"With Eternal Joy" -- Central Chol HaMoed Prayer Together with Rabbi Eliezer Berland Shlit"a

ON THURSDAY, 19 NISSAN, THE FOURTH DAY OF CHOL HAMOED PESACH, WE MERITED TO THE CENTRAL PRAYER AND “KABBALAT PENEI RABBO (GREETING ONE’S RABBI),” WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF THE GAON AND TZADDIK MOREINU HARAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A. HERE IS A REVIEW OF THE PRAYER OF CHOD HAMOED, WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY THOUSANDS FROM OUR COMMUNITY: IMMEDIATELY AFTER RETURNING FROM ALIYAHU LAREGAL AT THE KOTEL, AT 4:55 AM, THE RAV EMERGED FOR SHACHARIT OF CHOL HAMOED AND BEGAN WITH TIKKUN CHATZOT, RECITING THE SECTIONS TRADITIONALLY READ ON SHABBAT AND HOLIDAYS.  AFTER THE MORNING ZEMIROT, HE WRAPPED HIMSELF IN HIS TALLIT AND CONTINUED WITH KORBANOT.  AT 5:50, HE BEGAN PESUKEI D’ZEMIRA, AND HE SANG “LAMNATZEACH BIN’GINOT FOR AROUND 15 MINUTES.  AT 6:12, HE STOOD FOR BARUCH SHE’AMAR, AND ONLY AT 6:40 DID HE STAND FOR THE AMIDAH. AFTER THE REPETITION, AT 6:53, HE BEGAN SINGING HALLEL WITH GREAT VITALITY AND FERVOR, WITH NIGGUNIM AND INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT.  THERE’S NO DESCRIBING THE POWERFUL INTENSITY DURING THE SINGING OF HALLEL.  THERE WAS NO ONE WHO COULD RESIST DANCING, JUMPING AND SINGING, WITH MOREINU HARAV SHLIT”A HIMSELF JUMPING LIKE A YOUTH AND CLAPPING HANDS WITH TRUE HOLIDAY JOY.  ALTHOUGH THE ENTIRE HALLEL WAS LIKE ONE SOLID UNIT OF FLAMING FIRE, FOR THE RECORD, WE WILL SPECIFY THE LENGTH OF EACH NIGGUN: “BETZEIT YISRAEL MIMITZRAYIM” – 25 MINUTES “HODU LAHASHEM KI TOV” – 20 MINUTES “ANA BEKOACH (THE AWESOME MELODY OF MELAVEH MALKAH) – 15 MINUTES THE ENTIRE SINGING OF HALLEL LASTED FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR (1:08) AS IS KNOWN, THE RAV SHLIT”A OFTEN MENTIONS IN SHIURIM THAT THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS HALLEL THAT’S LESS THAN AN HOUR.  HERE, WE MERITED TO SEE HOW THE RAV SHLIT”A SAYS AND FULFILLS THIS TOGETHER WITH THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY WITH VITALITY AND AWESOME JOY. AFTER THE SINGING OF HALLEL, THE RAV SHLIT”A SANG “YEHE RA’AVA KADAMACH” WITH THE OPENING OF THE ARK FOR THE TORAH READING, WHICH LASTED 12 MINUTES.  AFTERWARDS, THERE WERE FOUR ALIYOT FOR THE TORAH READING.  THE RAV CALLED UP HIS NEPHEW, R’ SHLOMO BERLAND, WHO WAS MARKING THE YAHRZEIT OF HIS FATHER, THE RAV’S BROTHER, THE GAON RAV YECHEZKEL BERLAND ZTZVK”L, WHO PASSED AWAY ON 20 NISSAN 5778.  LIKEWISE, MOREINU HARAV SHLIT”A HIMSELF WENT UP AND SAID THE PRAYER FOR THE DECEASED FOR HIS BROTHER. AFTER THE TORAH READING, MOREINU HARAV SAID ASHREI, RETURNED THE TORAH SCROLL TO THE HOLY ARK, AND STOOD FOR THE MUSAF AMIDAH OF CHOD HAMOED.  THE JOY DID NOT CEASE ALSO DURING MUSAF, WHICH WAS RECITED WITH SONGS AND MELODIES FULL OF DELIGHT AND LONGING FOR THE HOLY SERVICE OF THE TEMPLE DURING THE FESTIVALS.  THE RAV SANG “VEKAREV PEZUREINU” FOR FOUR MINUTES AND THE SONG “VEHAVI’EINU L’TZION IRECHA” FOR TWENTY MINUTES. AFTER A MUSAF PRAYER FULL OF VITALITY AND JOY, THE RAV SHLIT”A CONCLUDED THE PRAYER ACCORDING TO ITS ORDER AND EVEN ADDED A TIKKUN HAKLALI.  AFTERWARDS, THE RAV SHLIT”A GAVE A SHIUR FOR A NUMBER OF MINUTES AND ENTERED HIS HOLY HOME AT 9:40 AM, AFTER CLOSE TO FIVE HOURS (4:45) OF THE CHOL HAMOED PRAYER.