“With Voices and Lightning Upon Them You Were Revealed” • An Extensive Report

This year as well, we were privileged to take part in the Shavuos 5783 Kibbutz in the presence of The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. A gathering of more than a thousand people—here we present to you, the readers, what we merited during this past Shavuos in the presence of The Rav shlit"a.

On Erev Shavuos at 19:45, The Rav shlit"a stepped out onto the balcony of his home, radiant in all his splendor, wearing the kittel, tallis, and white kippah, to lead Minchah. All of Anash—the immense crowd that arrived in great numbers for the Shavuos Kibbutz from across the country—sang “Or Zarua LaTzaddik” for about twenty minutes with tremendous vitality. After that came the Minchah prayer of Erev Shavuos. Following the chazzan’s repetition, The Rav recited the psalm “Hashem Malach,” and then “Aleinu LeShabe’ach.”

After Minchah, The Rav recited the text of Seder HaHiskashrus, and immediately afterward The Rav shlit"a began the melody that precedes “Barchu.” Even from the walls of the Old City one could hear the thunder of the niggun, as all of Anash sang it with such life, in a uniquely sweet harmony—until a hush of silence settled over the crowd. Then only the pure majesty of The Rav’s voice was heard: “Barchu es Hashem hamevorach,” and the vast congregation answered, “Baruch Hashem hamevorach le’olam va’ed.” כך began Ma’ariv of the sanctified first night of the Festival, the entire prayer carried on melodies and with immense enthusiasm. After Ma’ariv, The Rav shlit"a recited “Mizmor LeDavid, Havu LaHashem Bnei Eilim,” then “Aleinu LeShabe’ach,” and The Rav shlit"a entered his home to the singing of “Atah Nigleisa,” announcing that Shacharis would take place at 4:00.

“And We Engage in My Joy”

On Shavuos night, our people came to learn and to recite the Tikkun Leil Shavuos in the main hall of our Beis Midrash on “Ido HaNavi” Street. The devoted gabbaim of our Beis Midrash ensured that everyone had seating; many additional tables and benches were added for the comfort of the hundreds who were learning. Refreshments were also served throughout the night—cold and hot drinks for the learners laboring in Torah, in keeping with the custom of the Jewish people. It should also be noted that in our Beis Midrash in the Old City, a Tikkun Leil Shavuos seder likewise took place throughout the night hours, with generous refreshments served for those learning within the Beis Midrash.

The precious young men of our holy community also gathered on this sacred night to learn and to recite the Tikkun Leil Shavuos. Their Torah study took place in the hall of the Kollel Hora’ah—an especially awe-inspiring sight: more than one hundred and fifty holy and pure young men sitting and engaging in the joy of Torah. Of course, this holy learning was made possible through the “Chaburas Bnei HaNe’urim,” led by R’ Nachman Haas, who provided the young men throughout the night with especially abundant refreshments. In the yeshivah custom, each hour the young men rose to dance—to renew their mochin and to thank Hashem for the immense privilege that “He separated us from those who stray and gave us His Torah.” During the night, several members of the group made siyumim on Maseches Bava Basra, which they completed on Shavuos according to The Rav shlit"a’s learning schedule.

It is fitting to mention what the young men of the “Chaburas Bnei HaNe’urim” merited: toward dawn, close to 3:30, they entered into the inner sanctum to The Rav shlit"a to say “Gut Yom Tov,” fulfilling the mitzvah of greeting one’s Rav on the Festival. It was impossible to miss the glow on The Rav’s face as he saw all the precious young men of our holy community after an entire night immersed in the holy Torah, preparing for the “Aseres HaDibros.” The Rav shlit"a stood in his holy residence and gave each young man who passed before him a prayer for Torah study, and wished every one of them “Gut Yom Tov” with a broad smile and the radiance of his holy countenance. The Rav shlit"a also blessed some of the young men that they should merit knowing the entire Shas.

