Cold and Rainy? Prayers of Flaming Fire Under the Open Sky

Storm "Carmel," a cold winter week, has passed over our country. Anyone who did not need to be outside tried to spend their time under a warm and dry shelter. The Jewish people as well—servants of Hashem (God) who dwell in the Batei Midrash (study halls) and frequent the synagogues—crowded together, as is their holy custom, in study halls throughout the land. But unlike everyone else, the people of the Tzaddik (righteous leader), the holy community of 'Shuvu Banim,' despite all the rains of blessing and the stormy winds, spent their time under the open sky.

"Rabbi Oshaya said: The day of rain is great, for even Yeshuah (salvation) flourishes and multiplies on it, as it is said: 'Let the earth open and let salvation bear fruit.'" "And Rabbi Yitzchak said: The day of rain is great, for even a coin in one's pocket is blessed on it, as it is said: 'To give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand'" (Taanit 7a).

Our teacher the Tzaddik, the holy Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days), was released at a propitious time, and the holy prayer gatherings with our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, have returned with even greater strength and vigor. However, while in the past the prayers were held inside the prayer hall, since the release of our teacher Rabbi Berland shlit"a, the Rav shlit"a conducts all the weekday prayers while he is outside his home on the balcony, with the public facing him in the open plaza under the open sky.

[caption id="attachment_49336" align="alignnone" width="510"] The holy public, the holy community of Shuvu Banim, in the rain prayers with our teacher, the holy Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a[/caption]

These things sound puzzling—how can one pray in this rainy winter under the open sky? However, anyone who thought the morale among the worshipers would be low will be truly surprised. These are prayers of flaming fire! For while before the Rav's imprisonment two years ago, the prayers were inside the hall, in the last two years the community has grown to massive proportions, Baruch Hashem (thank God), and it is impossible to fit all the worshipers into the hall.

In the meantime, the leaders of the community are organizing a fundraising campaign to establish a large and worthy place of prayer for the entire massive public of worshipers.

Some have an umbrella over them, some have a rain cover, and some are simply clinging to prayer and do not feel the pouring rain at all—everyone is of one heart, united with longing hearts, drawing strength from the Tzaddik who burns with holy fire on the balcony opposite them.

Fortunate is our lot that we have merited such prayer gatherings.