This year too, we merited to celebrate the holiday of Purim in the presence of the Gaon and Tzaddik Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days). Before you is a special report on the Shushan Purim night prayer and the Megillah reading.

The Rav, Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a, emerged splendidly dressed in Sabbath garments in honor of the Purim holiday at 6:40 PM. He began singing "And Esther spoke yet again before the king" with great vitality for about ten minutes, and then transitioned to the song "And it was reversed, that the Jews themselves had dominion over those who hated them" for another twenty minutes with dancing and immense joy. Of course, the entire plaza was filled to capacity, both in the men's section and even in the courtyard of the women's section; over fifteen hundred people participated in this holy and awesome gathering of the Shushan Purim holiday in the shadow of the Tzaddik. After half an hour of song, music, and dancing, they began Maariv (the evening prayer) with melodies, slowly and pleasantly, with vitality and spiritual awakening, word by word. Even before the prayer, the Rav recited the Seder HaHisksherus (the order of binding oneself to the Tzaddik) and Psalm 22, "My G-d, my G-d, why have You forsaken me," with the Rav saying every single verse and everyone repeating after him. The holiness of the days of Purim stood and hung in the air. The entire prayer was conducted with such indescribable vitality.

After the Shemoneh Esrei (the silent Amidah prayer), the Rav shlit"a announced that he would deliver a shiur (Torah lesson) for about ten minutes so that those who merit to lengthen their prayers would also merit to hear the Megillah reading. Indeed, the Rav delivered a fiery shiur on the greatness of the days of Purim. After fifteen minutes of the lesson, the Rav shlit"a began the three blessings of the Megillah, and from the mouth of the "King," we merited to hear the Megillah of Esther. For whoever has never merited to hear the Rav shlit"a read the Megillah has never truly heard the story of the Megillah in his life. The Rav shlit"a reads word by word with a special melody, with such pleasantness and at great length, for about forty minutes. It should be noted that in the middle of the Megillah reading, Anash (our community of followers) merited a blessing of abundance from Heaven, as rains of blessing began to fall upon the heads of the thousands during the reading. With the conclusion of the Megillah reading and the blessings, the joy broke through the heavens with the singing of "The Rose of Jacob was cheerful and glad," with dancing, jumping, and clapping for twenty minutes over and over again! Afterward, the conclusion of the Maariv prayer, "Ve'Ata Kadosh" (And You are Holy) with the singing of "Baruch Hu" (Blessed is He) for many long minutes. Then Aleinu LeShabeach, Adon Olam, and Yigdal. At the end, the Rav shlit"a announced that tomorrow—the day of Shushan Purim—the Shacharis (morning prayer) and Megillah reading would take place with a great multitude at 4:30 AM.

The Shuvu Banim website wishes all our community, the students of the Tzaddik on Purim of the Walled Cities, and all of the Jewish people wherever they may be, a blessing of PURIM SAMEACH - A FREILICHEN PURIM (A HAPPY PURIM)!!!

Photos courtesy of the Hischadshus Bulletin: