Lag Ba'Omer 5779 in Meron with the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland

The holy site of Meron, Lag Ba'Omer 5779 (2019). The bonfire lighting compound of the Shuvu Banim Breslov community was filling up from end to end. Tens of thousands of the House of Israel, Chassidim and men of action, students of our mentor and teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days), waited for the emotional moment of the lighting. Towards four o'clock in the morning, it happened. After the contents of hundreds of bottles of olive oil, holy anointing oil, filled the lighting vessel, our teacher the Rav shlit"a came out to perform the holy lighting ceremony.

The orchestra emotionally played the psalm, "May the pleasantness [of Hashem be upon us]... in honor of the Tanna (Mishnaic Sage)," the torch was already lit, and then the tzaddik approached to light the fire. The eyes of the entire massive crowd were lifted toward the lighting stage, as the tzaddik performed his holy spiritual actions during the lighting at the site of the Divine Tanna, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai.

Immediately after the lighting, Rabbi Berland shlit"a began to shoot the 98 arrows toward the crowd. The Rav's burning face aroused awe in the hearts of the onlookers; fortunate is the eye that beheld this. A little after five in the morning, the "Kerem Zion" children's orchestra began singing the morning hymns, the public wrapped themselves in Tallis (prayer shawl) and Tefillin (phylacteries), and our teacher the Rav shlit"a began the communal prayer.

A spectacular photo gallery courtesy of Aharon Solomonovich from the holy night of Lag Ba'Omer in Meron

[gallery link="file" size="full" ids="15849,15850,15851,15852,15853,15854,15855,15856,15857,15858,15859,15860,15861,15862,15863,15864,15865,15866,15867,15868,15869,15870,15871,15872,15873,15874,15875,15876,15877,15878,15879,15880,15881,15882,15883,15884,15885,15886,15887,15888,15889,15890,15891,15892,15893,15894,15895,15896"]