Their Salvation Was Eternal ◇ Shushan Purim Night: Maariv Prayer and Megillah Reading with the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

Special documentation of the Maariv (evening prayer) and Megillah (scroll) reading on the night of Shushan Purim 5786 (2026) in the courtyard of the "King's Pavilion" garden with the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a.

At 6:30 PM, the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, came out dressed in royal garments, crowned with his Tallis (prayer shawl), to the balcony of his home. Together with the thousands who came to hear the Megillah reading from the "Mordechai the Tzaddik of the generation," he began singing "Shoshanas Yaakov Tzahala VeSimcha" (The Rose of Jacob was cheerful and glad) for about twenty minutes. It should be noted that the entire area of our Beis Medrash (study hall) was packed to capacity, both in the men's section and the women's courtyard; thousands participated in the holy and awesome Kibbutz (gathering) of the Shushan Purim holiday in the shadow of the Tzaddik.

At the conclusion of the singing and dancing before the prayer, he recited the psalm "Lamnatzeach al Ayelet HaShachar" (To the Chief Musician upon the Morning Star) and began the Maariv (evening prayer) with a blazing fire, with melodies and immense vitality. At the end of Maariv, he entered his home, and after a ten-minute break, he came out and immediately announced the Megillah reading.

Then, the voice of the Rav shlit"a was heard reciting the three blessings over the Megillah, and we merited to hear Megillas Esther (the Scroll of Esther) from his holy mouth. It is impossible to describe to someone who has never merited to hear the Rav shlit"a read the Megillah; the taste of the Megillah heard from the Rav's mouth is beyond the taste of Gan Eden (Paradise). The Rav shlit"a reads word by word with a special flavor, with pleasantness and length, for about thirty-five minutes.

At the end of the Megillah reading, the Rav shlit"a recited "Asher Heini" (the blessing after the reading), and afterward, the joy broke out and reached the heavens, with the singing of "Shoshanas Yaakov Tzahala VeSimcha," dancing, and clapping for many long minutes, over and over again.

Afterward, the Rav shlit"a delivered a Shiur (Torah lesson) in which he spoke about the miracle of Purim 5786 (2026) with the elimination of the Haman of our generation—Khamenei—and then concluded with Kaddish (sanctification prayer) and announced that tomorrow—the day of Shushan Purim—Shacharis (morning prayer) would be at 4:30 AM.