"The First Seal on the Night of Zechor Bris" ◇ The Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi

This holy night is called "Zechor Bris" (Remember the Covenant), named after the Selichos (penitential prayers) recited on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, and especially the liturgical poem that anchors the forgiveness in the pillars of the world: "Remember the covenant of Abraham and the binding of Isaac, and restore the captivity of the tents of Jacob, and save us for Your Name's sake."

For many years, our teacher the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, has spoken about the obligation and the greatness of participating in the Kibbutz (gathering) on Rosh Hashanah, which begins on the night of "Zechor Bris." It is then that the first seal is made. The essence of this matter is based on the words of our holy Rebbe Nachman to Moharnat (Rabbi Nosson), as brought below.

We present before you a collection of "fiery coals"—the holy words of our teacher the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, regarding the greatness of "Zechor Bris":

"On the night of Rosh Hashanah, the Tzaddikim, who are the aspect of Leah, pass all those who are attached to them [before Hashem], and they are immediately sealed in the Book of the Righteous. Our Rebbe Nachman informed us that he already passes everyone through on the eve of Rosh Hashanah during the Selichos. In practice, everyone already passes through on the first night of Selichos, because Kiddushin (betrothal) requires two witnesses..."

"Moshe passed away on Mount Nevo. The Shelah (Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz) says in Parshas Va'eschanan that (Nevo) = Nun Bo (50 within it), meaning that upon his passing, he merited the 50 Gates of Binah (Understanding)—the 50th Gate. He wanted to reach 'Levanon'—the Nun (50) Gates of Binah and the Lamed-Beis (32) Gates of Chochmah (Wisdom). Hashem said to him: 'Until here! You have merited the 50 Gates of Binah, the secret of Va'eschanan, and you have rectified the two Nuns which are the 50 Gates of Binah. Beyond this, you do not have permission to advance because you sinned at the Waters of Merivah. You will come in the secret of Nachman Nathan, and then you will rectify the two Nuns.' Then the Kiddushin (betrothal) will take effect anew through 'by the mouth of two witnesses shall a matter be established,' for the witnesses effect the Kiddushin and not the groom and bride [Chiddushei Avnei Miluim 42:8]. On the night of Zechor Bris, the first sealing is already performed by two witnesses—our Rebbe Nachman and Moharnat, as the law is brought in Ketzos HaChoshen 97 and in Avnei Miluim 42:8. Therefore, the Kiddushin are performed on the night of Zechor Bris, and the prayer in the Kloiz (the main Breslov synagogue in Uman) is the Cheder Yichud (the room of seclusion for the couple). Succos is the seven days of feasting, and in the Keter (Crown) of Simchas Torah—the Yichud (union). On the night of the Seder—the birth, when we eat Maror (bitter herbs) = Gematria (numerical value) of Mavet (death) = Gematria of M-S-H = Moshe, who sweetens the death. Through this, he rectifies the Nuns."

"From the Selichos, from this very moment, we begin to accomplish everything and also to publicize the gathering. One must come to the Selichos of the night of Zechor Bris. As Rabbi Nosson said to the people of Teplik: 'If you do not arrive for Selichos—it would be better if you didn't come at all.' Zechor Bris was exactly on Saturday night, so they arrived on Sunday morning. Rabbi Nosson said: 'It would be better if you didn't come, for the Rebbe said: "The world should wish for itself such a Rosh Hashanah as we have on the eve of Rosh Hashanah." Our eve of Rosh Hashanah is like the Rosh Hashanah of the entire world—everything that is mentioned on Rosh Hashanah throughout the whole world [is accomplished then].'"

These are conversations from Chayei Moharan (The Life of Rebbe Nachman), and everyone should see and recognize the conversations about Rosh Hashanah.

1. When the people from Teplik arrived on Sunday, Reb Nosson said to them: "Who arrives on Sunday?! What is the point of arriving on Sunday?! It would have been better if you hadn't come at all! You come on Sunday—stay home!" A person thinks he will arrive on the eve of Rosh Hashanah in the morning, in the afternoon, before sunset. If it's not a case of absolute duress (force majeure) G-d forbid—what does it mean that you arrived on Sunday? What kind of thing is it to arrive on Sunday?! Can't you arrive on time with everyone else??? Because what is accomplished from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, the Rebbe already does during the final Selichos before Rosh Hashanah. So why are you arriving on Sunday?! Stay home! You missed all the Tikkunim (rectifications)! After that, on Rosh Hashanah, the great Tikkun already takes place—the sealing already happens. One who is in the aspect of Leah is sealed immediately: "The completely righteous are immediately sealed for a good life and for peace," and the sealing happens right away. We need to reach the aspect of Leah—this is to go from one extreme to the other. For "The heel of humility is the fear of Hashem." Leah is "what Wisdom made a crown for its head, Humility made a heel for its shoe." As it is written: "The beginning of Wisdom is the fear of Hashem." The beginning of Wisdom is fear, and Humility made it a heel for its shoe: "The heel of humility is the fear of Hashem."
2. The Tzaddikim are called the beloved of Hashem. They come to give us the right advice and want to nullify all the judgments of the year. And if we still do Teshuvah (repentance) on this night—it is called the night of Zechor Bris (in the opening of the liturgical poem we call out "Remember the covenant of the fathers")—only if we do Teshuvah on this night, then just as we are sealed on this night, so we will be sealed already tomorrow night. Tomorrow night, our Rebbe will seal all of us during the Maariv (evening) prayer for a good life and for peace; therefore, both seals are sealed there. The Rebbe reveals the secret of the seals to us at the end of the Torah [lesson]: "A seal within a seal." One seal—we are sealed tomorrow evening. Everyone who was present now on the night of Zechor Bris will be written and sealed already tomorrow evening.
3. What a person merits on the first day of Selichos and on the final day of Selichos of the year—this is what the whole world merits from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur.
4. One who does not come for the night of Zechor Bris on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, it is better that he doesn't come at all... unless it is a case of absolute, complete duress. On the night of Zechor Bris, Rosh Hashanah actually begins. Our Rebbe said: "The world should wish for itself such a Rosh Hashanah as you have on the eve of Rosh Hashanah." On the night of Zechor Bris, Rosh Hashanah essentially begins, and everything that is accomplished during the entire Rosh Hashanah is accomplished in the first two hours of the Selichos. On the night of Zechor Bris, everything is already accomplished. And the whole point—is to emerge each time into something else, a completely new essence. An essence that he doesn't know at all, doesn't know what it is. A person—he has no conception of how one truly needs to live, what one truly needs to be. No one knows this—only our Rebbe, who merited to achieve the perceptions of "Adam Kadmon" (Primordial Man), he knows!

Time for "Zechor Bris" Selichos tonight - 29th of Elul - Eve of Rosh Hashanah 5786 - in the central Kloiz in Uman - at 4:45 (Updated)

The reading public is requested to continue to pour out prayers and supplications for the breaking of obstacles against all odds and for the arrival of our teacher the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer ben Ettia Berland shlit"a, to the holy gravesite in Uman for the holy Kibbutz (gathering) on Rosh Hashanah.