Sukkot 5785 with Rabbi Eliezer Berland Shlit”a

THE FESTIVAL PRAYERS OF SUCCOT WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A AND THE SIMCHAT BEIT HASHOEVA ON THE EVENING AFTER THE HOLIDAY WITH THE HELP OF HEAVEN, IN GOD’S GREAT KINDNESS, WE MERITED TO CELEBRATE THE SUKKOT HOLIDAY OF THIS YEAR, 5785, IN THE PRESENCE OF MOREINU HARAV BERLAND SHLIT”A.  BELOW IS A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW FROM THE PRAYERS OF THE FIRST DAY OF YOM TOV OF SUKKOT WHICH TOOK PLACE IN OUR BEIT MIDRASH IN JERUSALEM WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE RAV SHLIT”A: At 6:27 P.M., Moreinu HaRav shlit”a came out to the balcony of his home, donned in his pure white clothing for the Minchah prayer on the eve of the holiday, and after close to ten minutes of singing “Or Zarua LaTzaddik” with great vitality, he stood for the Minchah prayers. After the repetition of the Amidah, Moreinu HaRav said the psalm “Hashem Malach Ge’ut Lavesh.”  After completing Minchah, he said the order of Hitkashrut word for word, with the entire congregation repeating after him.  Afterwards, Moreinu HaRav began the niggun of “Barechu” before Maariv, and after the roar of “Barechu” from his pure mouth, they began the Maariv prayer of the Three Festivals for Chag Sukkot, with vitality and fervor and all the niggunim.  After Maariv, Moreinu HaRav said the psalm, “Simachti B’Omrim Li…” as is customary, and after Aleinu Leshabeach, he entered his holy home at 7:25 to the song “V’Samachta BeChagecha” after a prayer of almost an hour. SHACHARIT OF CHAG SUKKOT For the Shacharit prayer, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a came out at 5:12 A.M. and began with the verses of Tikkun Chatzot said on Shabbat and holidays, including the Piyyut “Shaarei Tzion.”  After this were said the Morning Zemirot with wondrous vitality.  After a break of around five minutes, the Rav came down to our Beit Midrash and began reciting Pesukei D’Zimra as on every Shabbat and holiday, with great arousal and fiery fervor.  It’s worth noting that “Ki Kol Peh Lecha Yodeh” was sang particularly at length during the saying of “Nishmat Kol Chai,” continuing for about six minutes. After this were the blessings of Kriyat Shema and the Shacharit Amidah for the Three Festivals.  The Rav stood for the Amidah at exactly the moment of sunrise.  Immediately after the Amidah’s repetition, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a announced that there would be a break of a number minutes and that each person should go and take their Four Species.  Moreinu HaRav took the pains to ascend to his Sukkah in his holy home in order to take the Four Species.  After a break of about ten minutes, the prayer hall was already completely full, with each person holding their Four Species.  How wonderful and heartwarming it was to see the Tzaddik return to our Beit Midrash with his beautiful Lulav and Etrog in his holy hands.  Facing him were almost a thousand people of our community who had come to celebrate the holiday of Sukkot in the “great and holy house,” in the “shadow of faith.” The Rav shlit”a began singing Hallel, which lasted more than forty minutes, with vitality and fiery fervor with all the niggunim; “Betzeit Yisrael MiMitzrayim…” alone lasted 25 minutes.  It’s impossible to describe the power and the song, over and over, like an overflowing fountain, the vitality only strengthening from moment to moment, the joy of the festival burst forth like one.  Likewise, in the niggunim between the verses, “Hodu LaHashem Ki Tov” and “Ana Hashem Hoshea Na.”  In each one of them, the holy niggunim lasted for several minutes.  All of this, of course, included stopping the niggunim in order to wave the Four Species together with the entire congregation.  Immediately after finishing Hallel, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a began saying the Hoshanot with the Torah scroll next to him.  “Hosha Na Lema’an Amitecha…”  After finishing the Hoshanot began the song “Hoshea Et Amecha…” for a number of minutes. After the Hoshanot, Moreinu HaRav said to take the Torah scroll out, and together with the community, with great arousal, he said the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy three times, as is customary during the Three Festivals.  Afterwards, he said the complete, “Yehi Ratzon.”  During the Torah reading, the Rav shlit”a had the Aliyah of Rabbeinu HaKadosh – the fourth Aliyah.  Afterwards, he read the Haftarah in the book of Zecharia about the prophecy of the end of days, and about the sin of Egypt and the sins of all the gentile nations who didn’t ascend to celebrate the Sukkot holiday. “AND GATHER OUR DISPERSED ONES FROM THE CORNERS OF THE EARTH” At the conclusion of the Torah reading, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a began the Piyyut “Y-ah E-li V’Goali…” in the special Breslov niggun as is the custom of Moreinu HaRav shlit”a.  Afterwards, he began the Musaf prayer of the Three Festivals. During the repetition of the Amidah, the Rav sang the niggun “VeKarev Pezureinu” for a number of minutes with great fervor, and afterwards, the song, “Vehavi’einu L’Tzion Irecha BeRina…,” with the Rav shlit”a firing up the entire community with the movements of his holy hands, everyone skipping and dancing during the supplication, “To Jerusalem, Your Temple, in eternal joy.”  The entire community came alive with fire, with clapping of the hands, with expanded consciousness.  After close to twenty minutes of Musaf, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a completed the repetition and the rest of the prayers according to their order – Kevei el Hashem, Aleinu Leshabe’ach, Adon Olam, Ane’im Zemirot.  After everything, he even said the Tikkun HaKlali, followed by a shiur of two minutes on the subject of the holiday, like words of the Living God.  He entered his home at 9:20, after more than four hours of prayer with Moreinu HaRav shlit”a. “PLEASE, SAVE THOSE WHO CALL TO YOU…” Also during the Minchah prayer, we merited for Moreinu HaRav shlit”a to come out to pray with us at 6:23, close to sunset.  He stood immediately after Kaddish for the Amidah of Minchah of the Three Festivals.  Surprisingly, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a said after Minchah “Hashem Malach,” despite the fact that the holiday could never fall on Friday, and this aroused the interest of those following after the prayer liturgies of Moreinu HaRav shlit”a, who most years would sing “Simachti BeOmrim Li,” and during a few years, “Betzeit Yisrael” or “Lamnatzeach Binginot.”  After the end of Minchah, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a began the niggun before “Barechu,” and began Maariv of Motza’ei Chag with niggunim with endless vitality and fervor. “I REJOICED WHEN THEY SAID TO ME, 'LET'S GO TO THE HOUSE OF HASHEM'” After Maariv, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a fulfilled immediately all fifteen “Shir HaMaalot,” as is customary to say at the Simchat Beit HaSho’eva.  Moreinu HaRav would say a verse and the entire congregation would repeat after him.  It was mamash possible to feel in every single psalm the Levites on their platform singing, ascending yet another step of the fifteen steps, and all Israel dancing. After finishing the verses of the Simchat Beit HaSho’eva, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a performed Havdalah.  It’s worth noting that this is the first time that we merited during this period to Havdalah of Motza’ei Chag Sukkot with Moreinu HaRav shlit”a.  This is because this year, the Rav’s household concerned themselves with making a Sukkah over the heads of the Children of Israel, and so the Rav shlit”a, during all the prayers of the holiday, was under a Sukkah while on his balcony. At the conclusion of Havdalah, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a entered his holy home at 7:10, and our community continued the joy of the festival with the dancing of the Simchat Beit HaSho’eva with fervor in the prayer hall, which continued until close to Chatzot (halachic midnight).