On Hoshana Rabbah—the final sealing day after Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—we merited to pray Shacharis, Hallel, Hoshanos, and Mussaf together with The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Below is the full report from the tefillah:

Shacharis and Hallel for four hours! At 5:15, The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, entered for the Hoshana Rabbah prayers on the balcony of his home. Hundreds—one could say even close to a thousand people—came to daven on this “Day of Judgment” together with The Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a. They stood in the courtyard of our Beis Midrash—the main prayer hall—everyone wrapped in white, with tallis and kittel. As soon as he entered, he began reciting the piyut “Sha’arei Tziyon,” in the sections customarily said on Chol HaMoed. After that, he began the morning zemiros with vitality and deep awakening. Following the zemiros, he began Shacharis—the Korbanos—and at 6:00 he made the berachah on the tallis and recited Birkos HaShachar. He then began Pesukei d’Zimrah together with the special additions for Hoshana Rabbah—a tefillah that resembles Shacharis on Yom Tov. He extended the singing and niggunim at length: the song “Hoshi’a Es Amecha” for more than ten minutes, and “HaNechmadim MiZahav” for several more minutes. After Shacharis, at 7:45, The Rav announced that there would now be a five-minute break to take the lulav. Indeed, after a few minutes, The Rav shlit"a began singing Hallel with niggunim, with tremendous vitality, for more than an hour and a quarter. In particular, the singing of “B’tzeis Yisrael MiMitzrayim” stood out—lasting twenty-five minutes—and afterward, “Hodu LaHashem Ki Tov” for half an hour, with The Rav pausing for the na’anu’im as is customary. After that came the stirring niggun of “Ana Hashem Hoshi’a Na” for half an hour!! The entire great crowd that came to the tefillah sang together with The Rav, with powerful life and immense awakening.

[caption id="attachment_52685" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] The holy gaon and tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, during the recitation of Hallel on Hoshana Rabbah — Photo: Netzach Netzachim[/caption]

“Hoshi’a Na” After Hallel, they began reciting the Hoshanos—the highlight of the day—for forty minutes, word for word, as The Rav circled in hakafos with the Four Species around the bimah of the Sefer Torah on the balcony. After each section, The Rav recited the special verse designated for Hoshana Rabbah. Especially during the words “Kol Mevaser, mevaser v’omer…” The Rav’s powerful voice roared out the verses, and the entire tzibbur together with him—like a blazing fire! After completing the Hoshanos, and before the aravah-beating, The Rav recited the psalm “L’David Hashem Ori v’Yishi,” and the singing of “Achas Sha’alti” continued for several minutes. Afterward, The Rav beat the aravos, saying that through the beating of the aravah we subdue all the forces of the Sitra Achra, and all enemies and accusers will be erased.

Torah Reading and the Day’s Additional Prayers

After forty minutes of reciting the Hoshanos came the Torah reading for Hoshana Rabbah—“U’vayom ha’shevi’i”—as well as Maftir: four aliyos, with The Rav shlit"a receiving the aliyah of Rebbe Nachman. After that, The Rav began Mussaf and the chazzan’s repetition, with the niggunim “V’karev P’zureinu” and “V’havi’einu l’Tziyon Irecha” for more than ten minutes. After Mussaf, The Rav shlit"a began saying “An’im Zemiros,” and afterward The Tikkun HaKlali. Following The Tikkun HaKlali, The Rav delivered a short shiur and entered his home—his holy dwelling—accompanied by the singing of “B’cha Rebbe Nachman Nagilah.” Fortunate are we that we merited this!