The Rosh Hashanah Kibbutz in the Presence of The Rav shlit"a ○ The Prayers of the Holy Day ○ Living Words of Hashem ○ “I Will Hope to G‑d”

As is known, despite all efforts and every form of hishtadlus, because of the actions of certain people who are not fit, this year as well—Rosh Hashanah 5784—The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, was not able to reach Uman and participate in the Kibbutz at the holy tziyun of Rebbe Nachman on Rosh Hashanah. However, as was published here on the eve of the festival, The Rav shlit"a decided to return to Jerusalem, the Holy City. There, together with more than two hundred of our people who were in Eretz HaKodesh, we present to you an extensive report of Rosh Hashanah in the presence of The Rav shlit"a:

Passing Before Him Like the Children of Maron • Night 1 of Rosh Hashanah:

For Minchah on the eve of Shabbos Kodesh and Rosh Hashanah, The Rav shlit"a went out at 18:24—his appearance like an angel of Hashem Tzevaos—wearing his garments with the white kittel and the pure white kippah. He sang “Or Zarua LaTzaddik” for about twenty-six minutes. With the final fading rays of the year, at 18:50, he began the last Shemoneh Esrei of the year 5783. After the uplifting prayer, The Rav shlit"a recited, word for word, the Seder HaHiskashrus, and began a relatively shortened Kabbalas Shabbos. Yet with The Rav shlit"a nothing is truly “short”—even his “short” is longer than what the rest of the world calls “long.” The four stanzas of “Lecha Dodi” that are said when Yom Tov begins on Shabbos, he sang with melodies for about seventeen minutes—corresponding to the number tov. After Kabbalas Shabbos, The Rav shlit"a said “K’gavna,” and before the first “Barchu” of the year he paused and began the stirring melody sung before “Barchu.” Then, as the whole world fell silent and stood still—hearts pounding with awe and tremendous awakening—The Rav shlit"a’s roar of “Barchu” rose and pierced all the heavens. For at that very time, Rebbe Nachman passes all his flock through judgment—for good! After the Shemoneh Esrei of the first night of Rosh Hashanah, The Rav shlit"a honored his grandson and gabbai, R’ Aharon Zucker, yihyu, to say “L’David Mizmor,” which is customary to say after Shemoneh Esrei. After that, The Rav shlit"a concluded the prayer. At the end of “Adon Olam” and “Yigdal,” The Rav shlit"a blessed the entire congregation: “May you be written and sealed immediately for a good year—for good life and peace—in the book of complete tzaddikim!” And as the blessing of an ordinary person rises upward, the congregation returned the blessing of “L’shanah tovah” to The Rav shlit"a with great emotion. It should be noted that afterward The Rav shlit"a recited a shortened “Shalom Aleichem,” while “Ribbon Kol HaOlamim” and “Eishes Chayil” he said in full. As is known, there is halachic discussion regarding this, and here we merited to see “maaseh rav” on the night of Rosh Hashanah. After two hours and three minutes, The Rav shlit"a entered his home again at 20:27, with the singing of “Uv’chen Tzaddikim.”

He Who Crowns Kings—and Kingship Is His • Day 1 of Rosh Hashanah:

At 4:48, The Rav shlit"a went out for Shacharis on the balcony of his home. After Birkos HaShachar, he began with the melody “Urah Na,” from the psalms customarily said from Chatzos. After that he continued with the morning songs and Pesukei D’Zimrah with great vitality and tremendous awakening. Along with the psalms and melodies that The Rav shlit"a lengthens, as on every Shabbos, one can note the melody “Ki Kol Peh Lecha Yodeh,” which lasted about seven minutes, filled with life. The Rav shlit"a stood on the balcony and, with great enthusiasm, enlivened the entire congregation with his holy movements. Before “HaMelech,” The Rav shlit"a entered his home, and after 13 minutes—at 6:48—he entered the beis midrash. The public sang “HaKel B’Ta’atzumos Uzcha,” and then a hush fell—the moment of coronation. The Rav shlit"a, with both hands raised upward and his face aflame like a fiery blaze, roared: “HaMelech!!!” And the entire congregation after him—fire and flame—together with clapping hands. The rest of the prayer The Rav shlit"a conducted in the regular Shuvu Banim nusach for Shabbosos and Yamim Tovim. After Shemoneh Esrei, The Rav shlit"a honored the chazzan, R’ Yosef Shor, yihyu, to go before the amud for the chazaras hashatz of the first day. One can note The Rav shlit"a’s mesirus nefesh: the awe of judgment is always upon his face. From Shemoneh Esrei and for four hours, The Rav shlit"a stood and did not sit again until the end of the prayers of the first day! And although a chair was offered to him, The Rav shlit"a did not agree to sit. Around 8:20, the chazaras hashatz of Shacharis concluded and Krias HaTorah began. Of course, The Rav shlit"a was honored with the aliyah of Rebbe Nachman—the fourth aliyah. After the aliyah, The Rav shlit"a said that he was being motzi all of our people who flew on airplanes with the blessing of “HaGomel.” For Maftir, the bar-mitzvah boy—The Rav shlit"a’s great-grandson, the bachur chashuv Nachman Sheinfeld, son of the important askan who does much, wondrously, for The Rav shlit"a—Rabbi Tzefanyah Sheinfeld shlit"a, son of the tzaddik and mekubal, the chassid R’ Yehudah Sheinfeld shlit"a, author of “Osri LaGefen,” and son-in-law of the “chassidic nobility,” the chassid R’ Yehudah Asher Goldblum shlit"a. The bar-mitzvah boy also read the Haftarah—the Haftarah of Channah’s prayer. At 8:45, The Rav shlit"a brought forward his grandson and gabbai, the chazzan R’ Naftali Zucker, yihyu, for Mussaf of the first day. He stirred the congregation with his pleasant voice and heart-awakening chazzanus in the trembling Breslov nusach. It should be noted that during chazaras hashatz they sang “V’karev P’zureinu” and “V’havi’einu L’Tziyon Irecha” twice: the first time they sang it for more than a quarter of an hour, and the second time—at the conclusion of Shofaros—they sang again for about thirteen minutes. It should also be noted that despite The Rav shlit"a’s advanced age, and the severity of his health condition, The Rav shlit"a paid no attention to this and exerted himself especially to bow in “Aleinu L’Shabe’ach” at the opening of “Seder Malchuyos.” At 11:00, the chazaras hashatz of Mussaf concluded. After the prayer, The Rav shlit"a delivered a short teaching of about a minute, speaking about how on the night of Rosh Hashanah we “separated” Leah from the keter of Rachel, and he concluded by saying that this year will be a year of prayer—amen, may it be so! After six hours and the number tov minutes, he entered his home again—his holy dwelling—to the singing of “Uv’chen Tzaddikim,” with great vitality. For Minchah of the first day, we merited that at 17:54 The Rav shlit"a went out to the balcony of his home with the singing of “Baruch Hu” and “Hu Yiftach” for several minutes. After that came Krias HaTorah—Parshas Ha’azinu—which the Minchah chazzan, R’ Aharon Zucker, yihyu, read. With great awakening, at 18:10 they began Minchah of the first day in the Breslov nusach. After Shemoneh Esrei, The Rav shlit"a said the psalm “LaMenatze’ach Al HaGitis,” and at the end of Aleinu, The Rav shlit"a announced that everyone should make “shalosh seudos” in his home. One may wash and eat a kezayis until sunset, because after that one is already obligated in Kiddush. He announced that he would go out for Ma’ariv of the second night of Rosh Hashanah at 20:00. After about thirty-four minutes, The Rav shlit"a entered his holy dwelling to conduct the third meal.

May He Renew Upon Us a Good Year • Night 2 of Rosh Hashanah

And indeed, at 20:01 The Rav shlit"a went out for Ma’ariv of the second day. Immediately upon entering, he began the melody before “Barchu,” and continued with Ma’ariv in the Shuvu Banim nusach with great vitality and tremendous joy. After Ma’ariv, he again honored his grandson, R’ Aharon Zucker, to say “L’David Mizmor.” After the prayer, The Rav shlit"a announced that he would go out for Shacharis at 4:30, and to the singing of “Uv’chen Tzaddikim” he entered his holy dwelling after exactly half an hour—like the Ma’ariv of the first night of Rosh Hashanah.

