“Torat Hashem Temimah” – Hakafot Shniyot with Rabbi Eliezer Berland Shlit”a

Hakafot Shniyot with the Participation of Thousands ○ Piyutim in Honor of the Torah ○ Shacharit Prayer with the First Donning of Tefillin of Isru Chag ○ Photo Gallery ○ The Testimony of Hashem Is Faithful

“Through the hakafot shniyot, all judgments are sweetened, and all the bad decrees are torn up!” – For years, Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit"a has repeatedly declared that through the dancing of the hakafot shniyot until the morning light of Isru Chag, it is possible to tear up the unfavorable decrees sent forth on Hoshana Rabbah and, in their place, have good decrees written for all good things. Therefore, for years, everyone has known that the only place where they dance in the hakafot shniyot until the morning light is in the Beit Midrash of the Tzaddik – the holy community of Shuvu Banim. This year, 5786, for the fourth consecutive time, we merited hakafot shniyot with the participation of Moreinu HaRav shlit"a together with tens of thousands of the people of Israel from all communities and backgrounds, who merited to rejoice in honor of the Torah, to sweeten the judgments, and to bring a good decree for a good and blessed year for themselves and for all of Israel.

Below is an extensive report on the hakafot shniyot on the night following Simchat Torah and the Shacharit prayer of Isru Chag Sukkot in the shadow of Moreinu HaRav shlit"a:

