, the Rav washed his hands for Seudah Shelishit at 8:00 pm. As is his holy custom, with the first kezayit of bread, he began singing the Zemirot of Seudah Shelishit for about 22 minutes. At the end of the songs, he extended the singing of âY-ah Ribonâ for half an hour. He then sang âKo Amar Hashem Matza Chen BaMidbarâ for 2 minutes, âKo Amar Hashem Zacharti Lachâ for 3 minutes, and âAd Henahâ for another 3 minutes. After the singing, the Rav began âTzur Mishelo Achalnuâ and said Zimun over a cup. MAâARIV At 9:05 pm, immediately after Birkat HaMazon and the Sheva Brachot, the Rav shlitâa began singing âLamnatzeâach Binginotâ at a wondrous length of 35 minutes, and then continued with the Motzaâei Shabbat Maâariv prayer with fiery melodies. After the Amidah, he recited âVihi Noâam,â and sang the songs âHu Yiftachâ and âBaruch Huâ at length for 11 minutes, concluding Maâariv in order. At the end of the prayer, the Rav shlitâa performed Havdalah over a cup with the singing of âLaYehudimâ for about three minutes. MOTZAâEI SHABBAT After Havdalah, the Rav washed his hands for Melaveh Malkah â the meal of David, the King Mashiach. The Rav shlitâa sang all the Zemirot for Melaveh Malkah together with the entire congregation. Before the song âEliyahu HaNavi,â he gave over a 13-minute shiur from Chayei Moharan. After the shiur, he continued the songs âEliyahu HaNaviâ and âRibon Kol HaOlamim.â After the songs, Moreinu HaRav shlitâa led the Zimun with Sheva Brachot. At the end of Birkat HaMazon, he recited the blessing âAl HaGefen.â It should be noted that precisely at the end of this blessing, another missile attack began. Moreinu HaRav shlitâa took the opportunity to give another shiur of about one minute, in which he said that now each page of Gemara repels a thousand missiles. At 11:15 pm, he entered his holy home, after nearly four consecutive hours (3.55) that we merited to be with him from Mincha, Seudah Shlishit, Maâariv, and Melaveh Malkah. In total, the entire Shabbat included 10 hours and 55 minutes that we merited to be in his holy shadow -- Shabbat Kodesh, Parashat Behaâalotecha, 18 Sivan 5785. https://ravberland.com/how-rabbi-eliezer-berland-shlita-worked-to-mitigate-the-iranian-attack/