The complete statement of our Rebbe, the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit”a about the prayer gathering this Thursday night, Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul, in the City of the Patriarchs, Hevron:

The most accepted prayer is at Me’arat HaMachpelah, especially Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul, when all the Jewish people gather on Erev Rosh Chodesh Elul.  Then the prayer is the most accepted; this is like Rosh Hashanah mamash.

Like the Rebbe says, that whoever comes to him already for Selichot, then it’s like him being on Rosh Hashanah – “Other people would be quite satisfied if their Rosh Hashanah was as good as the Erev Rosh Hashanah you have” (Tzaddik 305).  He says this is the true Rosh Hashanah.  Rosh Chodesh Elul is already [here].  We merit to advance Elul…the elders would faint.  Rabbi Yitzchak Breiter would faint.  When he would bless the month, he would say “Elul,” and when he would say “Elul,” he would faint. And so it was by all the Litvaks.  All the Rosh Yeshivas would faint when they would say “Elul,” and their students would hide under the tables, under the benches from so much fear.  When we say “Elul,” then the whole body trembles!  The whole body trembles! So Elul is “lo [with an alef – ‘no’], lo [with a vav – ‘to Him’]” – twice “lo,” because in Elul we see “plans are established by Him” (paraphrase of II Shmuel 2:3), that Hashem makes plans, every day new plans.  Every second, completely new.  Every second, it’s more new than the previous second, because the world is getting better and better [see Sichot HaRan 307].  Even though the generations are declining, but the souls are lower, and if we were close to breaking, we would be good.  Because the Shechinah (Divine presence) is the Tzaddik, and the Tzaddik is renewed.  If [a person] draws close to the true Tzaddik, he is renewed every second.  He’s already a completely new person.  This is already a new sun, because this isn’t how [people] think, that this is the same sun and the same moon.  Everything is already a [new] sun – “Who renews in His goodness, every day, always, the work of creation.” Therefore, when the month of Elul arrives – the Virgin (e.g. Virgo), that this is mamash a completely new birth.  This is a new creation.  Elul is a new creation, because on 25 Elul, the world was created.  The Bnei Yissachar says the 15^th of Av [is] forty days before, like 15 Shevat is forty days before 25 Adar.   All of this Rabbi Eliezer HaGadol explained, that the world was created on 25 Elul.  1 Tishrei is Adam HaRishon; then man came.

Therefore, in Hevron, everyone must be in Hevron.  No one should be missing.  That such a thing shouldn’t happen, that a person doesn’t make it to Elul.  All the Jewish people must be on Thursday night!  All sects and divisions, it makes no difference – everyone is one man!  Like a man with one heart, like one man!

“One portion over your brothers (Breishit 48:22).  It’s written about Yosef HaTzaddik, that Yosef HaTzaddik is found where everyone is found.  The Yerushalmi says, Rav Huna enter the home of Rabbi Chiya.  He saw Yosef HaTzaddik.  Where Tzaddikim are found, Yosef HaTzaddik is found.  This is like travelling to Shechem.

Now that we’re travelling to Hevron, to the gathering, that this is the gathering of Rosh Hashanah, drawing down all the rectifications of Rosh Hashanah and atoning for all the sins – whoever makes true teshuva (repentance).

It’s a great mitzvah to donate for buses to the important prayer rally: DONATE HERE

To hear the full statement (in Hebrew) of Rav Eliezer Berland shlit”a about the prayer gathering, this Thursday night in Hevron, click here, onto the Hebrew page and scroll down.

Courtesy of the Breslov Information Line *9148