It’s customary by Chasidei Breslov, as brought in the book Siach Sarfei Kodesh, to gather together to sing the niggunim (melodies) of Yom Kippur on the night of Zot Chanuka. Our Rebbe Rav Eliezer Berland shlit”a is accustomed to do this every year, and in 5778 (2018) even carried out the minhag publicly amongst the community.
This year, the Rav shlit”a carried out the order of Zot Chanukah night in his home along with his family. After lighting the Chanuka candle in his window, he sat for the meal of Zot Chanukah, and began speaking about the level of the day of Zot Chanukah, and spoke about Chanukah as brought in halachah and aggadah. After twenty minutes of a shiur, the Rav began niggunim and to say portions from the prayer of Yom Kippur with great fervor. For over an hour and a half, he sang the liturgical songs of Yom Kippur according to the style of Breslov, in a way which mamash gave a feeling of the awesome holiness of the day. After an hour and a half, he concluded with the niggun which concludes Musaf of Yom Kippur – “HaMevarech et amo Yisrael b’shalom.” He then said Kaddish with the niggun of Yom Kippur, which is sung at the end of the prayers of Yom Kippur. After Kaddish, the Rav shlit”a gave out Chanukah money to his family, entering his room at 9:30 pm with the song “Next year in Jerusalem…”
