After many obstacles, on Thursday night, 15 Elul, the mass prayer rally for the salvation of the Jewish people and the success of the Rosh Hashanah gathering of 5784 took place at Ma’arat HaMachpelah (the Cave of the Patriarchs) in the city of our forefathers Hevron with the participation of our Rebbe Rav Eliezer Berland shlit”a.
At 8:00 pm, the plaza of Ma’arat HaMachpelah began to fill up with thousands of people, with more than 100 buses coming from all of the country, and special parking lots for private vehicles were opened. According to the estimate of security forces at the height of the rally, some 5,000 people merited to participate. Until the Rav arrived, thousands danced to sweeten judgments.
At 10:00 pm, the Rav shlit”a appeared on the platform above the famous “Seventh Step” with a face glowing with holiness. When the Rav arrived at the wall of the Maarat HaMachpelah, he stood for an unusually long time, saying a silent prayer, apparently in order to open the Gates of Tzion and to succeed in coming to the Rosh Hashanah gathering in Uman in 5784.
After a number minutes, the Rav shlit”a stood on the platform and began the Ma’ariv prayer, roaring the entire prayer with fiery fervor and shut eyes, his holy face radiating light.
After the conclusion of the prayer, the Rav shlit”a began saying the Tikkun HaKlali with a pleasing melody over the course of some twenty minutes, beginning with the Yehi Ratzon that is said before the Tikkun HaKlali. What a beautiful sight it was to see the entire assembly of thousands swaying according to that exalted rhythm which the Rav composed for saying the Ten Psalms which Rebbe Nachman revealed and enacted to say.
At the end of the Tikkun HaKlali, the Rav shlit”a read the awesome prayer which was composed by Rabbi Yitzchak Breiter HY”D for opening up the locked gates of Uman. For several minutes, the Rav read the prayer together with the assembly with an outpouring of the soul and great arousal.
At the end of the prayer, the Rav shlit”a said Kaddish and gave over a shiur of the words of the Living God with great fervor about the importance of the trip to Uman Rosh Hashanah 5784:
“You need to know, that also the year 5784 — will begin a year of redemption, a year that Mashiach will certainly come, for even Mashiach will travel to Uman. Rabbi Levi Yitzchak always said that even Mashiach [would travel to Uman]. The Rebbe said that Mashiach will somehow be revealed in the Land of Galilee, which is called Tiveria. From there, he will go to Beit Lechem, to the city of Rachel Emeinu. Together, they will go Maarat HaMachpelah, to here, to awaken Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov, who are now hearing our prayers, for Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov raise up all the prayers. Then three Shofars will descend from Heaven, and then Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov will sound a Teruah, Tekiah, Teruah, Teruah, Tekiah, Teruah, Teruah, Tekiah, Teruah. And then the whole world will come to [make] war with the Jewish people, and this will be heard in the whole world — this will be the Teruah of war, that Hashem is God, Hashem is God, and Hashem will be King over all the earth, all the world will crown Hashem. Then there will be an earthquake, and all the churches will fall together with the mosques, because it is forbidden for us to touch anything! And therefore, everyone must travel to Uman; even Mashiach will travel to Uman — there is no question or debate about this. Whether the Rav succeeds in coming or if the Rav does not succeed in coming, it makes no difference at all, this makes absolutely no difference — everyone is registered already today for Uman, with no exceptions. Then the gathering will be in Uman. And if not, then in Jerusalem. And if not, then in the Land of Fire or the Land of Ice. There is a Land of Fire and a Land of Ice. A three day trip in a boat [or] a flight in three hours. All of us will see each other either in the Land of Fire or the Land of Ice; either in Jerusalem or in Uman, bezrat Hashem, together with our Righteous Mashiach, speedily in our days, Amen!”
After the exalted shiur, the Rav shlit”a began to sing “Becha Rabbeinu Nagilah,” again approached the wall of Maarat HaMachpelah and kissed its stones. While all prayer, he took three steps back, and left amidst songs and melodies after some two hours of an exalted rally which certainly accomplished what it did, and we have no concept or understanding of the accounting of Heaven.
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Photo credit: Achrei HaTzaddik, Natan Gonen
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