Sinai, Sinai, He is Called the Lion of the Group • Shabbat Behar

Also on Shabbat Behar, the eve of Lag BaOmer 5784, we merited an uplifting Shabbat in the shadow of our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a. Before you is the full coverage of the prayers, lessons, and meals in the holy shadow:

On Erev Shabbat Kodesh (Friday afternoon), the Rav went out for the Mincha (afternoon) prayer exactly five minutes before candle lighting at 19:00. He began with the singing of "Or Zarua" (Light is sown) for twenty minutes with great chayos (vitality). This was followed by the Mincha prayer. At the conclusion of Mincha, he recited the Seder HaHisksherus (order of connecting to the Tzaddik): "I give thanks before You that You have set my portion..." "I hereby hand over..." "I hereby connect..." Our teacher, the Rav shlit"a, says it word by word and everyone repeats after him. Interestingly, during the Seder HaHisksherus, the Rav said, "I hereby connect myself in the prayer of Shabbat Lag BaOmer." Afterward, the Rav began Kabbalat Shabbat (welcoming the Sabbath) with "Lechu Neranena," psalm after psalm with chayos and all the fire and bren (burning enthusiasm). He then began the pleasant singing of "Lecha Dodi," which lasted about forty-five minutes, repeating all the sections again and again with immense vitality. After finishing "Lecha Dodi," the Rav continued the prayer as usual, Maariv (evening prayer) with all the melodies in the Shuvu Banim style.

Before "Kegavna" (a Kabbalistic prayer), as is the custom in the Jewish diaspora, they sing "Bar Yochai," and the Rav shlit"a, in his holy way, extended and repeated this awesome piyut (liturgical poem) three times. Afterward, he moved to "V'amartem Ko L'chai" three more times, and then as a conclusion, he added the song "Amar Rabbi Akiva Ashreichem Yisrael" (Rabbi Akiva said, fortunate are you Israel) another three times. Thus, we merited to sing and dance in honor of the joy of the Rashbi (Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai) already on the eve of the Hillula (anniversary of passing)—Shabbat Lag BaOmer, as our teacher the Rav shlit"a calls it—for thirty-five minutes.

Afterward, they said "Kegavna" and continued with the Maariv prayer of Friday night with all the melodies at the peak of vitality and joy. At the conclusion of Maariv, the Sefirat HaOmer (Counting of the Omer) took place—the awesome counting of "Netzach shebeHod" (Endurance within Splendor). For many years, the Rav shlit"a has spoken about how in this counting, the connection to our holy Rebbe (Rebbe Nachman) and Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai are integrated. During the singing of "Lamnatzeach Biniginos," the Rav shlit"a unexpectedly said Kaddish and entered his holy residence at 22:10, after a Friday night prayer that lasted about three hours and ten minutes.

On Shabbat morning, the Rav shlit"a entered for prayer at 04:40 before dawn. The Rav began the Shacharis (morning) prayer in order, starting from Chatzos (Midnight Lamentation)—Tikkun Leah, the morning songs, Korbanot (sacrificial readings), and Pesukei D'Zimrah (Verses of Praise) with melodies and great vitality. There was a special extension during the singing of "Hoshia Et Amecha" for about five minutes, as well as "Nafshenu Chikta l'Hashem" for about five minutes. Afterward, the extension continued in "Nishmat Kol Chai" with the singing of "Ki Chol Peh" for another five minutes, and the stirring melody of "Ein Aruch Lecha" for another five minutes. It should be noted that the Rav shlit"a stood for the Shemoneh Esrei (Amidah) prayer for exactly one hour after Netz HaChama (sunrise) at 6:30. After the conclusion of the Chazarat HaShatz (Cantor's repetition), the Rav shlit"a began the Kriyat HaTorah (Torah reading) for Parshat Behar. Although this portion is among the shortest, since the Rav shlit"a was not present last Shabbat—Parshat Emor—there were many people called up for various celebrations and yahrtzeits (anniversaries of passing). Also, in his holy way, the Rav shlit"a personally calls up guests and those close to him for the Torah reading. Thus, the Rav repeated the Aliyos (call-ups) and verses again and again, and the Torah reading of Parshat Behar lasted forty-five minutes! It should be noted that the Haftarah (prophetic reading) this week was read by the Bar Mitzvah boy, Nachman Rahabi, may his light shine.

