"Behold, I Give Him My Covenant of Peace" • Shabbat Pinchas in the Shadow of the

Also on Shabbat Parshat Pinchas 5784, we merited an uplifting Shabbat in the shadow of our teacher, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Here is the full coverage of the prayers, lessons, and meals in the holy shadow:

On Erev Shabbat (Friday afternoon), the Rav went out for the Mincha (afternoon) prayer about five minutes before candle lighting at 19:09 and began singing "Or Zarua" (Light is sown for the righteous) for twenty-three minutes. After the singing, they stood for the Mincha prayer. At the conclusion of the Mincha prayer, which ended exactly at sunset, he recited the order of Hiskashrus (connecting to the Tzaddik): "I am thankful before You that You have set my portion..." "I hereby hand over..." "I hereby connect..." Our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, says it word for word and everyone repeats after him. Afterward, the Rav began Kabbalat Shabbat (the service welcoming Shabbat) with "Lechu Neranena," psalm after psalm with vitality and with all the fire, life, and bren (burning enthusiasm). Afterward, he began the pleasant singing of "Lecha Dodi," which lasted exactly half an hour, repeating all the sections again and again with immense vitality. After the conclusion of "Lecha Dodi," the Rav continued the prayer as usual, Maariv (evening prayer) with all the melodies in the Shuvu Banim style at the peak of vitality and joy. Afterward, the Rav shlit"a finished the prayer with the singing of "Adon Olam" and "Yigdal Elokim Chai." Then, the Shabbat songs that the Rav shlit"a is accustomed to saying together with the public were added—"Shalom Aleichem," "Ribon Kol HaOlamim," and "Eshet Chayil." He entered his holy home at 21:31 after a Friday night prayer service that lasted two hours and twenty-three minutes..

On Shabbat morning, the Rav shlit"a entered for prayer at 04:33. Our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, began the Shacharit (morning) prayer in order, starting from Chatzos (midnight lamentations)—Tikkun Leah—and said the morning blessings, and immediately afterward began the Korbanot (sacrificial readings) and Pesukei D'Zimra (verses of praise) with melodies and great vitality.

It should be noted that the excitement surged during this prayer among the crowd of the Tzaddik's followers who merited to bask in his shadow this Shabbat, due to the fact that after a two-week break where the Rav shlit"a did not come down to the prayer hall because of renovations, this Shabbat we again merited the closeness of the Tzaddik as he entered our renovated Beit Midrash (study hall). Before "Hodu" at 5:10, the Rav shlit"a entered the sanctuary of the Beit Midrash and ascended the new bimah (platform) that had been prepared for him. As he does every week, the Rav spoke to the young men of our community who have now merited a new place of their own, and thus the lesson continued on the topics of the day and the weekly Torah portion for about twenty minutes. The length was felt mainly during the singing of "Ki Chol Peh" (For every mouth shall thank You) for six minutes, as well as in the blessing of "Yotzer Or" with the song "Ein Aruch Lach" (There is none comparable to You) for another six minutes. About two and a quarter hours after the start of the Shacharit prayer, at 06:28, the Rav shlit"a stood for the Shemoneh Esrei (silent prayer). After the conclusion of the Chazarat HaShatz (repetition of the prayer) and the Song of the Day, the Rav delivered a lesson for about fifteen minutes. Afterward was the taking out of the Torah scroll, and the Rav shlit"a began the Torah reading for Parshat Pinchas. The Torah reading along with the Haftarah (prophetic reading) lasted about forty minutes.

After the Haftarah, the Rav sang "Zera Chaya V'Kayama" (Living and viable offspring) for seven minutes. Special to this Shabbat was that they continued the order of prayer and sang "Harninu Goyim Amo" during "Av HaRachamim" (Father of Mercy) for four minutes. Afterward, the Rav sang "Ki Lekach Tov" and they returned the Torah scroll to the Ark. Close to 08:00, the Rav shlit"a stood for the Musaf (additional) prayer. After the conclusion of the Musaf repetition, our teacher the Rav shlit"a finished the prayer from "Kavei el Hashem," Adon Olam, Anim Zemirot, and The Tikkun HaKlali. At the conclusion of the ten psalms, our teacher the Rav shlit"a made Kiddush (sanctification over wine) and delivered a lesson for about two minutes, explaining that in the merit of the Tzaddik, curses are turned into blessings. After the lesson, at 08:21, our teacher the Rav shlit"a entered his holy home after nearly three hours and forty-three minutes of Shacharit prayer, Torah reading, Musaf, Kiddusha Rabba, and the lesson we merited.

