A silent prayer facing the graves of the Avos ○ Ma’ariv in a blazing fire ○ The Tikkun HaKlali with melody and sweetness ○ The prayer of Rabbi Yitzchak Breiter hy”d for traveling to Uman ○ A fiery shiur on the greatness of traveling on Rosh Hashanah ○ Song and dancing

After many obstacles, on Thursday night—leading into Friday, the night of the 15th of Elul—an assembly of thousands took place for the salvation of the Jewish people and for the success of the Rosh Hashanah Kibbutz 5784 at the Me’aras HaMachpelah in the City of the Avos, Chevron, with the participation of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

At 8:00 PM, the plaza of the Me’aras HaMachpelah began filling with thousands of people. More than one hundred buses arrived from all across the country to the City of the Avos, Chevron, and special parking and traffic-control areas were opened for private vehicles. According to the security forces’ estimate, at the peak hours of the gathering more than 5,000 people merited to participate. Until The Rav shlit"a arrived, the thousands danced to sweeten the judgments.

At 10:00 PM, The Rav shlit"a appeared with the splendor of the radiance of his holy countenance on the platform above the seventh step. When The Rav shlit"a reached the wall of the cave, in a rare moment he stood there for long minutes and offered a silent prayer at that time—apparently that the gates of the marked and exalted Tzion should open, and that he should succeed in reaching Uman for the Rosh Hashanah Kibbutz 5784.

After many minutes, The Rav shlit"a stood by his holy platform and began Ma’ariv with eyes closed, his holy face shining with light, and he cried out the entire evening prayer with a blazing fire. It should be noted that The Rav shlit"a prayed the Shemoneh Esrei facing the wall of the cave.

After the prayer concluded, The Rav shlit"a began reciting The Tikkun HaKlali with melody and sweetness for about twenty minutes—from “Lechu Neranenah” and “Vihi Ratzon” before the recitation of The Tikkun HaKlali, until “ki chasu vo.” How magnificent it was to behold this awe-inspiring sight: the entire crowd of thousands swaying to the rhythm of that exalted niggun that The Rav shlit"a composed for the ten psalms that Rebbe Nachman, our holy Rebbe, revealed and established to be said.

At the conclusion of The Tikkun HaKlali, The Rav shlit"a read the awesome prayer composed by Rabbi Yitzchak Breiter hy”d for opening the locked gates of Uman. For long minutes, The Rav read together with the entire congregation, with an outpouring of the soul and great awakening.

At the end of the prayer, The Rav shlit"a recited Kaddish and delivered a shiur—words of the Living G-d—in flames of fire, on the greatness of traveling to Uman for Rosh Hashanah 5784:

“You must know that this year as well—5784—will begin as a year of redemption, a year in which Moshiach will certainly come. Because even Moshiach will travel to Uman—Rabbi Levi Yitzchak always said: even Moshiach. The Rebbe said that when Moshiach is revealed—however he is revealed—he will be revealed in the land of the Galil, which is called Tiverya. From there he will go to Beis Lechem to awaken Rachel Imeinu. Together they will go to the Me’aras HaMachpelah—to here—to awaken Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, who are now hearing our prayers, because Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov elevate all the prayers. And then three shofaros will descend from Heaven, and then Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov will sound: teruah–tekiah–teruah; teruah–tekiah–teruah; teruah–tekiah–teruah. And then the whole world will come to war with Israel, and this will be heard throughout the entire world—this will be a teruah of war: Hashem Hu HaElokim, Hashem Hu HaElokim, and Hashem will be King over the whole earth; the entire world will crown Hashem. And then there will be an earthquake, and all the churches will fall together with the mosques—because we are forbidden to touch anything! And therefore everyone is obligated to travel to Uman. Even Moshiach will travel to Uman. There are no questions about this and no debates. Whether the Rav succeeds in arriving or whether the Rav does not succeed in arriving—it does not change anything at all; it changes nothing. Everyone registers today for Uman, without exception, so that the Kibbutz will be in Uman. If not, then in Jerusalem; and if not, then in the Land of Fire or in the Land of Ice. There is a Land of Fire and a Land of Ice—three days of travel by ship, a flight in three hours. All of us will see each other—either in the Land of Fire or in the Land of Ice, or in Jerusalem, or in Uman, with Hashem’s help—together with Moshiach Tzidkeinu, speedily in our days, Amen!”

After the uplifting shiur, The Rav shlit"a began singing “Becha Rebbeinu Nagilah,” approached the wall of the cave again, and kissed its stones—entirely prayer. He then stepped back three steps: “Awaken, sleepers of Machpelah, to support us.” And he departed with song and niggunim, after about two hours of an exalted gathering that most certainly accomplished what it accomplished—yet we have no grasp or understanding of the calculations of Heaven.

Below is the replay broadcast from the gathering:

An initial photo gallery from the gathering:

Credit: Acharei HaTzaddik, Natan Gonen.