With Wisdom a House is Built • The Engagement Celebration for the Great-Grandson

With good signs and good fortune, last Tuesday night, the 27th of Tammuz, the ceremony of the Tana'im (engagement contract) took place during the engagement celebration for the great-grandson of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days). The distinguished groom is Nachman, son of Rabbi Shmuel Isaac Zucker, and the bride is the daughter of Rabbi Nachum Dov Aryeh Haas shlit"a, one of the gabbaim (attendants) of our Beis Medrash (study hall) and son-in-law of the chassid Rabbi Shlomo Chaim Richter shlit"a.

The Tana'im celebration took place, as mentioned, on Tuesday after the Maariv (evening) prayer, in the holy residence of the Saba Kadisha (holy grandfather) — our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, and with his participation.

The event began with the entrance of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, into his residence to the singing of "Od Yishama" and other melodies in the joy of the Tzaddik's house. After about ten minutes, our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, wrote the Shtar Tana'im (engagement contract) and set the wedding date for the time close to Rosh Hashanah La'Ilanos (the New Year for Trees), which is the 15th of Shevat. The groom and the bride's representative performed the Kinyan (formal acquisition) by lifting the gartel (prayer belt) as is customary. Afterward, they broke the plate with good signs and good fortune.

Immediately following the breaking of the plate, our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, began a holy discourse. Here are some of the topics delivered during the event:

The Degel Machaneh Ephraim (a classic Chassidic work) writes that the time between the engagement and the wedding is exactly like Yom Kippur. The groom's role is to know the Shas (the entire Talmud); until the wedding, there are more than 180 days, and it is possible to finish the Shas. A woman wants to serve her husband, but on the condition that he is a Talmid Chacham (Torah scholar) who sits and learns all day. It is written about Samson as an example of greatness, and Saul was "from his shoulders and upward" (taller than everyone), meaning he had no "box of creeping things" (a Talmudic idiom for a blemish or past faults that keep a leader humble); he could not be king because there was nothing to break him. The more a person is a Tzaddik, the harder it is for him to nullify himself. Saul needed to wait just two more minutes for Samuel, and then he would have merited eternal kingship. Tractate Bava Batra has 175 pages, and in Psalm 119, there are 175 verses, because the verse "I have strayed like a lost sheep" (the final verse) doesn't seem to belong; after David said everything, he pleads: "In truth, I have nothing, I am only 'I have strayed like a lost sheep; seek Your servant.'" Similarly, in Parshas Naso (the Torah portion), there are 175 verses because the last verse also doesn't seem to belong: "And when Moses went into the Tent of Meeting to speak with Him, he heard the voice speaking to him from above the cover that was on the Ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim; and He spoke to him." There are 16 portions between Terumah-Tetzaveh and Naso, so why was this written only now? The Ra'avan says this hints at being included in all the Nesi'im (princes) in order to hear the voice speaking. The Degel Machaneh Ephraim says that the wedding is greater than Yom Kippur, and also the time between the engagement and the wedding is like Yom Kippur. It is written about Jacob and Rachel, "a few days," meaning the groom must conduct himself during these days exactly like Yom Kippur!

After the lesson, our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, began singing again "Invei HaGafen Be'Invei HaGafen" (Grapes of the vine with grapes of the vine), which was sung for nearly twenty minutes. Afterward, he said Kaddish and entered his inner sanctum.

From here, a single blessing is sent to the holy presence of

His Holy Torah Honor, the Crown of our Head, the Gaon and Tzaddik, our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a

On the occasion of the engagement of his great-grandson in a good and auspicious hour.

As a simple blessing, we offer a prayer and bless him that he should merit to see much holy satisfaction from all his descendants, with physical health and great light until the coming of Yinon (Mashiach) and our King at our head, Amen!