Starting at 11:00 PM, throngs of Am Yisrael gathered and came to the courtyard of our Beit Midrash, as the royal orchestra began to play, featuring the well-known singer R’ Akiva Groman, accompanied on the keyboard by the wondrous musician R’ Izik Eisenstadt, and above all, the artist of emotion, stirring hearts with his clarinet – R’ Avraham Balti. And so, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, foot after foot lifted, everyone together became one great flame of joyous dancing in honor of the Torah. Around 2:00 AM, it was announced that Moreinu HaRav shlit"a had given instructions to start the hakafot shniyot, and he would also join later on. As per his instruction, those leading the hakafot while holding the holy Torah scrolls recited the verses for opening the Ark and the verses of the first hakafah. Now the hakafot officially began with the singing of "Torat Hashem Temimah…" Once again, circles upon circles, the feeling was that the dancing lifted everyone a handbreadth above the ground. So went the second and third hakafot. Toward the end of the third hakafah, at exactly 3:08 AM, Moreinu HaRav shlit"a emerged in his majestic splendor for the hakafot shniyot from the balcony of his home. He immediately went to his holy place, recited the verses of the fourth hakafah, "Lovesh Tzedakot Aneinu B’Yom Kor’einu," and opened with the singing of "Urah Kevodi Urah HaNevel V’Chinor A’irah Shachar…" At this stage, there was no one who did not rise, no one who did not dance, and no circle that did not open. "B’cha Rabbeinu Nagilah," songs of Uman one after the next with tremendous longing and yearning for the tziun of Rabbeinu. Then, as our Sages said: "Paka igra" – the roof burst open – so it was fulfilled in the hakafot shniyot, in which, as mentioned, multitudes upon multitudes from all communities, circles, and sectors of Am Yisrael participated, with stormy circles of Chasidim alongside working people, Sephardim standing shoulder to shoulder with their Ashkenazi brethren, Chasidim of Toldot Aharon alongside settlers, and Litvaks alongside the elders of our community, all dancing, skipping, and twirling with all their might in honor of the Torah, with Moreinu HaRav shlit"a himself conducting it all, dancing with endless renewal, as if Simchat Torah had just begun, all this after a holiday filled with hours upon hours of continuous dancing and prayers. Moreinu HaRav shlit"a initially danced in a circle with family members and close associates, holding the holy Torah scroll that was written for him and which brought about the release of the hostages (see the separate article on Hoshana Rabbah). After several rounds, he turned to the crowd with joy and delight, clapping his hands and dancing again and again with immense joy, with fiery movements before the entire congregation of Hashem, rejoicing and exulting with great strength and might! One hakafah followed another, as Moreinu HaRav shlit"a did not skip any customary piyut – "Ein Adir KaHashem," "VaYesoiu Lecha L’Avdecha," "HaMelucha V’HaMemshala Tzu Vemen…" and more, all with song and joy, in gladness and jubilation! In the sixth hakafah, the important bachur Yosef Arnesti, who is known as a regular musician during visits to the Tomb of Yoseph HaTzaddik, stood at the musicians’ stand and led the thousands in singing "B’Zchut Yosef HaTzaddik … Yimale Mishaloteinu B’Midah Tovah, Yeshua V’Rachamim." "Rachmana Idkar Lan Z’chutei D’Yosef Tzaddika…" the masses jumping! When the seventh hakafah, the final one, arrived, it seemed that there was no person in the world who could possibly conclude this holy night, these powerful dances, and this tremendous joy. Instead of singing "Seu Shearim Rasheichem," they began singing "Atah Bechartanu MiKol HaAmim…" not ceasing to dance for a moment! One of the most beautiful moments was when R’ Chaim Reicher burst into the singing of "Adir Kevodo," with the entire vast crowd responding with a roar, "Hod V’Hadar," and the crowning moment at the end of each section of the piyut, when the singer shouted "Simchat Torah…" and the entire crowd responded, "Yesh! Yesh!" R’ Chaim added several of his own sections, which further elevated the fiery joy of holiness: "Shuvu Banim… Yesh! Yesh!" "Moreinu HaRav Yesh! Yesh!" At 4:55 AM, they began singing "Seu Shearim Rasheichem." The sponsor of the seventh hakafah stood beside Moreinu HaRav shlit"a with the new Torah scroll, and here the Rav began the piyutim of the Middle Eastern communities, "Agadelcha…" "A’ufa Eshkona…" again and again with immense vitality and fervor! These uplifting songs, written by the Kabbalists and great Sages of Israel of previous generations, served as the most moving seal for this entire holy night, for the exalted Simchat Torah, and for the writing of good decrees for all of Israel for a good and blessed year with tremendous salvations without end! At exactly 5:10 AM, three hours after the start of the hakafot, Moreinu HaRav shlit"a signaled with his holy hand, recited Kaddish, and began the Shacharit prayer for Isru Chag, starting with Tikkun Chatzot and the morning Zemirot. At the conclusion of the morning Zemirot, he began reciting Korbanot. As is the custom of the Tzaddikim, the foundations of the world, who eagerly awaited to don tefillin with desire and sublime joy after the seven days of the holiday, at the precise time for tallit and tefillin, Moreinu HaRav shlit"a blessed over his tallit and adorned himself with tefillin, with the joy of the mitzvah clearly visible on his face! Although this was a regular weekday Shacharit prayer, with the Rav shlit"a, there is no such thing as regular, especially since we don’t merit every day a Shacharit prayer in his holy shadow. Moreover, everyone was still wearing their holiday garments, which still gave a taste of the holiday. Of course, despite all of Simchat Torah and the minimal sleep we merited since the eve of the hilulah of Rabbeinu HaKadosh during Chol HaMoed Sukkot, Moreinu HaRav shlit"a extended the prayer, particularly in the melody of "Lamnatzeach Binginot Mizmor Shir," repeating it again and again with immense vitality and joy, as the music still accompanied the dancing and prayer. After ten minutes, at 6:18 AM, Moreinu HaRav shlit"a recited "Baruch She’amar" and continued with Pesukei D’Zimra with niggunim. The Shemoneh Esrei prayer began at 6:44 AM, two minutes after sunrise. After the repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei, Moreinu HaRav shlit"a recited "Ashrei," "U’Va L’Tzion," and extended the singing of "Baruch Hu" for about seven minutes. Then, in the singing of "Hu Yiftach," he extended for about three minutes. From the recitation of "Kaveh El Hashem," Moreinu HaRav shlit"a continued in the prayer nusach for Shabbat, "HaShir SheHaLeviim," and after "Aleinu Leshabe’ach," he sang "Adon Olam" – "Yigdal Elokim Chai," and finally recited "Ane’im Zemirot." At the conclusion of the uplifting prayer, the Rav shlit"a recited Tikkun HaKlali with a niggun, and afterwards recited Kaddish and began giving over a fiery shiur. During the shiur, the Rav mentioned the great merit of all who participated in the hakafot shniyot, whose bad decrees were surely torn up, and good decrees were written for them. The Rav shlit"a inspired the congregation to begin now the study schedule he established – eight pages a day (which began already from the hilulah of Rabbeinu). The Rav shlit"a emphasized that now, during the Bein HaZmanim period, one must double his study, as he always brings in the name of the Chazon Ish. Moreinu HaRav shlit"a instructed that everyone should go to sleep until 1:00 PM in the afternoon, and then rise, and by Maariv, there are six hours in which to complete the eight pages, and one can even complete other tractates. After about fifteen minutes, the Rav shlit"a concluded the shiur with Kaddish. There is no doubt that this fiery shiur served as the seal for all the Tishrei holidays, starting from Rosh Hashanah in Krakow, by way of the holy day – Yom Kippur, and Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, during which we merited wonderful and precious gifts throughout. And now, as the Rav shlit"a conveyed in the final shiur, what is required of us is to take all these lights and bring them into vessels through the study of the holy Gemara. At 7:56 AM, Moreinu HaRav shlit"a entered his holy home with the song "Or Zarua LaTzaddik U’L’Yishrei Lev Simcha" after four hours and forty-eight minutes that we merited to be in his holy presence during the hakafot shniyot, which are a symbol of the conclusion of the holidays of Tishrei 5786.

We Will Rejoice and Be Glad in This Torah, for It Is Our Strength and Light!