Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a spent the days of Rosh Hashanah in the city of Krakow, Poland, after having tried until the very last moment to enter Ukraine in order to reach the grave of Rebbe Nachman for the holy Kibbutz in Uman for the year 5786.

During the days of Rosh Hashanah, Rav Berland shlit”a stayed at the “Ohel Avraham” guesthouse, under the direction of the extraordinary man of kindness R’ Avraham Zoldan, in Krakow. Before you is a comprehensive review from these holy days with the Rav shlit”a:

On Monday, the 15th of Elul, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a left his holy dwelling, hoping to merit to reach the holy Rosh Hashanah gathering of 5786 in the city of Uman, Ukraine. During the course of those two weeks, great efforts were made in order to remove the obstacles preventing Moreinu HaRav shlit”a from reaching the holy kibbutz in the city of longing. Even on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, in the late morning hours, despite the private plane waiting on the runway at Krakow airport to return him to the Holy Land, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a did not give up and asked his attendants to return to the border in order to try once again until the very last moment. Close to 1:30 PM on the eve of Rosh Hashanah, the painful announcement was made that all the attempts had failed and Moreinu HaRav shlit”a had been unable to enter – also this year. Six years in a row. Six years in which, despite everything, by a sealed and concealed decree from Heaven—beyond our ability to understand the stirrings on High—the gates of Uman have remained closed for Moreinu HaRav shlit”a. The Tzaddik of the generation, the very one who opened these gates more than fifty years ago, remained, like Moshe Rabbeinu, outside the promised land. Opon returning to Krakow from the Ukraine–Poland border, the clock already showed 3:30 PM. Moreinu HaRav shlit”a, whose first wish was to return to the Holy Land to hold the kibbutz in Jerusalem at his holy dwelling, decided it was too late to return for fear of desecrating the Day of Judgment. Therefore, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a was forced to remain in Krakow. One of the special places in Krakow is the “Ohel Avraham” guesthouse. This guesthouse provides, throughout the year, for hundreds and thousands of Jews passing through greater Krakow. When the director of the guesthouse, R’ Avraham Zoldan, heard that Moreinu HaRav shlit”a was in Krakow, he was overjoyed at the privilege of hosting him at the guesthouse. Until close to the onset of the Chag, he prepared with self-sacrifice all the needs of the holiday in great abundance. Moreinu HaRav shlit”a with his attendants numbered seven, and together with R’ Avraham and his two bar mitzvah aged sons, they completed exactly a minyan -- a minyan of men who merited to join together with Moreinu HaRav shlit”a on Rosh Hashanah.

“Your Kingship will be exalted on it”

Despite the immense difficulty and pain—both in not being able to reach the kibbutz also this year, and in not being able to return to his home in Jerusalem—Moreinu HaRav shlit”a did not show on his pure face even a trace of sorrow, but only joy and “gladness while trembling,” in the aspect of “for the joy of Hashem is your strength”! All the prayers were held in the classic Breslov style. For the prayers, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a went to pray in the synagogue adjacent to the grave of the Rema. The final Minchah of the year was prayed with the last rays of the setting sun of 5785—“May the year and its curses end.” A few minutes after sunset, as the year of “Tehe Shanat Pedut V’Geula (May it be a year of Redemption and Salvation -- 5786)” entered, with the niggun of “Barechu,” Moreinu HaRav shlit”a approached the prayer stand. In these moments mamash —“He passes His flock under His staff”—Rabbeinu HaKadosh passes through all who came to the holy kibbutz, and above all those who longed to come but were prevented, with their broken hearts and great lowliness—they pass through first and merit to be written and sealed in the book of the true Tzaddik for a good and sweet year, for a good and long life and peace! After the prayer, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a sat down to the evening holiday meal together with the minyan and R’ Avraham, with R’ Avraham standing over them like Moshe in his time, serving them from an abundance of delicacies for the holiday—“eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks.” Throughout the meal, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a only sang songs and gave over many shiurim, and was in a state of tremendous joy. Each meal during the festival lasted over four hours (!). During the meals, the Rav spoke often of how there is no doubt that precisely through the fact that he could not reach Uman again this year, more people are coming to Uman, and this increases the yearning and desire. The Rav also added that this is his task to be in Krakow on Rosh Hashanah, and one cannot understand the calculations of Heaven. One of those present pointed out to us that one of the most moving moments was during the singing of “Avinu Malkeinu, open the gates of Heaven to our prayers,” when Moreinu HaRav shlit”a shed tears like water in great emotion and arousal.

“And His Kingship reigns over all”

In the morning, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a immersed in the mikveh of the “Eden” Hotel, located opposite the “Rubinstein” Hotel where the Rav stayed during Rosh Hashanah. Close to 8:00 AM, Shacharit began, with niggunim sung in joy and vitality. For “HaMelech,” Moreinu HaRav shlit”a instructed his great-grandson and attendant R’ Naftali Zucker to lead the prayers for Shacharit. Throughout the entire prayer, the Rav stood near the prayer stand, following all the prayers and joining the piyutim with the rousing nusach. After Shacharit, during the Torah reading of “And Hashem remembered Sarah,” Moreinu HaRav shlit”a called up his attendants one after another, and he himself was honored with the fourth aliyah—the aliyah of Rabbeinu HaKadosh. Immediately after the Torah reading, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a proceeded to the blowing of the shofar. For Musaf, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a called up his grandson and attendant R’ Aharon Zucker. On the first day of Rosh Hashanah, the prayer concluded close to 1:00 PM. After the prayer, the Rav sat for the Yom Tov meal, and afterward returned to learning Torah in his room until close to sunset. For Minchah of the first day and Maariv of the second night of Rosh Hashanah, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a himself led the prayers.

“For the sake of those who went into fire and water for the sanctification of Your Name”

On the second day of Rosh Hashanah – dina rafya (“gentle judgment”), as on the first, the prayers were conducted in order with great vitality and enthusiasm. Notably, the Musaf prayer concluded at the exact same hour as on the first day. After the prayer, the Rav sat for the Yom Tov meal. About an hour and a half before sunset, the Rav began Minchah of the second day of Rosh Hashanah. After the prayer, the Rav shlit”a left the synagogue and walked about fifteen minutes to the Pilsudski Bridge, which crosses over the Vistula River. This bridge is known among Polish Jews who survived the inferno as the “Bridge of the Daughters of Krakow.” The bridge stands as a silent, unforgettable testimony to the supreme heroism of ninety-three Jewish girls who were led out from the infamous Krakow Ghetto. Fearing that the Nazi beasts would abuse and defile the holy daughters of Israel, they preferred to die for the sanctification of God’s Name, leaping into the raging waters of the Vistula River. There, at that point—the Pilsudski Bridge over the river—Moreinu HaRav shlit”a chose to recite the order of Tashlich. Afterwards, the Rav shlit”a added several words about that horrible event.

“For you shall go out with joy”

After concluding Tashlich, Moreinu HaRav shlit”a returned for Maariv of Motza’ei Rosh Hashanah, and at Rabbeinu Tam time, he recited Havdalah over a cup. Moreinu HaRav shlit”a remained in Krakow until the next morning, when he returned to the Holy Land, arriving at his holy dwelling close to 1:00 PM.

Exclusive documentation: Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a making Havdalah during Motza’ei Rosh Hashanah together with the man of kindness R’ Avraham Zoldan, director of the “Ohel Avraham” guesthouse in Krakow: