Shacharis Prayer and the Daf Yomi Lesson with HaGaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Eliezer

Shacharis (morning prayer) and the Daf Yomi (daily page of Gemara) lesson on Monday, 18th of Menachem Av, with HaGaon HaTzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a * At the conclusion of the prayer, the Rav shlit"a delivered a lesson on Siman 1 (Chapter 1) of the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), stating that one must say the Ten Commandments and the portion of the Akedah (the Binding of Isaac) every day, and he expanded at length on the matter of the Akedah.

This morning, Monday, the 18th of Menachem Av, the Rav shlit"a entered the prayer hall at 4:05 AM to deliver the Daf Yomi (daily page of Gemara) lesson on Tractate Temurah, page 31, and the conclusion of the chapter "Kol HaAsurin," with the Rav shlit"a clearly explaining the daily page.

At the conclusion of the lesson, the Rav began Chatzos (the Midnight Lamentation), specifically "Urah Na" from Tikkun Rachel, and Tikkun Leah, followed by the Shacharis (morning) prayer.

After the reading of the Torah, the Rav shlit"a delivered a short lesson and mentioned his mechutan (in-law), Rabbi Tzvi a"h (peace be upon him), whose 29th yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) falls today, the 18th of Av. The Rav shlit"a related that Rabbi Tzvi a"h lived in Tashkent and was meticulous about traveling every year for Rosh Hashanah to the grave of Rebbe Nachman zy"a (may his merit protect us) in Uman. In one of those years, there were many dangers on the way, and Rabbi Tzvi a"h was the only one who merited reaching the holy Tziyon (grave site), and that year even Rabbi Michel Dorfman a"h did not merit to arrive.

At the conclusion of the prayer, the Rav shlit"a delivered another lesson lasting eight minutes on Section 5 of Siman 1 in the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), regarding the requirement to say the Ten Commandments and the portion of the Akedah (the Binding of Isaac) every day, expanding at length on the matter of the Akedah.

Last night (Sunday), after the Mincha (afternoon) and Maariv (evening) prayers, the Rav shlit"a said that "now we are after the Ten Commandments, in Parshas Ekev, where one needs to 'jump the heels' (a play on the word Ekev, which means heel), and only in this way can one escape the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination). A person must leave the Yetzer Hara so that nothing interests him except Torah and prayer." The Rav called upon everyone to study seven pages of Gemara, and for the children to study from Seder Kodashim (the Order of Holy Things).

In total, we merited to be with the Rav for three and a half hours and to hear several lessons.

This evening (Monday), Mincha (afternoon prayer) will be at 7:15 PM in the prayer hall of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a.