Also on Shabbat Tazria 5784, we merited to an uplifting Shabbat in the shadow of Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a:
On Erev Shabbat Kodesh, the Rav came out for Mincha about five minutes before candle lighting at 6:26 and began with the song “Or Zarua L’Tzaddik” for some nine minutes with great vitality. After Mincha, he said the order of Hitkashrut word-for-word with everyone repeating after him.
Afterwards, the Rav began Kabbalat Shabbat, “Lechu Neranana…,” one psalm after the next, with vitality and all the fervor. Afterwards, exactly at sundown, he began the song “Lecha Dodi” with pleasantness, continuing for some 42 minutes. After this, the Rav continued with the order of Maariv, with all the niggunim of Shuvu Banim. After Maariv, the Rav shlit”a sang all the Zemirot of Shabbat evening before Kiddush, lasting for around a half-hour. At the end of the Zemirot, he entered his home to the song “Savanu Mituvecha” at 8:50 PM, after two hours and twenty-two minutes of prayer, from Mincha through Zemirot Shabbat.
On Shabbat morning, the Rav shlit”a entered for Shacharit at 4:33, beginning with Birchot HaTorah, Tikkun Leah, the Morning Zemirot, Korbanot, and Pesukei D’Zimra with niggunim and great vitality, especially singing at length “Ki Kol Peh” and the rousing song “Ain Aroch Lach.”
After the Amidah and its repetition, the Rav began the Torah reading of Parshat Tazria, which took about forty minutes. The Haftarah was read by the bachur Nachman Cohen, who was celebrating his Bar Mitzvah. After the Torah reading, the Rav rolled the Torah scroll to the portion of the Tribal Princes, which are read during the month of Nisan.
The Rav sang “Zara Chaya V’Kayama” for around five minutes, and then continued with Ashrei, singing “Ki Lekach Tov,” and returning the Torah to the Ark. At 7:33, the Rav stood up to pray Musaf. After Musaf and its repetition, the Rav finished the remaining order of prayers. After this, he sang with pleasantness the Ten Psalms of the Tikkun HaKlali. Afterwards, the Rav said Kiddush and gave a shiur of around three minutes. Afterwards, at 8:03, the Rav entered his home after some four and a half hours of prayer and the shiur.
At 6:59, the Rav shlit”a entered to pray Mincha from his balcony. After the order of Mincha, the Rav washed his hands for the Third Shabbat Meal. As is his custom, he began the first Kazait with the Zemirot of the Third Meal for some twenty minutes. After this, he sang “Y-ah Ribon Olam” for some 23 minutes, repeating tens of times each of the awesome stanzas of this mysterious song. After this, he continued with the song, “Ko Amar Hashem, Matza Chen Bamidbar” for around three minutes. This was followed by “Ko Amar Zacharti Chesed Neuraych.” It appeared that the Rav had finished the prayer somewhat earlier than usual, when already at 8:10, he said Zimun on a cup along with the Sheva Brachot for the groom R’ Natan Shimon Benderski; however, after Birchat HaMazon, he began to give over Chidushim:
At 8:15, he began the song “Lamnatzeach Binginot” for five minutes. After this, surprisingly, the Rav began a shiur, after over a month that we didn’t merit to hear a shiur after the Third Meal. The shiur lasted a quarter-hour, in which he spoke about the hanging of Haman, and why they hanged him on Passover and not Purim. He finished the shiur, stating, “We ask Haman for forgiveness that we didn’t hang him on time, and now we will hang him in the month of Nisan.” Then the Rav began the song, “LaYehudim Hayta Ora V’Simcha…,” continuing for a half-half!! It was only on Sunday, after the Iranian attack on Israel during the night, that it became clear that the Rav shlit”a sweetened it through the awesome song, “LaYehudim Hayta Ora V’Simcha…”!
After the singing, the Rav began Maariv of Motza’ei Shabbat with niggunim. After Maariv and saying “Vihi Noam,” the Rav sang “Baruch Hu Elokeinu Shebaranu L’Kvodo” at great length, for some 20 minutes.
After Maariv, the Rav performed Havdalah, and once again sang “LeYehudi Hayta Ora…” for a number of minutes. Immediately after Havdalah, the Rav washed his hands for Melave Malka, singing all the Zemirot with special vitality and pleasantness. Before the song “Eliyahu HaNavi,” the Rav gave over a shiur for a quarter-hour in “Chayei Moharan,” in which he mainly spoke of the conversation about the draft decree about which Rabbeinu said that if people were with him, he could have cancelled the decree. The Rav surprisingly added that also today there are terrible decrees, and the Tzaddik through his prayers sweetens all the decrees. Of course, after the following night, there is nothing to add. After the Zemirot, he said Zimun on a cup with the Sheva Brachot for the groom mentioned above. He entered his home at 10:40 after three hours and forty minutes that we merited to be together with the Rav consecutively from Mincha until the end of Melave Malka. Altogether, all the Shabbat was around nine and a half hours that we merited to be in his holy shadow, on Shabbat Tazria, 5 Nisan 5784.
Photo gallery courtesy of Hitchadshut Magazine:
