The First Day of Sukkot with Rabbi Berland shlit"a

Summary of the first day of Sukkot with our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

On the eve of the holiday, at 6:24 PM, our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a went out to the central and magnificent Sukkah (temporary dwelling) on HaChoma HaShlishit Street. After the Mincha (afternoon) prayer and the singing of "Utzu Etzah" (a song of faith), the holiday prayer began with the special melody traditionally sung before "Barchu" (the call to prayer). After the holiday prayer, they recited the Tikkun HaKlali (the General Rectification), and the Rav shlit"a delivered a shiur (Torah lesson) for several minutes, returning to his residence at 7:15 PM.

In the morning, the Rav shlit"a entered the prayer hall at 4:30 AM and gave a Daf Yomi (daily page of Talmud) shiur for 22 minutes on Tractate Kinnim. At 5:10 AM, they began reciting the morning Zemiros (psalms of praise), and at 5:22 AM, they began the Shacharis (morning) prayer.

At 7:11 AM, after the Chazarat HaShatz (the cantor's repetition of the Amidah), the Rav shlit"a went to take the Lulav (the four species) in the Sukkah of his home, staying there for 12 minutes. At 7:24 AM, he returned to recite Hallel (prayers of praise) with the congregation, singing "B'tzait Yisrael MiMitzrayim" (When Israel went out of Egypt) and "Hodu L'Hashem" (Give thanks to Hashem) with all the traditional melodies. During this time, the Rav's Lulav was passed among the public for the na'anuim (ritual shaking), as is the custom in the courts of the Admorim (Chassidic Rebbes).

Hallel lasted about 50 minutes, followed by "LeDavid Hashem" (Psalm 27), Hoshanos (liturgical poems), the Musaf (additional) prayer for the Shalosh Regalim (three pilgrimage festivals), and Anim Zemirot (the Song of Glory). At the conclusion, there was a short shiur of about a minute and a half, and he entered his home at 9:05 AM. In total, the Rav shlit"a spent about four and a half hours with the public on the morning of Sukkot.

In the afternoon, the Rav shlit"a entered for the Mincha prayer, and after the Maariv (evening) prayer, they recited the 15 Shir HaMa'alos (Songs of Ascents) together, verse by verse, as is the custom throughout the days of the holiday. At 7:55 PM, the Rav shlit"a returned to his home. In total, the public merited to be with the Rav shlit"a for approximately six and a half hours throughout the day.