The lighting on Friday afternoon and on Motzaei Shabbos with the participation of The Rav Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a ○ The medical condition of The Rav Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a ○ The prayers of our people at the gathering, in the shadow of the Tzaddik

This year as well, the Chanukah gathering in Shuvu Banim was one of the largest Chanukah gatherings in the world—perhaps even the largest of them all. More than two thousand men, women, and children arrived from across the Land of Israel and around the world for the Shabbos Chanukah gathering, in the shadow of The Rav Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Even from faraway Miami, our people from the “Shuvu Banim Miami” community came to spend Shabbos in the shadow of the Tzaddik.

However, “Many thoughts are in a man’s heart,” yet The Rav shlit"a—who gives over his very life for the sake of Am Yisrael—agrees to accept yissurim shel ahavah (sufferings of love), to sweeten harsh judgments and to draw down salvations upon Am Yisrael. Sadly, throughout all the Shabbos prayers, The Rav shlit"a did not come out to the Shabbos services. But on Erev Shabbos Kodesh, just a few minutes before Shabbos entered, The Rav shlit"a, with sublime self-sacrifice, rose from his sickbed. And although he was still connected to an IV due to his medical condition—which required abundant Heavenly mercy—he went out to light the Chanukah candles, the sixth candle: both from the window of his home together with his family, and also at the menorah of our Beis Midrash—on the balcony of his home.

The Rav shlit"a’s grandson and gabbai, R’ Dov Zucker, may he be well, explained in an interview after Shabbos on the information line for Breslov Chassidim: “The Rav shlit"a suffered from internal bleeding—something he has suffered from in the past as well, and it comes from overexertion. And although the doctors’ recommendation was that The Rav should be evacuated to the hospital on Erev Shabbos Kodesh, The Rav shlit"a decided to remain at home. So in effect,” his grandson relates, “we moved into a situation of home hospitalization, which includes doctors’ visits and more frequent monitoring of his vital signs.”

After he lit the Beis Midrash menorah with self-sacrifice, the gabbai R’ Yosef Assoulin announced that The Rav shlit"a was not feeling well and would not come out for the Friday night prayer. With aching hearts, our people began Minchah close to sunset, and immediately after Minchah they began Kabbalas Shabbos. Although The Rav shlit"a was not present for the Shabbos prayers, his spirit was certainly with our people as they prayed all the Shabbos services with such vitality and such awakening. After Kabbalas Shabbos—which lasted close to half an hour—our people paused the prayer to say The Tikkun HaKlali, and afterward continued with even greater strength into Ma’ariv.

On Shabbos morning as well, our people gathered in our Beis Midrash, hoping for the precious miracle that The Rav shlit"a would feel well and come in. About an hour before sunrise, the gabbai R’ Yosef Assoulin again announced that The Rav shlit"a would not come out to the Shabbos prayers at all. And our people began a prayer that lasted more than four and a half hours—Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Chanukah—with Hallel of more than half an hour; and the Torah reading from three Sifrei Torah; and Musaf for Shabbos Rosh Chodesh. And with every niggun they lingered, alive with feeling—everyone truly sensed it: The Rav shlit"a is bearing his suffering, yet at the very same time he is breathing a spirit of life into our people, to pray at length and with joy. Also at Ra’ava d’Ra’avin, our people prayed close to sunset and immediately washed for the third meal. After they sang all the zemiros, they concluded with Birkas HaMazon and Ma’ariv.

Through Hashem’s great mercy and His immense kindness, we merited that on Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh The Rav shlit"a felt better. When he went out to light at his window with his family, he saw the thirst of the public—thousands who had come from all over the country and gathered beneath his window in order to gaze upon the radiance of his face and see him light the seventh candle. As soon as he finished the lighting at his window, he went out to the balcony, and after the two blessings—his voice trembling slightly—he lit the seventh candle on the Beis Midrash menorah. After the lighting, he stood there with self-sacrifice, and everyone could see that despite his weakness, he revived everyone with his movements—with tremendous joy and vitality. Hundreds of people who managed to arrive in time for the lighting jumped and danced. After an entire Shabbos in which we longed to see the radiance of his holy face, we now merited that for more than half an hour The Rav shlit"a sang all the Chanukah songs—with great vitality, like a blazing flame. Afterward he said Kaddish and entered his holy dwelling, with the singing of “Or Zarua LaTzaddik U’Leyishrei Lev Simchah” (“Light is sown for the Tzaddik, and joy for the upright of heart”). Fortunate are we that we merited this!

[caption id="attachment_54012" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] At the lighting of the seventh candle, Motzaei Shabbos Chanukah 5783 — Photo: Nachman Mashal[/caption]