"And he stood between the dead and the living

Also on Shabbat Parshat Korach 5784, we merited an uplifting Shabbat in the shadow of our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Before you is the full report of the prayers, lessons, and meals in the holy shadow:

On Friday afternoon, the Rav went out for the Mincha prayer about forty minutes before sunset at 19:10 and began singing "Or Zarua" (Light is sown for the righteous) for six minutes. After the singing, they stood for the Mincha prayer. At the conclusion of the Mincha prayer, he recited the order of the "Hiskashrus" (spiritual connection) prayer: "I give thanks before You that You have set my portion..." "I hereby hand over..." "I hereby connect..." Our teacher the Rav shlit"a says it word for word and everyone repeats after him. Afterward, the Rav began Kabbalat Shabbat (Welcoming the Sabbath) with "Lechu Neranena," psalm after psalm with vitality and all the fire, life, and bren (burning passion). Then he began the pleasant singing of "Lecha Dodi," which lasted about half an hour, repeating all the sections again and again with immense vitality. After the conclusion of "Lecha Dodi," the Rav continued the prayer in its order, Maariv with all the melodies in the Shuvu Banim style at the peak of vitality and joy. Afterward, the Rav shlit"a concluded the prayer with the singing of "Adon Olam" and "Yigdal Elokim Chai." Then, the Shabbat songs that the Rav shlit"a is accustomed to saying together with the public were added—"Shalom Aleichem," "Ribon Kol HaOlamim," and "Eshet Chayil." He entered his holy home at 21:15 after a Friday night prayer service that lasted two hours and five minutes.

On the morning of the holy Shabbat, the Rav shlit"a entered for prayer at 04:33, about an hour before the Netz (sunrise). Our teacher the Rav shlit"a immediately said the Birchot HaTorah (Blessings over the Torah) and then began the Shacharit prayer in its order, starting from Chatzos (the Midnight Lament)—Tikkun Leah, and the morning songs. During the morning songs, the Rav shlit"a wrapped himself in his Tallit. Korbanot (sacrificial readings) and Pesukei D'Zimra (Verses of Praise) were recited with melodies and great vitality. It should be noted that the Rav shlit"a was moving like flames of holy fire in a very special way this Shabbat. A unique kind of vitality, to the point that it is impossible to describe these awesome intensities or put them into writing. Only about two hours after the start of the Shacharit prayer, at 06:30, the Rav shlit"a stood for the Shemoneh Esrei prayer. After the conclusion of the Chazzan's repetition, the Rav shlit"a began the singing of Hallel (Psalms of Praise) for nearly an hour. As is well known for many years, the Rav shlit"a says that the singing of Hallel should be sung for at least an hour, so on this Shabbat of Rosh Chodesh (the New Month), we merited nearly an hour in his holy shadow. Of course, the Rav shlit"a lengthened the singing of "B'tzeit Yisrael" for about fifteen minutes, repeating it again and again, but the main length was in the singing of "Hodu L'Hashem Ki Le'olam Chasdo" (Give thanks to Hashem for His kindness is eternal), which lasted half an hour! The melody of "Ana Hashem Hoshia Na" lasted about five minutes. After fifty minutes, the Rav shlit"a began the Torah reading for Parshat Korach. As is the custom, two scrolls were taken out—the weekly portion and the Maftir for the month—Rosh Chodesh Tammuz. Aside from those celebrating special occasions and those with yahrtzeits (anniversaries of passing), the Rav shlit"a, in his way, called up additional guests and invitees. For the Haftarah (reading from the Prophets) of Shabbat Rosh Chodesh, the Bar Mitzvah boy Nachman, may his light shine, son of the Chassid Rabbi Avraham Mintz shlit"a, was called up. The Torah reading with both scrolls lasted a full hour.

