Erev Rosh Hashanah — Shacharis

from the town of Otwock, God-fearing and devout, who has nothing whatsoever in his world except faith and trust. Throughout the days of the week he toils hard to support his household and provide schooling for his tender children. With great difficulty he earns his bread from his labor. He does not complain about his lot—Heaven forbid; on the contrary, he rejoices in his portion and gladdens others whose lot is like his. As compensation for his poverty and wretchedness, God endowed him with a mighty voice like a lion’s roar; and when Shlomo Yuda passes before the lectern, he sets hearts alight and does not move from it until they are transformed into a fiery torch. Rabbi Shlomo Yuda answers the call, wraps himself in a tallit, and with fear and love descends before the lectern and begins with “Ashrei.” His mighty voice rolls and thunders; the great congregation is swept along in the mighty current of prayers and praises issuing from thousands of mouths. When he reaches “the Thirteen Attributes recited in supplication,” he pours himself out in the fullness of yearning and spreads his hands upward. One by one, he sends the Attributes before his Creator and implores them with fatherly affection to intercede favorably for the members of his congregation among all the Children of Israel. The tumult of prayer continues until daybreak, for the supplications and petitions designated for the night of “Zekhor Berit” are recited by the Breslovers without omission; and had there been others like them, they too would have been swallowed up by them. As the recitation of Selichot ends, preparations for the morning prayer begin; it too lasts for hours and includes the customary release from vows and the recitation of chapters of Psalms.

The Eve of Rosh Hashanah—Morning

The Breslovers cleared the study hall, and the cleaning workers took their place. Emissaries on behalf of the leadership go from lodging to lodging, attend to their fellows’ needs, and offer their assistance to those having difficulties with arrangements. The heads of the community secluded themselves in their lodging and settled the final arrangements connected with the two days of Rosh Hashanah: who would pass before the lectern for the morning prayer, who for the Musaf prayer, who would read from the Torah, who would be called up to the Torah, who would deliver the Hasidic discourses, and who would recite the Ten Chapters of Psalms communally. Emissaries hurry out to the lodgings to give each person his assignment, with a request for the fullest preparation. The city of Lublin was taken over by the Breslovers, who spread through its streets and surveyed the ancient synagogues and the historical sites from the era of the geonim and the righteous who had dwelt there in honor; many of them went to prostrate themselves at the Seer’s holy grave. The yeshiva students who chose to remain in Lublin finish their preparations to greet the Day of Judgment in the circle of their great rabbi. The residents of Lublin turn their gaze toward the enormous building spreading its wings over the length and breadth of illustrious Lublin, and wait impatiently for the moment when the yeshiva’s gates will be opened wide, so that they can join the prayer of