G‑d Ascends with a Shout • Day 2 of Rosh Hashanah

If on the first day—which is dinah kashya—the awakening and vitality were beyond measure, then on the second day—dinah rafya—this quality intensified double and redoubled. Our people felt, in the simplest sense, what is said: “The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of G‑d”—to merit praying the Rosh Hashanah prayers in the presence of The Rav shlit"a. At 4:36 he entered for Shacharis from the balcony of his home, and for close to an hour and a half he prayed Shacharis with our people until “HaMelech.” Then, after a break of about twenty-eight minutes, at 6:47 he entered the main hall of our beis midrash and continued the prayer with the proclamation of “HaMelech.” After Shemoneh Esrei, he brought forward his grandson, R’ Naftali Zucker, to go before the amud. After chazaras hashatz, for a quarter of an hour the public mentioned names for blessing and salvation, and The Rav related to each and every name and blessed each person. After that came Krias HaTorah with the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. The Rav shlit"a was again honored with the fourth aliyah. It should be noted that during the Haftarah of the second day of Rosh Hashanah from Yirmiyahu, The Rav shlit"a truly shed tears—especially at the verse “Od ta’adi tupayich v’yatzas b’machol m’sachakim,” where The Rav shlit"a choked with crying in very great awakening. After Krias HaTorah, The Rav shlit"a honored the baal toke’a, R’ Yosef Shor, yihyu, to ascend the platform, and The Rav shlit"a read to him the order of the tekios with great arousal. The Rav shlit"a said the “Yehi Ratzon” between each section and section of the tekios. At the end of the tekios before Mussaf, The Rav shlit"a brought forward the baal toke’a, R’ Yosef Shor, for the prayer “Hineni He’Ani MiMa’as,” and for chazaras hashatz he honored R’ Naftali Zucker, yihyu, to go before the amud again. It is fitting to note that the aspect of dinah rafya was strongly felt: the great joy in all the melodies and all the songs; in the singing of “V’karev P’zureinu” and “V’havi’einu L’Tziyon” again in both sections of Mussaf with tremendous vitality. The Rav shlit"a turned toward the congregation and enlivened the public with his holy movements: “Oy, v’karev p’zureinu, mi’bein ha’goyim, v’nefutzoseinu oy oy kaneis… mi’yarkesei eretz…” Thus Malchuyos, Zichronos, Shofaros—everything in the awakening Breslov nusach, with all the melodies: “V’ya’asu chulam agudah achas…,” the arousal in “Unesaneh Tokef,” and the singing of “Ein Kitzvah L’shnosecha” with tremendous enthusiasm. It is impossible to fit the power of these prayers into pen and parchment! As on the first day, so too on the second day The Rav shlit"a stood for long hours throughout the entire prayer, and even exerted himself to bow in “Aleinu L’Shabe’ach.” Of course, at the end of Malchuyos, Zichronos, and Shofaros, The Rav shlit"a read the order of the tekios to the baal toke’a, R’ Yosef Shor, yihyu. At the end of Mussaf, all feelings burst outward in the final Kaddish—“Yehei shlama rabba min shemaya”—in the joyful melody; the great joy is beyond description. After the prayer, The Rav shlit"a delivered a teaching in which he spoke about the two goats brought on Yom Kippur, and how—even though they are equal—one goat is sent to Azazel. At 11:31, after close to seven hours of the day’s prayers without interruption, The Rav shlit"a went up to his holy residence, announcing that Minchah would be at 18:45.

And indeed, a little after that time—at 18:51—The Rav shlit"a went out for Minchah of the second day of Rosh Hashanah with the singing of “Baruch Hu Elokeinu” and “Hu Yiftach” for about twelve minutes. It should be noted that in this prayer The Rav shlit"a served as chazzan and blended the Shuvu Banim nusach with the Breslov nusach, with a sweetness and pleasantness beyond description. After Shemoneh Esrei, The Rav said “Avinu Malkeinu,” and in the final one he extended the singing for about eight minutes: “Avinu Malkeinu, chaneinu va’aneinu…”

It Is Fitting for Him to Rejoice • Motzaei Rosh Hashanah

After Minchah concluded, The Rav shlit"a began singing “LaMenatze’ach BiNeginos” at great length—about twenty-five minutes! With great enthusiasm, The Rav shlit"a enlivened the congregation with his holy movements, with holy fire, with clapping, and with dancing—to sweeten the judgments. After that, something interesting occurred: before “Barchu,” The Rav shlit"a sang the melody as on the nights of Rosh Hashanah. After that came Ma’ariv of Motzaei Rosh Hashanah with great vitality. After the prayer, The Rav shlit"a made Havdalah, and entered his holy dwelling after about an hour and twenty minutes with the singing of “Or Zarua LaTzaddik U’Lishrei Lev Simchah.” In practice, we merited during these two wondrous and exalted days to be in the presence of The Rav shlit"a during the prayers and teachings for about seventeen hours and thirty-eight minutes!! Immediately after the prayer, our people broke into dances of joy for more than two hours. They danced and rejoiced over the merit that Heaven granted them—to be present and included in the Rosh Hashanah Kibbutz 5784 together with Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

“And whoever merits to be on Rosh Hashanah—it is fitting for him to rejoice very, very much!” (Chayei Moharan 403) Shuvu Banim wishes you, the readers, and all of Am Yisrael the blessing of ‘A good and sweet year, and a final sealing for good’!