The Pure Jar of Oil • Hanukkah Gathering for the 'Yaldei HaTzaddik' Organization

On Tuesday, the eve of the 1st of Rosh Chodesh Teves, the seventh night of Hanukkah, a massive and deeply moving Hanukkah gathering took place. It was organized by the 'Yaldei HaTzaddik' (Children of the Tzaddik) organization, led by Rabbi Naftali Bick shlit"a (may he live long and good days), who devotes his entire soul to the 'tinokos shel beis raban' (pure school children), the children of the Tzaddik from the Shuvu Banim community.

The gathering was held during the night hours at our Beis Medrash (study hall) "Shuvu Banim," where the many activities of the 'Yaldei HaTzaddik' organization take place daily and every Shabbos.

Around 11:30 PM, our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, entered the Beis Medrash. Literally hundreds of 'children of the Tzaddik' sang songs of emotion and hisorerus (spiritual awakening) for over twenty minutes. It is impossible to describe the intensity of the emotion that gripped all the participants as they watched hundreds of pure children—ranging from chalakah (first haircut) age to those approaching their Bar Mitzvah—singing in a stirring and heart-melting voice: "Strengthen their hearts for Torah and service, everything, everything according to Your good will..." and "May I merit to see, to see, children, children and grandchildren occupied with the Torah, with the Torah and mitzvos (commandments), in truth, in truth!!" Not a single eye remained dry.

And what can we say about the spiritual father of this holy flock, our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a, as he sat before the children of the flock with the Holy Ark behind him? His face was ablaze with both satisfaction and intense emotion. One could not miss the scalding tears of excitement streaming down his holy face as he surveyed with his holy eyes the hundreds of pure children singing with power and supplication to merit pure and true love of Hashem (God) during these auspicious days of Hanukkah. The pure jar of oil!

Following the uplifting singing, the children passed one by one in exemplary order before the holy countenance to receive 'Hanukkah gelt' (traditional Hanukkah money) from the pure hands of our teacher, the Rav, Rabbi Berland shlit"a. The gathering concluded with a sense of elevation and great joy.

Before you is a photo gallery from the Hanukkah gathering for the 'Yaldei HaTzaddik' organization, courtesy of "Mekusharim LaTzaddik":