“And Your Holy Words—Flames of Fire”

On the morning of the Festival of the Giving of the Torah, The Rav shlit"a entered the main hall of our Beis Midrash close to 4:15 and began Shacharis from the morning songs, “Odeh LaKel.” The large crowd filled the Beis Midrash, and due to lack of space, a significant portion of the congregation stood in the courtyard of the prayer hall. The prayer proceeded with melodies, joy, and tremendous vitality. Because of The Rav shlit"a’s weakness, The Rav did not prolong the melodies in Pesukei DeZimrah; yet even so—where Pesukei DeZimrah with the additions of the Three Festivals usually takes, at most, about twenty-five minutes—here Pesukei DeZimrah lasted more than forty minutes, with melodies in The Rav shlit"a’s nusach. The niggun “HaNechemadim MiZahav UMiPaz Rav” stood out: The Rav shlit"a sang it together with the congregation for about six minutes, as everyone connected through song to the holy words that King David a”h wrote in Tehillim—so fitting for the day we receive the Torah. There is nothing in the world that can compare to learning Torah!

After Shemoneh Esrei, The Rav delivered a brief teaching before Hallel, and then recited the blessing over the complete Hallel. Here too there was no special lengthening; it lasted about thirty-six minutes with melodies—except for the song “Betzeis Yisrael MiMitzrayim,” which they sang again and again with fiery passion for about ten minutes. All of Anash jumped and danced, and The Rav, with his holy movements, enlivened the congregation—“the mountains danced like rams.”

After Hallel, which lasted about half an hour, The Rav shlit"a read Megillas Rus with a blessing from a kosher megillah, with very great arousal. It should be noted that The Rav shlit"a shed several tears at certain passages in the middle of Megillas Rus. After Megillas Rus, The Rav shlit"a conducted the Festival order of opening the Aron with the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. Here the excitement reached its peak—the Torah reading and the reenactment of receiving the Torah through the Moshe Rabbeinu of the generation. After the Sefer Torah was placed on the bimah, The Rav recited the Akdamus in the well-known melody, in accordance with the words of Rebbe Nachman zy"a, who said: “Whoever knows the greatness of the song of Akdamus with its melody, as people are accustomed to sing it in the known tune—it is something wondrous and a very great novelty.” Indeed, The Rav recited the Akdamus with tremendous awakening and burning fire.

After completing the Akdamus, The Rav shlit"a read from the Torah. When the fourth aliyah arrived—the Aseres HaDibros—The Rav shlit"a was honored with the aliyah. A deep silence fell, and one could truly feel the receiving of the Torah: not a single baby cried, and all merited to hear The Rav’s clear, refined voice—“with voices and lightning,” in fiery flame, all the way to the women’s section. After the Haftarah, The Rav shlit"a announced “Yizkor,” and so that people would not need to leave, The Rav instructed—as in previous years—that one may place a tallis over one’s head. After that they began “Y-ah E-li VeGo’ali” in The Rav shlit"a’s melody, and immediately afterward The Rav stood for Mussaf. During the chazzan’s repetition, The Rav sang the niggun of “VeKarev Pezureinu” and the niggun “VeHavi’einu LeTziyon Irecha” for about four minutes. After Mussaf, The Rav shlit"a recited the verse “Kaveh el Hashem, chazak ve’ya’ametz libecha, ve’kaveh el Hashem,” after which he said Kaddish. After Kaddish and the conclusion of the prayers, The Rav made Kiddush and ate a little, as is the Jewish custom—cheesecake—and immediately began delivering a shiur of about eight minutes. In the shiur, The Rav spoke about the receiving of the Torah—how not a bird chirped, and so on. The Rav also related, within the shiur, something about his journey to Uman via Cyprus and a miracle that happened to him there. Afterward, at 7:44, The Rav shlit"a entered and went up to his holy, pleasant home, after three and a half hours of prayer.

This year, Shavuos ended on Friday night, so the Friday night prayer was relatively shortened compared to a regular Friday night, and lasted close to two hours—one hour and fifty-five minutes. At 19:24, The Rav went out for Minchah and Kabbalas Shabbos. Kabbalas Shabbos lasted only about twenty-five minutes: The Rav shlit"a first recited “Mizmor LeDavid,” and then sang only the first two stanzas and the last two stanzas of “Lecha Dodi,” which lasted about a quarter of an hour. After “Lecha Dodi,” The Rav recited “Bameh Madlikin” and “Kegavna,” and then The Rav shlit"a began Ma’ariv with melodies. After Ma’ariv, The Rav sang “Adon Olam” and “Yigdal Elokim Chai,” Shabbos zemiros, and entered his home close to 21:20.

Fortunate are we that we merited this!!