"And You Shall Take For Yourselves on the First Day" ◇ Coverage of the Sukkot

With the help of Heaven and through His great kindness, we merited also during the Sukkot holiday of this year, 5786, for the fourth consecutive year, to celebrate in the presence of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a (may he live long and good days). Before you is an extensive report of the prayers and lessons that took place on the first day of the Yom Tov (holiday) in our Beit Midrash (study hall) in Jerusalem, with the participation of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a:

At 6:42 PM, our teacher the Rav shlit"a came out to the balcony of his home, dressed in his majestic, pure white holiday garments for the Mincha (afternoon) prayer of the holiday eve. After nearly ten minutes of singing 'Or Zarua LaTzaddik' (Light is sown for the righteous) with great vitality, he stood for the Mincha prayer. It is worth noting the massive crowd of all our Anshei Shelomeinu (community members) who arrived from all over the country, until the entire plaza was filled to capacity.

After the Chazzan's (cantor's) repetition, the Rav recited the psalm 'Hashem Melech Ge'ut Lavesh' (Hashem reigns, He is clothed in majesty). Afterward, the Rav began the melody for 'Barchu' before Ma'ariv (evening prayer). Following the roar of the 'Barchu' from the holy mouth of the Rav shlit"a, they began the Ma'ariv prayer for the Three Festivals (Shalosh Regalim) for the night of the sanctification of the Sukkot holiday—with vitality and enthusiasm, accompanied by all the traditional melodies. After the Ma'ariv prayer, the Rav recited the psalm 'Samachti B'omrim Li...' (I rejoiced when they said to me...) as is customary. After 'Aleinu L'shabeach,' he entered his holy home at 7:30 PM to the singing of 'V'samachta BeChagecha' (And you shall rejoice in your festival), following a prayer service of approximately fifty minutes.

"Save us, please, so that we may be uplifted like angels of fire"

For the Shacharit (morning) prayer, the Rav shlit"a came out at 4:38 AM and began with some of the verses of Tikkun Chatzot (Midnight Lamentation) that are recited, as well as the liturgical poem 'Sha'arei Zion' (Gates of Zion) in the sections customarily said on Sabbaths and holidays. Afterward, the morning songs (Zemirot) were sung with wonderful vitality. At 5:10 AM, he began saying 'Hodu' (Give thanks) and the Pesukei D'Zimra (Verses of Praise) as on every Sabbath and holiday, with great awakening and a flaming fire. The Rav shlit"a extended the melody of 'Hanechemadim mi-zahav u-mipaz rav' (More desirable than gold and much fine gold) for about ten minutes. During the time of the Tallit (prayer shawl), the Rav shlit"a blessed over the Tallit, and after a few words to those present on the balcony, he began 'Baruch She'amar' at 5:50 AM. During the singing of 'Ki chol peh lecha yodeh' (For every mouth shall thank You) during the recitation of 'Nishmat Kol Chai' (The soul of every living thing), the Rav extended the singing for about ten minutes.

Afterward, the blessings of the Shema and the Shacharit prayer for the Three Festivals were recited. The Rav shlit"a stood for the Shemoneh Esrei (Silent Prayer) at the moment of sunrise (Netz HaChama). Immediately after the Chazzan's repetition, the Rav shlit"a began the next stage. This year, they converted the balcony from which prayers are held year-round into a Sukkah. Thus, the Rav shlit"a, standing in his place, recited the 'Shehecheyanu' blessing over the taking of the Lulav (palm branch) and immediately began the recitation of Hallel (songs of praise). How magnificent and heart-stirring it was to see the Tzaddik with the beautiful Lulav and Esrog (citron) in his holy hands, while in the plaza below, nearly a thousand of our community members had arrived to celebrate the Sukkot holiday in the great and holy house, in the 'Tzil d'Mehemanuta' (Shadow of Faith). Everyone held their 'weapons' (the four species) in their hands; it is impossible to describe or estimate the 'sweetening of judgments' performed with every single movement of the Tzaddik and his students, who raise and lower and influence the four corners of the heavens, nullifying harsh decrees and bringing about awesome salvations for all of Israel.

The singing of Hallel lasted over fifty minutes, with vitality and a flaming fire. The main extension was during the singing of 'B'tzait Yisrael mi-Mitzrayim...' (When Israel went out of Egypt), which lasted over twenty minutes. One cannot describe the intensity and the repeated singing; like an ever-strengthening spring, the vitality only rose from moment to moment, and the joy of the holiday burst forth all at once. Likewise, with the melodies between the verses of 'Hodu l'Hashem ki tov...' (Give thanks to Hashem for He is good) and 'Ana Hashem Hoshia Na' (Please, Hashem, save us), each of these holy melodies lasted about ten minutes. All of this, of course, while at the customary times for waving the species, he would pause the singing and wave them as is the practice together with the entire congregation. Immediately after the conclusion of Hallel, the Rav shlit"a began the recitation of the Hoshanot (processional prayers) with the Torah scroll beside him, 'Hoshana l'ma'an amitecha...' (Save us for the sake of Your truth). At the conclusion of the Hoshanot, he began the singing of 'Hoshia et amcha...' (Save Your people) for several minutes.

After the conclusion of the Hoshanot, the Rav directed that the Torah scroll be taken out, and together with the congregation in a state of great awakening, he recited the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy three times, as is customary on the Three Festivals, followed by the full 'Yehi Ratzon' (May it be Your will) prayer. During the Torah reading, several people were called up, with the Rav shlit"a taking the Aliyah (honor) of our holy Rebbe—the fourth Aliyah. Afterward, he read the Haftarah (prophetic portion) from the Book of Zechariah regarding the prophecy of the end of days and the sin of Egypt and the sins of all the nations who will not go up to celebrate the Sukkot holiday.

"And gather our dispersed from the ends of the earth"

At the conclusion of the Torah reading, the Rav shlit"a began the liturgical poem 'Yah Eli v'Goali...' (G-d, my Strength and Redeemer) with the unique Breslov melody as led by the Rav shlit"a, and then approached the Musaf (additional) prayer for the Three Festivals.

During the Chazzan's repetition, the Rav particularly extended the melody of 'V'karev pezureinu mibein hagoyim...' (And bring our scattered ones close from among the nations) for about five minutes with a flaming fire. Afterward, during the singing of 'V'havienu l'Zion ircha b'rinah...' (And bring us to Zion Your city with song), the Rav inspired the entire congregation with his holy hand movements, and they jumped and danced in supplication... 'And to Jerusalem the house of Your Sanctuary with everlasting joy...' The entire congregation was revitalized with a flaming fire and clapping of hands with great 'mochin' (expanded consciousness). After nearly twenty minutes of the Musaf prayer, the Rav shlit"a finished the Chazzan's repetition and concluded the prayer service in order, starting from 'Kaveh el Hashem,' 'Aleinu L'shabeach,' 'Adon Olam,' and 'Anim Zemirot.' After everything, he even recited the Tikkun HaKlali (The General Rectification). After the conclusion of the Tikkun HaKlali, as mentioned, he performed Kiddush (sanctification over wine) for the Yom Tov under the Sukkah and delivered a lesson of about two minutes on the matters of the holiday—words of the Living G-d. He entered his holy home at 9:20 AM, after about four hours and forty minutes of holiday prayer together with the Rav shlit"a.

"Save, please, those who call to You, grant salvation"

Also during the Mincha prayer on the holiday afternoon, we merited that the Rav shlit"a came out to pray with us at 6:45 PM, close to sunset. The Rav shlit"a sang 'Or Zarua LaTzaddik' with the congregation for about fifteen minutes, and at 7:00 PM, after the Kaddish, he stood for the Shemoneh Esrei of the Mincha prayer for the Three Festivals. After Mincha, he sang 'Shir HaMa'alot... Samachti B'omrim Li.' After the conclusion of the Mincha prayer, the Rav shlit"a began the melody before 'Barchu' and started the Ma'ariv prayer for the conclusion of the first day of the holiday with melodies, vitality, and endless enthusiasm.

"I rejoiced when they said to me, let us go to the House of Hashem"

After the Ma'ariv prayer, the Rav shlit"a recited the fifteen verses of 'Shir HaMa'alot' (Songs of Ascents) as is customary to say during the Simchat Beit HaShoeivah (celebration of the water drawing). The Rav would say a verse, and the entire congregation would repeat after him. One could truly feel in every single psalm the Levites on their platform singing, ascending another step of the fifteen steps, while all of Israel dances.

After finishing the recitation of the Simchat Beit HaShoeivah verses, the Rav shlit"a performed Havdalah (ceremony marking the end of the holiday) for the conclusion of the first day of Sukkot.

At the conclusion of Havdalah, the Rav shlit"a delivered a long lesson of about 17 minutes. Afterward, at 8:05 PM, he entered his holy home, while our community members continued the joy of the holiday with the dances of Simchat Beit HaShoeivah with a flaming fire in the new prayer tent located on HaNevi'im Street—dances that continued until close to the hour of midnight.