The Esteemed Rav Berland shlit"a is Released Straight into the Giant Sukkah Set to Break a Guinness Record - Photo Gallery

The sages expounded on the verse, "Light is sown for the tzaddik, and gladness for the upright in heart" (Psalms 97), that after all the days of Elul and then during the days of Selichot until after Yom Kippur, the people of Israel straighten their hearts through the work of teshuvah (repentance) and soul-searching. Through this, a holy vessel is built for them with which they can receive the days of simcha (joy) of the Sukkot festival, and it is fulfilled in them, "and gladness for the upright in heart."

With Hashem's help, we will expound the words so fitting for the time and occasion to describe what is happening to us today. After almost five years of endless exiles and suffering endured by the students of our teacher and master, the esteemed Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, as well as anyone with a Jewish soul within them, the moment of "and gladness for the upright in heart" arrives. Indeed, nothing straightens the heart more than the suffering and persecutions experienced by anyone who witnessed the murderous falsehood surrounding Rav Berland shlit"a.

Yes, we are bearers of good news; at this very hour, the difficult imprisonment of the great tzaddik, our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, has ended, and there is no better time to celebrate this than during the Sukkot festival, about which it is said, "and you shall rejoice in your festival." Thus, after long, emotional prayers were held throughout the day of the Sukkot festival at the home of Rav Berland shlit"a, which uplifted everyone's hearts to the heavens, tomorrow, God willing, our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a will go out to pray in the sukkah built opposite his home, but this is just the beginning.

On the upcoming holy Motza'ei Shabbat of Chol HaMoed Sukkot, a grand hilula is planned to mark the 207th anniversary of the passing of the holy luminary, the tzaddik, the foundation of the world, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. In honor of the event and this festive occasion of the release of our teacher Rav Berland shlit"a, a giant sukkah was built on Rechov HaChoma HaShlishit opposite the home of the Rav shlit"a. This sukkah is the largest in the world, with an area of 66 square meters, 150 meters in length along the entire Rechov HaChoma HaShlishit in Jerusalem.

The sukkah will serve throughout the entire festival as the central hospitality center for the pilgrims in Jerusalem, as it is located right on the main road to the Western Wall, accessible to those coming from both Sha'ar Shechem and Sha'ar Yafo. It will also serve as the central stage for the hilula of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov. At the hilula itself, the great rabbis of Breslov shlit"a and leading chassidic singers will participate, and close to midnight, our teacher, the great tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, will deliver a discourse.

Never before has such a grand event been remembered at the hilula of Rebbe Nachman, a production costing hundreds of thousands of shekels. Many thousands from all over the country are expected to participate in the grand event in honor of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov and to celebrate the release of our teacher, the Rav shlit"a.

The mo"tz HaRav M. Sirota shlit"a from the Eda Charedit and the community mo"tz Rabbi Nachman Cohen shlit"a were involved in preparing the sukkah.

[gallery type="circle" size="full" ids="8464,8465,8466,8467,8468,8469,8470,8471,8472,8473,8474,8475,8476,8477"] Photos courtesy of Aharon Solmonovitz sheyichye