The Chuppah Ceremony ○ Dancing at the Celebration of the Tzaddik's House ○ Rejoicing with the Groom and Bride ○ The Cossack Dance ○ The First-Fruit Offering of Hundreds of Pages of Gemara (Talmud) by Heart ○ Resurrection of the Dead ○ The Seven Beggars ○ They Shall Exult in Joy

Photography: Shimon Cohen

This week, on Monday night, the eve of the 3rd of Tammuz, the wedding celebration of the great-grandson of the Gaon and Tzaddik, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days), took place. The groom, Shimon, may his light shine, is the son of the Chassid Rabbi Nachman Treisman shlit"a, son-in-law of the Zucker family. He married the daughter of the R"M (Torah lecturer) at the 'Chochma V'Daat' Yeshiva, the Chassid Rabbi Yitzchak Halperin shlit"a, son-in-law of the Mashpia (spiritual mentor) Rabbi Michael Gol shlit"a, Rosh Yeshiva of 'Maginei Eretz'.

Who Sanctifies His People Israel

Shortly after sunset, masses of Chassidim, students of The Rav shlit"a, flocked to the Chuppah (wedding canopy) ceremony held at the 'Nof Illit' halls at the entrance to the Torah city of Modi'in Illit. In the background, melodies of emotion, awakening, and preparation were played. Emotions surged when the royal vehicle of The Rav shlit"a appeared, arriving very close to the Chuppah ceremony, which began at 8:30 PM. The father of the bride, Rabbi Yitzchak Halperin, known for his pleasant voice, sang 'Mi Adir' and honored The Rav shlit"a with performing the Kiddushin (betrothal ceremony). The Rav shlit"a recited the betrothal blessing in his pure voice, and immediately after the breaking of the glass and the blessing of Mazel Tov, he read the Kesubah (marriage contract) with pleasantness and holy fire, while initiating the Kinyan (legal acquisition) using a gartel (prayer belt). The first two blessings were given to Rabbi Chaim Leuchter shlit"a. The third blessing – the groom's grandfather, Rabbi Avraham Treisman shlit"a; the fourth blessing – the Rosh Yeshiva of 'Birchas David', Rabbi Aharon Gelbart shlit"a; the fifth blessing – the bride's grandfather, Rabbi Aryeh Gol shlit"a; the sixth blessing – the Mashgiach (spiritual supervisor) of the 'Chochma V'Daat' Yeshiva under the presidency of The Rav shlit"a, Rabbi Avraham Mordechai Ashlag shlit"a. The final blessing was given to The Rav shlit"a. After the conclusion of the Sheva Brachos (seven blessings), he wished Mazel Tov to the groom and bride, to all the dignitaries, and to his flock. He showered his pure blessings upon the gathered crowd as he descended from the Chuppah, both for shidduchim (marriage matches) and for zera shel kayama (viable offspring) and all good things. The vast crowd answered 'Amen' with an emotional and roaring voice. To the singing of 'Samach Tesamach,' The Rav shlit"a left the Chuppah for an apartment in the 'Green Park' neighborhood of the city. There, he prayed Maariv (evening prayer) around 9:15 PM and engaged in his studies until close to midnight.

And So the Righteous Shall See and Rejoice

The masses of Chassidim were invited to participate in the celebration of the Tzaddik's house with a royal feast starting at 9:30 PM, along with dances of joy and jubilation to gladden the groom and bride and to merit the 'five voices.' Close to midnight, at 12:20 AM, The Rav shlit"a appeared in his holy splendor together with his great-grandson, the groom, at the wedding celebration. At this point, the joy intensified sevenfold. The orchestra broke into the melodies of 'The sound of joy and salvation in the tents of the righteous,' and hundreds of Chassidim standing on the prentchas (bleachers) in a semi-circle facing the designated dance floor cheered with a voice of jubilation and joy, their hearts full of upliftment in the celebration of their teacher and light. The Rav shlit"a began to dance with the groom, the in-laws, and the family members for about half an hour, leaping and dancing with all his might and with supernatural strength, while an immense dveikus (cleaving to God) rested upon his face. It is impossible to describe the joy and gladness at the celebration of the Tzaddik's house; one after another, the family members merited to dance with the groom. During the joyful dancing, a special event was noted. As recalled, about two months ago, the wedding of the groom Rabbi Avraham Alter Chaim, son of Rabbi David Levy shlit"a, to the daughter of Rabbi Chaim Reicher shlit"a—also a great-granddaughter of The Rav shlit"a—took place. During that wedding, The Rav did not feel well and, following doctors' orders, returned to his holy residence in Jerusalem before the dancing began. Here, The Rav shlit"a noticed him and brought him into the dance. At a certain point, the groom understood the greatness of the moment and stepped aside for a dance between The Rav shlit"a and the groom Rabbi Avraham Alter Chaim Levy. The Rav shlit"a held his hands and danced with him with immense joy as if he were the current groom.

