Also this year, 5785, the Hilulah of the Godly Tanna, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, was held at the holy site of Meron with the participation of Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a, together with tens of thousands of people, at the central bonfire lighting in the Hilulah complex at Mount Meron.

Already in the early morning hours of the eve of Lag BaOmer, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a left his home towards the holy site of Meron, where he would spend the next day in honor of the Godly Tanna.  Close to 2,000 tickets were sold, and thousands of students and supporters of Moreinu HaRav shlit”a came from all over Israel and the world to be a part of this great event where the awesome light of Rashbi is revealed with extra intensity on this holy and awesome day. At close to 3:30 am, the bonfire lighting ceremony began with the selling of the merit to pour the oil and put the cotton onto the torch that would soon ignite the flame of Rashbi.  Meanwhile, the orchestra began playing melodies of spiritual arousal. We mention here the names of the musicians: the well-known Hasidic singer R’ Shayale Roth, accompanied on keyboard by R’ Shaya B’rim.  The clarinet was played by the world-class musician R’ Avraham Roth, together with R’ David Golan.  The bachur Nachman Sharabi was on the saxophone with R’ Yohanatan Porat on the guitar.  All of this was accompanied by the choir of avreichim of Shuvu Banim. At 4:15 am, sounds of joy were heard with the appearance of the chariot of Moreinu HaRav shlit”a, entering “Heichal Yitzchak” in the Hilulah complex.  In just moments, the Rav shlit”a would ascend and ignite a fire of life in the heart of every Jew. At 4:35 am, hearts pounded with excitement as Moreinu HaRav shlit”a ascended the platform, his face appearing like an angel of Hashem Tzevakot.  The orchestra began the rousing niggunim of “L’Kvod HaTanna HaEloki Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai…” and “Veyhi Noam Hashem Elokeinu…”  Moreinu HaRav shlit”a walked with his face red and inflamed with the fire of Rashbi and poured the holy anointing oil from the flask onto the pyre.  Then he grasped the fiery torch and, together with his greatest students, lit the flame of the Godly Tanna who spreads his light into the heart of every Jew wherever they may be. From the moment that the flame began to spark, it was like lava emerging from an erupting volcano.  The massive crowd who came, like every year, for the central bonfire lighting of Shuvu Banim, danced and rejoiced like one man with one heart together with Moreinu HaRav “L’Kvod HaTanna HaEloki Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai…”  Ah…there’s no describing the awesome feeling of those exalted moments!

“Fortunate are those who ascend to your grave”

The orchestra continued, together with Moreinu HaRav shlit”a, with the songs of Lag BaOmer.  There was no one whose legs didn’t rise and dance by themselves with the singing of “Bar Yochai” at this awesome event in honor of Rashbi.  Here, the great fire burst forth, Mount Meron entirely blazing with the burning light: “Fortunate are those who ascend to your grave…”  Niggun followed niggun, circles of dancers expanding and contracting, all rejoicing in the Tzaddik, the foundation of the world.  Above all, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a danced and jumped with holy fire together with all his greatest students, as is written, “David danced with all his might!!” The immense crowd, seeing the Tzaddik shlit”a rejoicing and dancing in honor of the celebration of Rashbi, could not remain indifferent.  Again and again, like waves surging in the sea was the appearance of the thousands jumping and dancing.  After close to an hour of fiery dancing, the sky turned entirely red with the rays of sun emerging from behind Mount Meron.  Moreinu HaRav shlit”a gave the sign with his holy hand and approached the pure table to don tallit and tefillin.

“Like the light of the radiant sun”

The orchestra began to play, “Odeh L’Kel – I will thank God, Searcher of hearts, with the morning stars singing together”…the melodies of the soul that open every morning of a Breslov Chasid of Shuvu Banim now took on a sevenfold meaning: “Its light like the light of the sun, sevenfold the light of morning…”   Among all the bonfire ceremonies on Mount Meron, it is known that the Shacharit of netz (sunrise) is prayed together with Shuvu Banim, more than two hours of prayer, all with pleasant melodies that color the prayer with supernal lights and setting in place the rays of sunlight at sunrise.  At the end of the prayer, after Adon Olam, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a added “An’eim Zemirot,” the hearts swelling with excitement – the hilulah of Rashbi is a Yom Tov!  At the conclusion of the holy prayer, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a said the Ten Psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali with a pleasant melody, facing the holy tomb. At 8:10 am, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a gave over a fiery shiur in which he mentioned that all those who rejoiced at the Hilulah of Rashbi were now enveloped by flaming fire.  After the shiur and Kaddish, he descended from the platform and performed a chalaka (first haircut) for two of his great-grandsons.  He then headed to his holy home in Jerusalem.

“Fortunate is the one who bore you”

During the course of the holy day, hundreds of children merited that Moreinu HaRav shlit”a would be the first one to cut their locks of hair for their customary chalaka at the age of three, according to custom of the holy Ari. Just like last year, this year too, chalaka’s were performed in the home of Moreinu HaRav shlit”a at 1:00 pm.  For some two hours, the Rav shlit”a performed chalaka’s, with each one of the young children meriting personal attention from the Rav shlit”a.  After the haircut, each one also merited to receive from his holy hands a respectable gift package (pakal’e) that had been specially purchased by the Rav’s attendants for this moving event.

"Until an arrow pierces its liver”

As the holy day came to a close, when Moreinu HaRav shlit”a came out for Mincha of Erev Shabbat Kodesh, he shot the customary arrows for around fifteen minutes, arrow after arrow, into the eyes of the Samech-Mem, as it is written “Until an arrow pierces its liver.”  In order to turn the 98 curses into 98 blessings, the Rav shlit”a fired 98 arrows, the numerical value of “chetz (arrow).”