After the Haftarah, the Rav sang "Zera Chaya V'Kayama" (Living and Sustaining Offspring) for about two minutes. Afterward, the Rav sang "Ki Lekach Tov" and they returned the Torah scroll to the Ark. At 08:42, the Rav shlit"a stood for the Musaf prayer of Shabbat Rosh Chodesh—"Atah Yatzarta." After the conclusion of the Chazzan's repetition of Musaf, weakness was clearly visible on the Rav's face, and therefore, immediately at the conclusion of the repetition, our teacher the Rav shlit"a made Kiddush over the cup and delivered a lesson for about two minutes in which he spoke about the matters of the Parah Adumah (Red Heifer). After the lesson at 08:55, our teacher the Rav shlit"a entered his holy home after nearly four hours and twenty minutes of the Shacharit prayer, Hallel, Torah reading, Musaf "Atah Yatzarta," Kiddusha Rabba, and the lesson we merited.

At exactly 19:20, our teacher the Rav shlit"a entered for the Mincha prayer of the holy Shabbat on the balcony of his home with the saying of Kaddish and began saying "Berich Shmeih" and the singing of "Yehei Ra'ava" (May it be the Will) for five minutes. Afterward, he read from the Torah—Parshat Chukat—with three people called up. Immediately after that was the Shemoneh Esrei prayer, and at the conclusion of the Shabbat Mincha prayer which lasted about twenty minutes, the Rav shlit"a washed his hands for the Shalosh Seudos (Third Meal) at his place on the balcony. In his holy way, he began with the first Kazayit (olive-sized piece of bread) and started the Third Meal songs for about twenty minutes. After them, he sang "Yah Ribon" for fifteen minutes, with the entire public repeating mainly the verse "Ravrevin Ovdech V'Takifin" (Your works are great and mighty) dozens of times. Afterward, he continued with the singing of "Koh Amar Hashem Matza Chen Bamidbar" (Thus says Hashem, he found grace in the desert) for about ten minutes, and then moved to the singing of "Koh Amar Zacharti Lach Chesed Ne'uraich" (Thus says Hashem, I remembered for you the kindness of your youth) for another ten minutes. Afterward, the Rav shlit"a led the Zimun (invitation to grace) over the cup with Sheva Brachot (Seven Blessings). It should be noted that after the Grace After Meals, the Rav shlit"a entered his home; the Anshei Shlomeinu (our community of followers) who feared that the Rav shlit"a was not feeling well immediately took up the craft of prayer and began the Tikkun HaKlali, but even before they could finish it, the Rav shlit"a already appeared back for the Maariv prayer of the conclusion of the holy Shabbat.

At 20:55, the Rav shlit"a began the singing of "Lamnatzeach Binginot" for about ten minutes. Afterward, he continued with the Maariv prayer of the conclusion of Shabbat with melodies. The Anshei Shlomeinu thought that given the relatively early hour, the Rav shlit"a would likely finish early, but after Maariv, during the saying of "Vayehi Noam," our teacher the Rav shlit"a surprised everyone as he lengthened the singing of "Baruch Hu Elokeinu Sheberanu Lichvodo" (Blessed is He, our G-d, Who created us for His glory) for about twenty-five minutes with great length, and if that were not enough, for the next song "Hu Yiftach" (He will open), the Rav lengthened for about half an hour!

Only after nearly an hour of lengthening the aforementioned singing, the Rav performed Havdalah (ceremony marking the end of Shabbat) with the singing of "Layehudim Hayta Ora..." (The Jews had light...) for about a minute. After Havdalah, the Rav washed his hands for Melaveh Malkah (the post-Shabbat meal)—this is the meal of David the King Mashiach. Our teacher the Rav shlit"a sang all the songs with vitality and a special pleasantness. Before the song "Eliyahu HaNavi," he delivered a lesson for about ten minutes with "voices and lightning" (intense spiritual energy). Afterward, he continued the songs until the end; at the Zimun, there were three grooms, and of course, the Rav shlit"a performed Sheva Brachot after the Grace After Meals. At the conclusion, he entered his holy home at 23:00 after a duration of exactly three hours and forty minutes that we merited to be together with him continuously from the Mincha prayer until the end of Melaveh Malkah. In total, for the entire Shabbat, we merited about nine hours in the holy shadow on Shabbat Korach, 9 Sivan 5784.