Meriting the Five Voices

After about half an hour of dancing, as a 'miltha d'bedichutha' (act of humor) to gladden the groom and bride, the badchan (jester) and gladdener of hearts, Rabbi Yanky Zucker from Ashdod, arrived. He entered the dance circle with glass bottles on his head, spinning rapidly with wonderful skill. Afterward, he put on a giant, inflatable clown costume. Wonder of wonders, The Rav shlit"a, who was greatly enlivened by this act of humor, reached out his hands to dance together with Rabbi Yanky Zucker while he was still dressed in the clown suit.

And They Dance and Rejoice Before the Groom

At the conclusion of the dancing, The Rav shlit"a sat at the holy table for the wedding feast, with the groom and the in-laws beside him, as well as the grandfather, Rabbi Michael Gol shlit"a, and other dignitaries. Before The Rav shlit"a, a group of Cossacks entered and began the Cossack dance with a respectful bow before the holy countenance. At the end of the joyful and unique dance, they approached to receive his pure blessing and merited a special radiance of the face.

The First-Fruit Offering with Hundreds of Pages of Gemara by Heart

In the sense of "Whoever brings a gift to a Torah scholar, it is as if he brings Bikkurim (first-fruits)." On the occasion of the celebration of the Tzaddik's house, and particularly due to the connection with the in-law, the Gaon Rabbi Yitzchak Halperin shlit"a, who serves both as a R"M in the preparatory yeshiva at the 'Nechamat Zion' Talmud Torah and as a Maggid Shiur (lecturer) at the Breslov Yeshiva 'Chochma V'Daat,' the students and youths of the Chochma V'Daat Yeshiva joined together to present a gift to the Torah scholar. As is well known from the holy guidance of The Rav shlit"a regarding the great merit of diligent and continuous study, the boys decided that nothing would be more appropriate than to present before the holy presence a shipment of continuous hours and pages of Gemara studied with diligence in honor of the celebration. Indeed, along with the respectable gift of first-fruits brought before The Rav shlit"a, a letter was attached detailing the hundreds of continuous hours of study and hundreds of pages of Gemara learned by the boys in honor of the joy of The Rav shlit"a.

Reviving the Dead with His Word

Afterward, the 'Resurrection of the Dead' dance took place. As is well known, The Rav shlit"a has spoken much over the years about the merit of this dance at a wedding celebration, explaining that this custom is performed to show that at a wedding, one can literally revive the dead. The holy task was undertaken by the grandson and attendant Rabbi Dov Zucker and Rabbi ---. The act of 'Resurrection of the Dead' was performed by Rabbi Dov following the instruction of The Rav shlit"a to place the shtreimel (fur hat) that adorns the head of the Rav shlit"a upon the 'dead' person, and the 'dead' person rose to life. The two then broke into a dance for the joy of the groom, the bride, and the house of the Tzaddik.

"And the Beggar Said: Behold, I Have Come to You for the Wedding"

With the conclusion of the 'Resurrection of the Dead,' the members of the Shuvu Banim Kollel in the Old City entered one after another, dressed in white kitels (robes), for the dance of the Seven Beggars (based on the story by Rebbe Nachman), with each member representing the 'defect' of one of the beggars from the seven days of the Sheva Brachos. During the dance, the groom rose to dance with the seven 'beggars' one by one. They removed their 'defects' and presented them to the groom as a hint that he should merit these spiritual levels. The first of them presented the eye patch as a blessing that he should merit not to derive pleasure from the sights of this world, and so on. As a sign of gratitude for these blessings from the seven beggars, the groom—whose power of blessing is great on this awesome day—blessed each and every one of the seven beggars. And from the blessing of the groom, they ascended in holiness to the blessing of the Tzaddik. They passed one by one before The Rav shlit"a and merited to be blessed by his pure blessings. After several more minutes of dancing before the holy table, shortly after 1:30 AM, The Rav shlit"a left the wedding celebration to the singing of 'For length of days and years of life.' The large crowd accompanied The Rav shlit"a on the way to his holy residence in the Holy City of Jerusalem with the singing of 'Light is sown for the righteous,' with an uplifted soul over the great merit to rejoice in the joy of Tzaddikim.

Our blessing is one to the crown of our head and our glory, The Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a That he should merit to rejoice many more times at the weddings of his great-grandchildren with physical health and supreme light, and lead us in his kingdom, and may we merit to see the coming of Yinon (Mashiach) and our King at our head, Amen, may it be His will!