At 19:33, our teacher the Rav shlit"a entered for the Mincha prayer of the holy Shabbat on the balcony of his home with the saying of Kaddish and began saying "Brich Shmeih" and singing "Yehei Ra'ava" (May it be the will) for twenty minutes. Afterward, he read from the Torah—Parshat Matot-Masei—for three people called to the Torah. Immediately after, the Shemoneh Esrei prayer was held, and at the conclusion of the Shabbat Mincha prayer, which lasted about twenty minutes, the Rav shlit"a performed Netilat Yadayim (ritual hand washing) at his place on the balcony for Seudah Shlishit (the third meal). As is his holy custom, he began with the first k'zayit (olive-sized portion of bread) and started the Seudah Shlishit songs for about twenty minutes. After them, he sang "Yah Ribbon" for eighteen minutes, with the entire public repeating the sections "Ravrevin Ovdeich V'Takifin" (Great and mighty are Your deeds), "Elaha Deilei Yakar V'Rabuta" (God to Whom belongs honor and greatness), and "L'Mikdasheich Tuv" (Return to Your Sanctuary) dozens of times. Afterward, he continued with the singing of "Koh Amar Hashem Matza Chen BaMidbar" (Thus says Hashem, they found grace in the desert) for about seven minutes, then moved to the singing of "Koh Amar Zacharti Lach Chesed Ne'uraich" (Thus says Hashem, I remembered for you the kindness of your youth) for another eleven minutes. Afterward, he sang "Ad Heina Azarunu Rachamecha" (Until now Your mercies have helped us) for another twelve minutes. After an hour and ten minutes of Seudah Shlishit, the Rav shlit"a led the Grace After Meals over a cup of wine.

Afterward, the Rav shlit"a began the singing of "Lamnatzeach BiNginot" for twenty minutes. Then he continued with the Maariv prayer for the conclusion of Shabbat with melodies. After Maariv, during the saying of "Vihi Noam," our teacher the Rav shlit"a lengthened the singing of "Baruch Hu Elokeinu SheBeranu Lichvodo" (Blessed is our God Who created us for His honor) for eight minutes, and also the next song "Hu Yiftach" (He will open our hearts), which the Rav lengthened for about nine minutes! Afterward, the Rav performed Havdalah (the ceremony marking the end of Shabbat) with the singing of "Layehudim Hayta Ora..." (The Jews had light...) for about a minute. After Havdalah, in a rare occurrence, the Rav shlit"a delivered a lesson on the greatness of the one whose yahrtzeit (anniversary of passing) it was—the head of our community and his primary teacher, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak son of Rabbi Avraham Noach Bender zy"a (may his merit protect us), as today, the 22nd of Tammuz, is his yahrtzeit. During the lesson, the Rav shlit"a instructed that everyone should go to his gravesite on Har HaZeitim (the Mount of Olives).

After the lesson, the Rav washed his hands for Melaveh Malka (the post-Shabbat meal)—this is the meal of David the King, the Mashiach. Our teacher the Rav shlit"a sang all the songs with special vitality and pleasantness. Before the song "Eliyahu HaNavi," he delivered a lesson for about seven more minutes. Afterward, he continued the songs until the end and led the Grace After Meals over a cup of wine. At the conclusion of the Grace After Meals, he entered his holy home at 22:58 after a duration of nearly three hours and twenty-five minutes that we merited to be together with him continuously from the Mincha prayer until the end of Melaveh Malka. In total, throughout the entire Shabbat, we merited about nine and a half hours (9:31) in the holy shadow on Shabbat Parshat Pinchas, the 21st of Tammuz, 5784.

Courtesy of Hitchadshus: