Eleven Hours of Shabbat Prayers ○ Singing Hallel at Great Length ○ Lighting Hanukkah Candles with a Large Multitude

Our holy Rebbe (Rebbe Nachman) teaches us that the light of Hanukkah is the light of the Hanukkah. One of the three main Kibbutzim (gatherings) of Breslov Chassidim is Shabbat Hanukkah. Anyone who truly wants to merit being included in the gathering of all the House of Israel with the "Head of the House" knows that he must come to Shabbat Hanukkah in the shadow of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days). As in previous years, this year too, on Shabbat Hanukkah, Parshat Miketz 5785, the Hanukkah gathering took place with the participation of the Rav shlit"a. This uplifting Shabbat, with a special lengthiness that the Anash (members of our community) have not remembered for years. Thousands of the House of Israel came to take refuge in the shadow of the "True Sun," the Tzaddik of the generation, our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Before you is a brief report of the little we merited during the Shabbat Hanukkah gathering, Parshat Miketz, 28th of Kislev, 5785:

The Shabbat Hanukkah gathering began, naturally, with the lighting of the second Hanukkah candle. At 4:15 PM, the Rav shlit"a came out to the magnificent balcony in pure white Shabbat garments, with a white kippah and tallit (prayer shawl), appearing entirely like an angel of Hashem Tzevaot. In his pure voice, the Rav recited the two blessings and lit the third candle in the synagogue's Hanukkiah. The Rav sang "HaNerot Halalu" and "Maoz Tzur." Afterward, he immediately continued to the Mincha (afternoon) prayer with a large multitude. The Friday night prayer did not last longer than usual, but the number of people participating in the prayer was beyond all imagination—thousands of the House of Israel from all sectors and ethnic groups, all gathered and came to you!

The highlight of Friday night was, of course, the singing of "Lekha Dodi" for thirty-eight minutes. The Rav shlit"a welcomed the Shabbat with melodies and dances; one could feel the Neshama Yeseira (extra soul) entering each and every person during the moving singing of "Lekha Dodi." After "Lekha Dodi," the Rav began the Maariv (evening) prayer of Friday night, followed by the Shabbat night songs recited before Kiddush (sanctification over wine). After two and a quarter hours that we merited in his presence, the Rav shlit"a entered his holy home to the singing of "Sabeinu MiTuvecha" (Satisfy us with Your goodness).

Even before the first rays of dawn rose over Jerusalem the Holy City, the Rav shlit"a entered the balcony at 5:02 AM for the Shacharit (morning) prayer of the Holy Shabbat, Shabbat Hanukkah. The prayer proceeded as every Shabbat with great vitality, starting from the morning songs and Korbanot (sacrificial readings). After 52 minutes on his balcony, the Rav shlit"a went down to our Beit Midrash (study hall). He entered after a 13-minute break and immediately began Pseukei D'Zimrah (verses of praise) for the Holy Shabbat with immense vitality. From the beginning of the prayer, one could feel the expected lengthiness about to come upon the hundreds of worshippers crowding around the holy platform of the Rav shlit"a, as during the singing of "Nafsheinu Chikta l'Hashem" (Our soul yearned for Hashem), he extended it for about 7 minutes. Likewise, in "Nishmat Kol Chai" with the melody of "Ki Chol Peh Lecha Yodeh" (For every mouth shall thank You), there were about twenty-five minutes of singing with awesome vitality. Afterward, the blessings of the Shema and the Shemoneh Esrei. After the Chazzan's repetition, the Rav began the singing of the full Hallel for the days of Hanukkah. And here comes the highlight of the Shabbat—for an hour and thirty-five minutes!! The Rav shlit"a stands with vitality, facing the public, and with his holy movements, he enlivens the entire crowd, which was fired up with infinite enthusiasm. Every minute in Hallel is another moment in the "Lower Garden of Eden," and the truth is that this time cannot be calculated, for with the Tzaddik, we are above space and time. But we counted the minutes "so that the generations may know" what occurred in those days at this time. In the melody of "B'Tzet Yisrael" (When Israel went out), the Rav extended it for 25 minutes. And in the aspect of "increasing and going," he extended the singing and dancing to the melody of "Hodu l'Hashem Ki Tov" (Give thanks to Hashem for He is good) for 40 minutes. It is impossible to describe the joy, happiness, and feelings of gratitude to Hashem for the miracles performed in those days at this time. Great awakening was also noted during Hallel when the Rav sang the melody of "Adir Ayom V'Nora" (usually for Saturday night) during the section of "Ana Hashem Hoshia Na" (Please Hashem, save us). The Rav extended this melody for about 25 additional minutes, which sealed the special and wonderful Hallel with the "seal of the High Priest," at a length we haven't merited for at least seven years! After Hallel, the Rav shlit"a gave a short lesson of about five minutes and spoke with those around him. The Torah reading lasted nearly fifty minutes, where besides the celebrations of naming newborn girls, a Bar Mitzvah, two grooms, and dozens of Yahrtzeits (anniversaries of passing), the Rav himself called up guests and close followers, some of whom came specifically for Shabbat Hanukkah. The Haftarah (prophetic reading) "Roni V'Simchi" for Shabbat Hanukkah was read in a pleasant voice by the charming young man—the Bar Mitzvah boy, Natan, son of Rabbi Shalom Fox. After the Haftarah, the Rav said "Yekum Purkan" and the song "Zera Chaya V'Kayama" (Living and enduring offspring), which is a segulah (spiritual remedy) for being blessed with children, for 2 minutes. Only at 10:05 AM did they begin the Musaf (additional) prayer of the Holy Shabbat. By this time, almost the entire large crowd that came for Shabbat Hanukkah was already at the prayer; everyone wanting to draw close to the "focus of the fire," to the Rav shlit"a. And so, like the mass of waves standing crowded together, the entire public became one single unit, like the stones under the head of Yaakov Avinu (Jacob our Father). Usually, the "waves of crowding" are only near the Rav's platform, but due to the nearly one thousand people who gathered for the Hanukkah Kibbutz in the Tzaddik's shadow, the crowding was felt even in the plaza outside the hall. Due to the crowding, the elders of our community sitting in the back of the Beit Midrash were asked to remove their shtenders (lecterns) to clear a few more meters for those wanting to take refuge in the holy shadow. At the end of Musaf, the Rav gave a 4-minute lesson—the Tzaddik's Torah on Shabbat Hanukkah. At 10:27 AM, after five hours and twenty-five minutes, the Rav shlit"a went up to his holy home.

At 4:55 PM, the Rav shlit"a entered for the Mincha prayer of the Holy Shabbat on his balcony, saying Kaddish and beginning "Berich Shmeih" and the song "Yehei Ra'ava" for 10 minutes. Afterward, he read from the Torah—Parshat Miketz—three call-ups. Then immediately he stood for the Shemoneh Esrei of the Shabbat Mincha.

At the end of the Shabbat Mincha prayer, which lasted about twenty minutes, the Rav shlit"a washed his hands for the Third Meal (Seudah Shlishit) at 4:55 PM. In his holy way, he began with the first kezayit (olive-sized portion of bread) and started the songs of the Third Meal for about twenty minutes. Afterward, he sang "Yah Ribon" for about 25 minutes. At the end of the singing, the Rav began "Tzur Mishelo Achalnu," "Shir HaMa'alot," and led the Grace After Meals over a cup of wine.

At 6:20 PM, the Rav shlit"a said "Baruch HaMavdil" (Blessed is He who distinguishes between the holy and the profane) and lit the fourth candle—corresponding to the Sefirah of Netzach (Eternity)—in the synagogue's Hanukkiah on his balcony before the Maariv prayer. After the lighting, he began singing Hanukkah songs: "HaNerot Halalu," "Maoz Tzur," and he repeated "Mizmor Shir Chanukat HaBayit" twice. He sang "Lamnatzeach BiNginot" 7 times. "Ana B'Koach" as is customary 7 times to the Baal Shem Tov's melody. And the song "Ranenu Tzaddikim." He concluded the Hanukkah songs with "Yevanim Nikbetzu Alai" (Greeks gathered against me) for 17 minutes with vitality and Hanukkah joy. At 7:10 PM, the Rav shlit"a began the Maariv prayer of Saturday night with melodies like a flaming fire. After Shemoneh Esrei, during the recitation of "Vayehi Noam," the Rav shlit"a extended the song "Baruch Hu Elokeinu SheBeranu Lichvodo" (Blessed is our G-d who created us for His glory) for 7 minutes, and even longer with "Hu Yiftach Libenu BeTorato" (He will open our hearts to His Torah) for another 28 minutes. At the end of the prayer, he performed Havdalah (ceremony marking the end of Shabbat) over the cup with the song "LaYehudim" for about a minute. After Havdalah, the Rav said he would light at his home at the "Third Wall." He entered his holy home at 8:15 PM after 3 and a quarter hours.

Thus we merited a total of about 11 hours in the pure holy presence of the Tzaddik of our generation on Shabbat Parshat Miketz, 27th of Kislev, the Shabbat Hanukkah Gathering 5785!