Emotional: Lighting of the First Hanukkah Candle at the Prayer Hall Along with

After the victory of the Chashmonaim over the Greeks, the Sages established the holiday of Chanukah, but they did not immediately institute the eight days of the holiday. After they saw that a spiritual illumination returns at that time of the year, a great light of salvations and miracles, the Sages understood that these days are days of praise and thanksgiving - and they established it as the holiday of Chanukah.

Whoever arrived at the prayer hall of our teacher, the holy Gaon and Tzaddik Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a, on Ido HaNavi Street in Jerusalem, felt this illumination shining with a wonderful, brilliant light.

We bring you the moving holy scenes of our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a, together with the holy congregation, on an unforgettable evening - the lighting of the first candle of Chanukah 5780. Three hours of songs, melodies, and dances, during which Rav Berland shlit"a delivered his holy words.

At 18:32, our teacher, Rav Berland shlit"a, entered and lit the first candle with the blessing of Shehecheyanu. Afterward, he began with melodies for Chanukah, the Maariv prayer, and the delivery of the lesson.

Photography: Shimon Finch, Eliezer Tashkant

Editing: Shuvu Banim Int'l

From the holy words of Rav Berland shlit"a in the lesson he delivered at the lighting of the first candle of Chanukah

"Yehudit was a reincarnation of Yael; the essence of the miracle was through Yehudit. She cut off the head of Nicanor; he was literally about to enter Jerusalem. She severed his head, she gave him milk and cheese to drink, and from here comes the custom to eat dairy foods, but only in the morning, until 10:00 AM. This is the custom to eat dairy foods, because in the merit of dairy foods, there was the victory over the Greeks."

"All of Chanukah is to illuminate the wonderful shades within silver; when it reaches the gentiles, the shades disappear. All of Chanukah is to illuminate the hidden shades, the 370,000 lights. Therefore, we light the candles at sunset, because at sunset there is still a drop of light—not because it illuminates, because there is light, but rather—the flask of oil overcomes everything."

"If there is one Jew who says Tehillim all day, or Gemara all day - he overcomes all the gentiles."

Photo gallery from the lighting ceremony of the first candle at the prayer hall of our teacher, the holy Gaon and Tzaddik Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a - 5780