Also this year, we merited to celebrate Purim together with Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a. Here is a review of the night of Shushan Purim and the Megillah reading:
Moreinu HaRav Eliezer Berland shlit”a came up adorned with Shabbat clothes in honor of Purim at 6:40 PM, and began to sing, “Vatosef Esther Vatidaber Lifnei HaMelech – And Esther again spoke before the king” with great vitality for some ten minutes, and afterwards continued with the song, “VeNahafoch Hu…” for another twenty minutes with dancing and awesome joy. The whole courtyard was completely full, both in the men’s area and the women’s area, over 1,500 people taking part in the holy and awesome gathering of Shushan Purim in the shadow of the Tzaddik. After a half-hour of singing and dancing, Maariv began with niggunim, slowly with pleasantness and vitality and fervor, word-for-word. Already before the prayer, the Rav said the order of “Hitkashrut — binding to the Tzaddikim,” and Psalm 22 — “E-li, E-li, Lama Azavtani,” the Rav saying each verse and everyone reciting it responsively after him. The holiness of the days of Purim which stand between heaven and earth – so was the prayer with such vitality that it’s impossible to describe.
After the Amidah, the Rav shlit”a announced that he would give a shiur for around ten minutes, so that the people who merited to pray at length could hear the Megillah reading. And so the Rav gave over a fiery shiur about the greatness of the days of Purim. After a quarter-hour of the shiur, the Rav began the three blessings of the Megillah, and from the mouth of the king, we merited to hear the Book of Esther. Because whoever hasn’t merited himself to hear the Rav shlit”a read the Megillah, never heard the story of the Megillah in his life. The Rav shlit”a reads word-for-word with the special cantillation, with such pleasantness and great length, over a period of some forty minutes. It’s worth noting that in the middle of the Megillah reading, we merited to an abundant blessing of rainfall which began to descend on the heads of the thousands. At the conclusion of the Megillah reading and blessings, the joy tore open the heavens with the song “Shoshanat Yaakov,” with dancing, skipping, and clapping over a period of twenty minutes! Afterwards, we concluded Maariv with “Ata Kadosh” and the song “Baruch Hu” at length. At the conclusion of the prayer, the Rav shlit”a announced that tomorrow, the day of Shushan Purim, Shacharit would begin at 4:30 AM.
Photos courtesy of Hitchadshut Magazine:
