Shushan Purim with Rav Eliezer Berland ShlitâaÂ
On the day of Shushan Purim, we merited to pray Shacharit, to hear the Megillah reading, and âKiddushâ Purim together with the Gaon and Tzaddik Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlitâa. Below is a review of the prayer of Shushan Purim:Â
At 4:44 AM, the Rav shlitâa came out to pray Shacharit of Purim day. The Rav shlitâa together with the entire congregation begin with âHareini Mitkasher...â and âLeshem Yichud...â word-by-word. While crowned with Tallit and Tefillin, the Rav shlitâa began saying the passages of Tikkun Leah which are said on days in which Tachanun isnât said, such as Purim day, and afterwards, he continued with the Morning Zemirot. âBaâron Yachad Kochavei Bokerâ to the light of the clear, blue heavens, and the chirping of birds â ahhh, the Garden of Eden on earth. The prayer continued with Niggunim, Korbanot, and Pesukei DâZimra, all with vitality and pleasantness, uniquely on this Purim, as we wrote earlier, with the Rav shlitâa saying all the prayers slowly, word-for-word, with such pleasantness, with yearning and longing, the model of making the maximum of Purim day in the aspect of âKippurim,â for prayers and supplications. In the middle of Pesukei DâZimra, while singing âLamnatzeach Binginot Mizmor Shir,â the rejoicing became stronger with the Rav shlitâa, despite his age and medical state, jumping and jumping and clapping with greater strength, vitality and phenomenal joy. There is no way to transmit in writing the joy that there was during this song, which continued for more than a quarter-hour. Afterwards, âBaruch Sheâamarâ at exactly 6:00, and praying the Amidah about half-hour later, at 6:30. After the Amidah, the Rav shlitâa left for a time-out, in which he once again went to immerse in a mikveh before putting on Tefillin of Rabbeinu Tam. After around twenty minutes, he returned for the repetition of the Amidah. Afterwards, the Rav shlitâa began the reading of the Torah for Purim day, âVayavo Amalek...â with three aliyot. After the Torah reading, the Rav shlitâa said that each person should intend fulfill their obligations of the day, which are: the Megillah reading, Mishloach Manot (gifts for oneâs friends), and Matnot LâEvyonim (gifts for the poor) which are thirty shekels for each poor person, and the Purim feast. He himself added rejoicing on Purim as a mitzvah of the day in and of itself. The reading of the Megillah on Purim morning, like every year, takes less time than that of Purim night, lasting around a half-hour. Itâs worth noting that during the reading of the Megillah, tears flowed from the pure eyes of the Rav shlitâa, especially during the verse, âAnd Mordechai knew everything that had taken place...,â and also in the verse, âAnd when the turn of Esther bat Avichail, Mordechaiâs uncle, arrived...â At the end of the Megillah reading, âShoshanat Yaakovâ was sung for a number of minutes. During the song, with awesome joy, the Rav didnât hesitate to fulfill the mitzvot of the day, Mishloach Manot and Matnot LâEvyonim, in the presence of all. After the song, the Rav shlitâa finished the order of prayers, which took about ten minutes. In particular, the Rav sang, âMay He open our hearts to His Torah,â after many months in which we didnât merit to sing it together with him. After the prayer, the Rav shlitâa, like every year, held âKiddushâ of Purim. He began with the words, âVaâychulu HaShamayim VâHaAretz...â and continued with words of humor. After finishing a shiur, the Rav shlitâa began with singing and dancing as part of rejoicing on Purim, with the songs of Rabbeinu Nachman, according to the order of the Maariv prayer. As we mentioned, the Rav was with awesome vitality and joy, jumping and clapping, and also making many moves with joy and great fervor! After many long minutes of singing and dancing, the Rav shlitâa said Kaddish, and at 8:20, after some three hours and twenty minutes, he finished Shacharit.Â
