"The singing and melodies played before and after the prayer are the highest level."

The Daily Chizuk (spiritual encouragement) from the Gaon and Tzaddik, our teacher Rabbi Eliezer Berland shlit"a (may he live long and good days), Sunday, 7th of Av 5784

Esther said to fast for three days—the decree was annulled, and Haman was hanged. Such a miracle will never happen again; even when Mashiach (the Messiah) comes, there won't be such a miracle.

As Rabbi Hillel says: "Israel has no Mashiach, for they already consumed him in the days of Hezekiah" (Sanhedrin 99a). What does it mean there is no Mashiach? That they already consumed him in the days of Hezekiah!

If Hezekiah, the King Mashiach, had performed just one dance, he would have become the King Mashiach. So Hashem (God) said to him, "Start dancing, sing."

Hezekiah answered: "I am learning Torah, do not disturb the Torah study." But singing is the highest level. The singing and melodies played before the prayer and after the prayer—through this, the prayer ascends; through this, Sefiras HaOmer (the Counting of the Omer) ascends.

In Breslov, Sefiras HaOmer would take two hours; they would prepare for Sefiras HaOmer for two hours. Before Sefiras HaOmer, they would finish the entire book of Tehillim (Psalms). They would say "Leshem Yichud Kudsha Brich Hu u'Shechintei" (a prayer for the sake of the unification of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and His Presence), "Hineni Muchan u'Mezuman" (Behold, I am prepared and ready). They said "Muchan u'Mezuman" for a whole hour, and after that, they sang "Lamnatzeiach BiNginos" (Psalm 67) and sang "Ana B'Koach" (a mystical prayer).

Sefiras HaOmer took two hours, no less than two hours. They finished the entire Tehillim; this is how Rabbi Shmuel Horowitz brings in the book Yimei Shmuel (page 182 in the first part). They finished the entire Tehillim before Sefiras HaOmer with weeping. Sefiras HaOmer is the source of all the abundance.

"May a great abundance be bestowed" (from the prayer after Sefiras HaOmer). When people see "great abundance," they run away. I understand, they hate Gashmius (materialism). People don't want abundance, I understand them, but what can we do? We need air.

If there is no "flour" (livelihood), there is no Torah. Therefore, one must focus on "Shefa Rav" (great abundance), singing it for a whole hour, "May a great abundance be bestowed," so that everyone will have "flour."

Hashem created the world with "flour"; without flour, it is impossible to live, even to eat a kezayis (an olive-sized portion), to eat something. "Ha Lachma Anya" (This is the bread of affliction)—they ate Matzah; they used to eat Matzah, only Matzah. For 200 years, only Matzah; one Matzah a day was all the food.