The Rav sang "Zera Chaya v'Kayama" (viable offspring) for about ten minutes. At the end of Zera Chaya, the Rav shlit"a sang "Ki Lekach Tov" and they returned the Torah scroll to the Ark. At 7:40, the Rav shlit"a stood for the Musaf (additional) prayer. After the conclusion of the Musaf repetition, he finished the prayer in order from "Kaveh el Hashem" until after "Anim Zemirot" and "Adon Olam." Afterward, he began "Lechu Neranena l'Hashem" before the Tikkun HaKlali (The General Rectification). At the conclusion, our teacher the Rav shlit"a made Kiddush (sanctification) over the cup and delivered a lesson for about a minute. After the lesson, at 08:05, our teacher the Rav shlit"a entered his holy residence after about three and a half hours of Shacharis, Torah reading, Musaf, and the lesson.

At 19:45, our teacher the Rav shlit"a entered for the Mincha prayer of Shabbat Kodesh on the balcony of his home. He immediately said Kaddish and began saying "Brich Shmeh" and singing "Yehei Ra'ava" for about 5 minutes. Afterward, he read from the Torah—Parshat Bechukotai—with three people called up. Immediately after, the Shemoneh Esrei prayer was recited, and at the conclusion of the Shabbat Mincha prayer at his place on the balcony, the Rav shlit"a washed his hands for Seudah Shlishit (the third meal). In his holy way, he began with the first Kazayit (olive-sized portion) during the songs of the third meal for about twenty minutes. Following this, he sang "Yah Ribon" (Aramaic hymn) for thirty-five minutes, repeating all the awesome stanzas of this hidden song dozens of times. He then continued with the song "Ko Amar Hashem Matza Chen BaMidbar" for about five minutes, and then moved to the song "Ko Amar Zacharti Lach Chesed Neurayich" for about ten minutes. It relatively seemed that the Rav shlit"a would finish the prayer earlier than usual today, as already at 21:20 the Rav shlit"a was making the blessing over the cup. However, after Birkat HaMazon (Grace after meals), the innovations began:

At 21:25, he began the singing of "Lamnatzeach Biniginos" for forty-five minutes!! The Rav then started the Maariv prayer of Motzaei Shabbat (Saturday night) with melodies. After Maariv, during the saying of "Vihi Noam," our teacher the Rav shlit"a extended the singing of "Baruch Hu Elokeinu Sheberanu Lichvodo" (Blessed is our G-d who created us for His glory) for about ten minutes with great length. After the conclusion of the prayer, the great moment arrived for the awesome counting of "Hod shebeHod" (Splendor within Splendor)—thirty-three days of the Omer. Everyone roared the blessing, and all the songs and piyutim after the counting lasted another thirty-five minutes!

At the conclusion, the Rav performed Havdalah (ceremony marking the end of Shabbat) with the singing of "Layehudim Hayta Ora..." (The Jews had light...) for several minutes. Immediately after Havdalah, the Rav washed his hands for Melave Malka (the post-Shabbat meal)—which is the "Seudasa d'David Malka Meshicha" (the meal of David, the King Mashiach). Our teacher the Rav shlit"a sang all the songs with vitality and a special sweetness. Before the song "Eliyahu HaNavi," he delivered a lesson on the greatness of the awesome day of Lag BaOmer. He entered his holy residence at 23:50 after an extension of four hours and five minutes that we merited to be together with him continuously from the Mincha prayer until the end of Melave Malka. In total, we merited about ten and a half hours in the holy shadow during Shabbat Behar, 17th of Iyar, the eve of Lag BaOmer 5784.

At this hour, the masses are flocking to the central Hillula (celebration) currently taking place on the streets of Shivtei Yisrael - The Third Wall. All of the people of Israel wherever they are invited to take part in the awesome joy in honor of the Divine Tanna (Mishnaic sage) Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai!!

Photos courtesy of Hischadshus Magazine: