Kosel Ellul 5771

consecutive f o s t h g i n d n a s y da a t u o h t i w h a l l i f e t ! p u t e l s ' t n e m mo Messengers of Kupat Ha'ir will recite all of sefer Tehillim The names of contributors will be read aloud (the

numerical equivalent of the word Va'eschanan plus one additi onal time)

Can It Get Any

Better?

Like all huge projects, Kupat Ha'ir's tefillah-sessions at the Kosel started off small. One messenger, a G-d fearing ba'al tefillah, was dispatched to the Kosel to daven on behalf of contributors. Yidden from all over the world, beginning from those who lived in Yerushalayim all the way to the most far-flung corners of the earth, felt that it was a privilege to donate from their money to a worthy tzedakah organization, and as a "bonus," to merit having tefillos recited on their behalf at the holiest site in the world from which the Shechinah never budges.

So there was one shaliach and many, many hearts beating along with his. The list of names grew so quickly within a short space of time that it was no longer possible for one person to pray for them all with concentration and feeling, certainly not day after day. Prayer must be compassionate and pleading, and a too-long list of names was liable to undermine those emotions. So Kupat Ha'ir added another messenger. Now there were two messengers at the Kosel, praying together. It wasn't long before two became four, then six, then eight.

When there were eight messengers praying regu-

larly at the Kosel every ery day, Kupat Ha'ir saw that this was nott a passing passin ng trend but a constant situation, and the decision was made to "upgrade" to a minyan.. The power p of a minyan is inestimably greater than han th that of a single individual. If an individual person praying can be compared to a fighter carrying a bow and arrow, a minyan is comparable to fighters wielding sharp swords that rend apart the very heavens.

The first minyan gathered at the Kosel for the forty days of eis ratzon from Rosh Chodesh Elul until Yom Kippur, just like the forty days during which Moshe Rabbeinu, alav hashalom, prayed until Hashem told him, "Salachti kidvarecha." The public responded with tremendous excitement and emotion. An entire minyan praying together at one time! Names would be prayed for at a public prayer session! The number of requests increased sharply. This was something special, after all. When there was just one shaliach, some people felt that a messenger praying in their stead was just a messenger. If they were to go to the Kosel themselves, surely their own prayers would be even dearer and better. But now that there was a

?Yes!

minyan i –w well, ll no single si l individual i di i can be a minyan on his own! Even pe people who could and did visit the Kosel on th their own wanted to merit having their name praye prayed for by a minyan at the Kosel.

Kupat Ha'ir thought they were providing the ultimate, couldn't-be-topped service.

A minyan of talmidei chachamim and ba'alei tefillah davening at the sole remnant of the Beis Hamikdash for forty days - what could possibly top that?

But it did get even better.

Moshe Rabbeinu davened for forty consecutive days and nights before meriting Hashem's "Salachti."

Forty days and forty nights during the period of eis ratzon. Maran Hagaon Harav Yaakov Edelstein, shlit"a, pointed out to Kupat Ha'ir that the Torah emphasizes that Moshe Rabbeionu davened for "forty days and forty nights." Might there be a way to copy more closely that exalted prayer session, which we cannot, with our limited minds, even begin to fathom?

Forty days and forty nights… it was only after the

idea was sent down into this world that we began to see that it was actually possible to carry it out.

A minyan by day and a minyan at night! Ashmores haboker, a time known to be an eis ratzon in its own right, was selected as the time for the night minyan to meet and pray. The contributions that came pouring into Kupat Ha'ir provided a yeshuah for countless families. People contributed with emotion-filled hearts and showered us with blessings for giving them the opportunity to merit something so wonderful. Forty days and forty nights at the Kosel with such a unique minyan…

Once again, it seemed we had reached the ultimate in prayer – but once again, we were proven wrong.

Prayer at the Kosel, day and night without letup. One shift comes and another shift leaves and the prayer never stops. The names ascend to the Kisei Hakavod again and again and again. Five hundred sixteen times during the upcoming Yamim Nora'im.

Five hundred sixteen, the numerical equivalent of the word Va'eschanan, plus one more time to tip the scales – one more time that changes everything! mplete ssifrei ifrei Five hundred sixteen co complete be recited reecited d Tehillim. Your name will be hun hun naloud and prayed for five hundred sixteen times.

Five hundred sixteen bakashos; five hundred sixteen teery chinos. Each and every lead d dcontributor merits pleadatheer in in ing with his loving Father dred d si ssixixix Shamayim five hundred est site s tee in sit teen times at the holiest the world. me to o conc It is truly too awesome template.

Kupat Ha’ir’s chiddush this year – that in addition to forty consecutive days and nights of prayer at the Kosel with a minyan, there will be a special system involving shifts of messengers so that a representative of Kupat Ha’ir is at the Kosel 24 hours a day, throughout the 40-day period from Rosh Chodesh Elul all the way through Ne’ilah – this chiddush is truly awesome. Its value is inestimable. Forty days and forty nights without a moment’s letup! Never since the time that Moshe Rabbeinu ascended to Shamayim has there been such a long, consecutive tefillah!

Forty consecutive days and nights at the holy Kosel Hama’aravi during the loftiest, most exalted time of the year. Five hundred sixteen tefillos, five hundred sixteen sifrei Tehillim. Your name will be recited and prayed for five hundred sixteen times.

What more remains to be said?

Never Before There is something absolutely amazing about knowing that at every given moment, someone is davening for you.

It is even more amazing that every two hours – every two hours – your name soars heavenward, along with your specific bakashah, from the dwelling-place of the Shechinah. Most exciting of all is the knowledge that you are being prayed for day and night without letup; that your name is being mentioned and that a minyan of talmidei chachamim is praying for you throughout the Yomim Nora'im a grand total of five hundred sixteen times – five hundred fifteen keminyan Va'eschanan plus one additional time to smash the final barriers, one additional time that middas hadin cannot withstand.

Every Given Moment The first night of Selichos. The entire congregation stands in shul, earnest and filled with emotion. The soft melody sets hearts atremble. Fear enters everyone's heart, as it is written,

"zochalim vero'adim." At this very moment, at the Kosel, a minyan has just finished reciting Sefer Tehillim on your behalf and is now sending your name soaring heavenward. Your tefillos join theirs and together, pure and precious, they make their way to the Kisei Hakavod and push open the Gates of Mercy.

The final moments before Rosh Hashanah. The first three hours of the day, when the decree is made. The exalted moments of Unesaneh Tokef; the reading of Akeidas Yitzchak; the lofty days of Aseres Yemei Teshuvah; the powerful act of kapparos; Kol Nidrei eve… at every such moment, you are being prayed for. Every two hours, your name is mentioned before Hashem.

You have an incredibly strong bond connecting you with your Father in heaven. Never before has there been something so unique or so powerful.

Like the Clouds of Glory

Now you have the opportunity for a zechus you could never actually achieve on your own: throughout the Days of Mercy, every single moment from the first of Elul all the way through Ne'ilah, the holy verses of Tehillim will soar up to Shamayim and beseech Hashem on your behalf. There's so much to daven for: our own welfare and that of our children, good health, peace, parnassah, success in our endeavors, good teachers and Rebbes who will bring out the best in our children, a smooth winter season free of ear infections, flu and pneumonia, a good relationship with the neighbors... the list is endless.

Every pasuk and its meaning; every verse and its power. The individual pesukim join together to form prakim and the perakim join together to form entire sifrei Tehillim.

How many sifrei Tehillim do you manage to complete throughout the Yamim Nora'im period? Two? Four?

Some people manage ten.

Kupat Ha'ir will complete Tehillim on your behalf every two hours. Every two hours!

Messengers of Kupat Ha'ir will be at the Kosel from the first eve of Rosh Chodesh Elul all the way through the "Salachti kidvarecha" at the end of Ne'ilah. Sifrei Tehillim will be recited consecutively, without letup, for forty days and forty nights. Shifts will change every two hours.

Every two hours, the names will be recited aloud, without affecting the continuous recitation of Tehillim. Wherever you go, wherever you may be, the verses of Tehillim will surround you like the ananei hakavod. When you go to sleep and when you rise in the morning, day and night, during the most fateful period of the year – the period that will decide your fate for the coming year and maybe even your entire life – it will do you good to know The pre-dawn (Ashmores Haboker) minyan of Kupat Ha’ir that you have an extra, super-powerful messengers praying at the Kosel zechus.

How often do you wait in line behind quite a few people to ask the gabbai to make a Mi Shebeirach on behalf of a loved one? Here, facing Sha'ar Hashamayim, your loved ones will be blessed every two hours. Every two hours!

It's mind-boggling. It truly is.

Around the Clock Twenty-four hours a day, your shaliach will be at the Kosel. You can go there and find him: he'll be sitting in the same spot every time, immediately after the entrance to the Wilson Arch, to the left of the aron kodesh. He'll be sitting there and davening, and you can join him, either right there or from your shul or your home. Twenty-four hours a day – earnestly, responsibly, with fervor and intense concentration.

What a touching, inspiring feeling, to be surrounded

by tefillah like that, by chessed Hashem, by pesukim of Tehillim so close to the heart of every Jew, by closeness to Hashem that is a given considering the shaliach's proximity to the Kosel, to Sha'ar Hashamayim.

He's your shaliach, after all, and a person's shaliach is considered to be an extension of himself.

Beyond all this hovers the awesome merit of the mitzvah of tzedakah. You attained this messenger with the tremendous power of the mitzvah of tzedakah behiddur, by contributing to an organization where 100% of your money goes directly to the needy; where all decisions are rendered by the Gedolei Hador, shlit"a; whose very existence represents absolute obedience to the will of our Torah giants.

Whichever way you look at it, this zechus is over the top.

Complete Transparency T

The corner at the Kosel occupied by messengers of Kupat Ha’ir 24/7

A always with Kupat Ha'ir, a promise As is a promise: The messenger – or, in this case, a number of messengers who will switch off throughout the day – are all G-d fearing avreichim, true ovdei Hashem and ba'alei tefillah.

Some of them hold distinguished positions in yeshivos or kollelim; all are exceptionally worthy Yidden, the kind you would be pleased to have as a shaliach to daven for you.

It is impossible to describe how much work goes into selecting these shlichim, how much careful

deliberation, how much observation and questioning goes on until we come up with the right people.

The tefillah – The unique prayer session was crafted

by Maran Hagaon Rav Yaakov Edelstein, shlit"a. It was he who determined what should be said before beginning the recitation of Tehillim, what should accompany the verses of Tehillim, what to say before reading the names aloud and what to say thereafter.

Reliability – Kupat Ha'ir keeps a close eye on matters to make sure everything runs smoothly, that nothing goes wrong, that there is an alternate arrangement in case a problem crops up.

Kupat Ha'ir keeps an eye on matters, and we invite the public to come see for itself.

Everything is transparent; there are no secrets and no loopholes.

Names submitted to be davened for: Every effort is made to ensure that the names are typed accurately.

Each messenger receives a limited number of names to pray for at each prayer session in order to ensure that he really pray for them wholeheartedly rather than just rattle the names off. Every day except for Shabbos and Yom tov, the messengers make specific mention of each name's accompanying request – and they pray from the bottom of their hearts.

Hidden Treasure As soon as this idea was born, we at Kupat Ha'ir realized that it was something truly awesome. After the decree that he would not be permitted entry to the Promised Land, Moshe Rabbeinu begged and pleaded with Hashem until he reached va'eschanan – 515 prayers. At that point, Hashem told him, "Rav lach. One more tefillah and this world will return to oblivion , because it is impossible to grant your request, but it will be impossible not to grant your

request after one more prayer."

Five hundred and fifteen tefillos – and one more.

That one more. Our hearts filled with a tremendous sense of zechus, of having found a treasure that had been hidden for so many years and had finally come to light. Tremendous effort was invested to find the right people and make all the necessary arrangements.

Five hundred and sixteen tefillos.

Forty days, twelve times a day, and an additional 40 times with the minyan at the Kosel. (The "twentyfour hours without letup" project includes the merit of tefillah with a minyan once a day for forty consecutive days during the period of mercy.) Taking into account the changing of the clock to the winter clock and the hour of the completion of Ne'ilah as compared to the hour at which the tefillos will begin, we reach a grand total of five hundred sixteen prayers. Va'eschanan - and then one more.

Soon, Soon Very soon, our shlichim at the Kosel will begin.

Very soon, this unique, incomparable zechus will begin.

I will be there. With Hashem's help, I will give my money to the most mehudar tzedakah that exists. This way, I shall be doing Hashem's will and that of those who fear him, the Gedolei Hador, shlit"a. The mitzvah of tzedakah will soar to Shamayim with its tremendous power to rescue from death and all bad things. Along with it will soar five hundred and sixteen tefillos – Va'eschanan plus one more – and daven to Hashem on my behalf.

May we all merit this wonderful zechus.

The "40 Da ayss at the e Kosell" and the "40 Dayss and 40 Niigh hts" pra ayeer seessio ons caused d man ny a fine e Yid d to lift an n eyebro ow. Was Kup patt Ha a'irr inveentiing g new minh hagim m? Wass theere a sourrce for su uch pra ayer sesssio ons?

for forty-consecutive-day prayer sessions, which have tremendous power to sweeten harsh decrees! This is not a method to be used by Moshe Rabbeinu alone, but for all of Am Yisrael, every time midas hadin is prevalent!

The qu uesttio ons tha at keep crroppiing up deserrve an ansswer – and d an answ werr there e is: fulll, th horrou ugh and deefiniite..

Rath her th han n resspo ond ding on n a one-toone basis to o ev very y perso on who o assks,, we hereby y prese entt a brieff overv view w off the source es for the e matteer.

Later, when "40 consecutive days" and even "40 days and 40 nights" became accepted facts, people commented, "But Moshe Rabbeinu davened for forty days and forty nights without letup. He neither ate nor drank the entire time!"

"The source for davening for 40 consecutive days is the tefillah of Moshe Rabbeinu, who davened to Hashem that way," Maran Harav Yaakov Edelstein, shlit"a, said as soon as the question arose. "Therefore, every time a person wants to merit a yeshuah or sweeten a harsh decree, he should do the same and he will immediately be reconciled with Hashem."

The source for this can be found in the holy Zohar. It is quoted briefly in the sefer Beis Aharon, in Parashas Noach: "O One who dave enss forr so omethiing g forr forrty y days will surelly be answ wered d." The Zohar itself says that every time there is a tzarah, Hakadosh Baruch Hu waits for us to daven forty days in the manner that Moshe Rabbeinu did.

In other words, in Shamayim they wait

Thatt is th he rea ason for Ku upat Ha'iir's awessome chidd dussh thiss year. Forrty y consseccutiv ve day ys and d nig ghts, wiitho outt budg gin ng frrom th he Kossel.

At Yeshivas Me'ah She'arim in Yerushalayim, there is a once-a-year custom to daven in shifts for 72 hours – 3 days) without letup. Every year before Rosh Chodesh Elul, tremendous effort is invested to arrange such a minyan. Obviously, arranging a forty-consecutive-day prayer session is far, far more difficult.

But Kupat Ha'ir wants to do everything possible for its contributors. Despite the effort involved, there will, with Hashem's help, be a shaliach at the Kosel for forty consecutive days!

Another question that keeps cropping up is whether when a shaliach from Kupat Ha'ir davens at the Kosel, it's as if the sick

person, the contributor, is davening personally? Where is the source for sending messengers to daven rather than having the person in need of a yeshuah daven on his own?

In the sefer Avodas Yisrael, authored by the Maggid of Kozhnitz, zy"a, it is written (at the end of Parashas Noach) that a wise man was once asked how it could be that a sick man distributed money to the poor to say Tehillim on his behalf, as was the custom, yet he did not merit a yeshuah. He responded that this incident didn't negate the custom, because when a person merely makes a business deal with the poor, paying them to recite Tehillim on his behalf – from where should the yeshuah come?

A person must bear in mind that the tzarah from which he is suffering struck him in order to remind him to give tzedakah because it is determined on Rosh Hashanah how much money each individual will give to tzedakah in the coming year. When the person's intention is to give tzedakah and serve Hashem, Hashem will certainly heal him."

We learn three important things from this quote: One: It was the custom, and it is proper, for a sick person to distribute money to

the poor so that they would pray on his behalf.

Two: One should not perceive this as a business deal. On the contrary – a person should have in mind that he is giving tzedakah for the sake of the mitzvah, not as a business deal or in order to spare himself the effort of praying.

The third d thin ng is a pro omisee: Iff a persson pra ays pro opeerly and has in n mind d thatt Hash hem m has the pow werr to heall him and th hatt hee is fullfillin ng the mitzzvah off tzeeda aka ah, Hashem m willl sureely y hea al him m!

As related in previous Kupat Ha'ir booklets, in the times of Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, zt"l, too, the custom was to have a sick person send talmidei chachamim to the Kosel to daven for him. Rav Yosef Chaim raises the question of how it is that sometimes sick people pay paupers to pray for them at the Kosel, yet they don't merit a yeshuah. He replied that in the past, the sick would send poor Torah scholars to pray for them and support them handsomely, so the tefillah would ascend to Shamayim, while in later years, sick people began to "make do" with poor ignoramuses, paying them a few paltry pennies and sending them off to daven on their behalf. This way, the matter was a "business deal":

cash for tefillos. In this manner, Rav Yosef Chaim wrote, a yeshuah would not be forthcoming.

In other words, Kupat Ha'ir's prayer project at the Kosel is based on the holy words of the Zohar, which states that this is the seder hatefillah in times of trouble for all of Klal Yisrael, not just for Moshe Rabbeinu, and that Hakadosh Baruch Hu awaits Am Yisrael's forty-day

prayer sessions.

The hiring of a talmid chacham to pray instead of the sick man himself – that, too, according to the Kozhnitzer Maggid, zy"a, and Rav Yosef Chaim Sonnenfeld, zt"l, is an ancient minhag.

And the awesome promise contained therein – to those who have the proper intentions and perceive the matter not

Still, yea ars of expeerieence ha ave ta aughtt us tha at th here willl alway ys bee scofferss an nd skep pticss who dismisss eveen expllicitt proofs.

Just a brrie ef word to those in n thiss cateegory: W heen we at Kupat Ha'irr hear peop ple scofff an nd argu ue, wee raisse our eyees heaven nward d and d ayer of th han nks to Hashem m. On ne who speeaks again nst tefi fi llos,, utter a pra whateve er kind th hey may bee, is ob bviou usly hea alth hy and co ontentt and d sufferin ng no majo or problem ms. Th hose who hav ve crossed to o the otherr side – pe eop ple who o ha ave kno own su ufferring – don'tt talk bad dly aga ainstt anyone. Re egardlesss off wheth her orr not certain n isssues are compa atiblee with th heirr outloo ok on life,, sufffering g has melllowed th hem, madee them morre sensiitivee to oth hers, moree respeectfu ul, less quick to o try y and pre even nt som meon ne from m ma aking any ty ype of hishttadlus thatt appeals to o him.

The thirrd class off peo ople, th hose who are currren ntly strug ggling with h a tzarah h - certainlly does nott look k to fo oment arg gument.

So beforre you opeen your mouth h to object, to raise queestion afterr question n and dism misss everytthing g as prropagan nda a, try to pu ut yourrself,, just for a momen nt, in n the shoes of Yiidden who o are sufffeering, and d wing g questtion sincerrely: Wo ould d you ask k the samee answer the follow question ns,, in the sam me man nner, if you u were in a situatio on thatt had d you desp perrate to find d a way y to so often n a harssh decree?

Thank Hasshem fo or all the goodn ness He's grrantted you in the pastt and pray y for the futu ure. Ha ashem m censsures his children out off lovee for them m. He wan nts them to heeed Hiis voice, an nd when they do so o with a bro oken heeartt and with assisttance from m the merit off thee h off tzedak kah h, their prayeers arre welco omee and dessirablee. mitzvah

A person close to Maran Hagaon Harav Aharon Leib Steinman, shlit”a, asked him the following question: He had a daughter in shidduchim and the members of his family wanted to contribute to Kupat Ha’ir and submit her name for the forty-day prayer project at Amukah. Was there really an inyan to do that? Did it have a source? He’d heard about yeshuos; he knew many people contributed, but still, he wanted to hear a Gadol’s take on the matter.

Maran, shlit”a, looked at him in wonder: “What difference does it make to you if there’s a source or not?” He asked the question in the tone of voice so typical of him, so familiar to talmidei chachamim.

“What difference does it make whether or not Amukah is an especially auspicious place to daven for a zivug? A minyan will be praying on your behalf for forty consecutive days – that’s what’s important! Ten men will recite chapters of Tehillim and daven for your daughter day after day for forty days – that’s a big inyan!

That’s what’s important! What difference does all the rest make?”

The questioner was shocked. Maran’s forceful, explicit declaration took him completely by surprise.

Still, he pressed onward and asked, “Enrolling for Kupat Ha’ir’s forty-days-at-Amukah project involves a contribution of $180 to Kupat Ha’ir. Forty days and forty nights – costs $250. Is it “worth” paying the difference?

Once again, Maran looked at him wonderingly. “For an additional $70, you merit an additional forty tefillos – what’s the question?

Day, night – before you even look at that, consider the simple fact that you will be prayed for forty additional times. That’s what should interest you!”

This story speaks for itself.

And if th his is the case with h reg gard to 40 or 80 0 tefillos,, what can n be said d abou ut 5116 teefillos, where ea ach timee the en ntirre Seffer Tehilllim iss reccited and all na ames aree read allou ud?

On one night of the many upon which messengers from Kupat Ha'ir were praying for me at the Kosel Hama'aravi, I wanted to go there and see for myself what it was really like. I didn't harbor any suspicions that the messengers wouldn't be there or that they weren't davening properly. After all, Kupat Ha'ir could be trusted to select the right kind of people and to maintain basic supervision to ensure the tefillos were being conducted in an orderly fashion. I just wanted to see the faces of the men who were davening on my behalf without even knowing whom they were praying for.

If I were to pray for a stranger, how much emotion could I possibly muster? How fervently could I pray for someone when I wasn't personally familiar with his pain, his feelings of distress? A brief, one-line description of a tzarah doesn't begin to hint at the truckloads of anguish hiding behind it.

I have a friend who returns to his home in Yerushalayim in his own car after midnight every evening. I "reserved" a place in his car and began preparing to spend the night at the Kosel.

Anyone going through a tzarah knows that sleepless nights are all too common. I figured it wouldn't hurt if I missed a night's sleep for a better reason just this once…

The strong lighting at the Kosel took me by surprise.

Though it was late at night, it looked almost like daytime. Quite a few people were still present, pouring their hearts out to Hashem. I joined them, my emotions pouring forth. It always seems to me as though the stones of the Kosel have the special power to draw a person's pain out of him and help him express his troubles to our loving Father in heaven.

By the time I looked up, I saw that the number of mispalelim had dwindled considerably. It was nearly 3:00 a.m. by now. The stars shone in the clear, cloudless

dark sky. Only a few individuals were still pleading with Hashem at the gates to Shamayim. I continued davening, with words and without, from the dogeared Tehillim I had brought with me and by heart.

The heart has a language all its own and one's bond with his Maker deviates from the standardized words at times. The area was now silent and still, allowing those few Yidden unable to detach themselves from the holiness of the Kosel to lower their voices as they prayed. It was quiet – deeply, intensely, quiet. The quiet of prayer.

The guttural, wailing voice of the muezzin shattered the wonderful silence, defiling the air. All at once, the Kosel went from being a tall, lofty wall to the sole remnant that had survived the Churban. If you closed your eyes, you could visualize foxes in the form of men, in the form of the muezzin and his ilk, roaming through the rubble on makom hamikdash as if they owned the place. My heart wept.

Suddenly, my personal troubles shrunk in the face of the greatest tzarah of all, the one we all share. It cast a shadow on the light of the brilliant stars, on the blazing lights, even on the Kosel itself. What does the Shechinah say? Kalani meroshi, kalani mizro'i. The shechinah is disgraced.

The other mispalellim also seemed frozen with pain.

The loud, sonorous voice was disturbing everyone's sense of peace, everyone's kavanah. It had banished that special feeling and reminded us that we were in a very bleak galus.

It was hard to be there, at the Kosel before dawn. It was hard to see Yerushalayim so shamed, so neglected. It was hard to see our enemies so proud.

I was almost sorry I had come. My hear felt so heavy I couldn't bear it.

When I raised my eyes again, I spotted three newcomers

Forty days and forty nights – here's a close-up look at Kupat Ha'ir's tefillah project. These are the impressions of P.B., who was at the Kosel on the eve of 27 Tamuz 5769. standing in the right corner of the men's section.

Within the next few minutes, another few avreichim arrived and joined the first three. They were a group. I counted them with my eyes. Ten men. A minyan.

I understood that this must be the Kupat Ha'ir minyan.

The muezzin's voice continued booming relentlessly through the air, but somehow, it had lost its earlier power. Now there was a different tefillah rising up against it, a powerful, unified tefillah, the tefillah of Yidden. I found myself unable to join as I had originally planned. I simply couldn't tear my eyes off them.

One by one, I scanned the faces of each member of the minyan. They were reciting the pesukim with extreme fervor and intense concentration. The verses seemed to burst forth from deep inside them, scattering through the air and sweeping up remnants of other people's prayers along with them.

The guttural voice died down, lingered a second longer and then was silent. The voices of the mispalellim grew stronger and filled the area with Jewish purity.

They recited a number of chapters word for word. I joined in silently, adjusting my pace to the melody spreading through the air around me.

I continued keeping an eye on the minyan. They completed the predetermined chapters of Tehillim and began reciting the names. I took a few steps closer to them. I could see them clearly but I still pretended to have no connection to them at all, no interest in them at all.

I was not there as an inspector and I had no intentions of checking how serious or responsible they were. I was simply drawn to them like a magnet.

Ten men, a minyan, a complete tzibbur

davening for me – and I was right there – I couldn't bear to miss a single syllable. They recited the names slowly and accurately, spelling the less common names – once, and then a second time. With each name they recited, they mentioned also its accompanying request – not just rattling it off but really praying and pleading. "Brius hanefesh uvriyus haguf," I heard one of them say. Was his voice cracking, or was I imagining it? That's what it sounded like. "Lerefuah shleimah besoch she'ar cholei amcha Yisrael," "to merit performing the mitzvah of honoring one's parents – with joy," "siyatta dishmaya in chinuch habanim," "bring him back to Yiddishkeit," and on and on.

I would not have been able to do it. I would not have been able to pray for strangers with such earnestness, such intensity. They really took each person's request to heart! I understood why these men, and not I, had been selected for this holy job.

Their voices grew stronger, banishing the darkness.

Dawn was about to break.

I know nothing of the hidden Torah. I don't know why ashmores haboker is an eis ratzon in Shamayim. But

even my eyes of flesh and blood and my puny brain can tell that at this hour, just before dawn - the darkness is deepest. They began the hour in battle against the muezzin, banished the tumah and bathed the Kosel in purity and light. Their tefillah rent the darkness and heralded the new day in joy.

Dear Kupat Ha'ir

It was awesome, amazing.

They continued reading the names slowly and with concentration. Suddenly, I no longer felt I had to hear them reciting my name. I was part of my nation, part of a whole, part of the recitation of Tehillim and the Yehi ratzon recited thereafter.

They finished on a loud note, all together. This time, I joined in. My eyes were blinded by tears.

Within moments, the plaza was flooded with dozens of additional mispalellim and Shacharis began.

For me, it was a very uplifting, exalted Shacharis, coming after a prayer session I will never forget as long as I live.

Thousands of people contribute and have the merit of being prayed for at the Kosel. Do they know to appreciate the greatness of that merit? The answer is an unequivocal no. You can't understand it until you've been there.

Go there on nce an nd see what it's alll ut. On ncee yo ou'v ve seen n itt – yo ou'ree a abou diffeerent peerso on. I urge yo ou to o cro osss overr to th he sidee off th hose off us who o'vee seen n it, exp periiencced d it, th he siide off thosse of us who o wou uldn'tt pass up thee oppo ortun nitty to o meriit beein ng th here..

Names may be submitted via our telephone hotline:

Names received afte

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40 consecutive days and nights without a moment's letup by messengers of Kupat Ha'iir Sefeer Teehilllim is compleeteed 5116 times and the names and theiir accom mpanyin ng requ uestts are recited aloud

By a minyan of outstanding Torah scholars messen ngers of Kupat Ha'iir

With a contribution of $516

oncee a day for fortyy days

The numerical equivalent of Va'eschanan (per name)

With a contribution of $120

Name and mother's name: ___________________________

Name and mother's name: ___________________________

Request: ___________________________ Name and mother's name: ___________________________

Request: ___________________________ Name and mother's name: ___________________________

Request: ___________________________

Request: ___________________________

Names may be submitted until 9:00AM on Monday, 29 Av

Names may be submitted until 9:00AM onTuesday, Rosh Chodesh Elul

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after the specified times will be included on the lists shortly after they are submitted, be'ezras Hashem, until Yom Kippur

s y a D e v i t u c e s n Co and Nights: ? k r o W t I s e o D How The first shift will begin reciting Tehillim at 8:00 p.m. on the eve of 30 Av. They will complete the sefer by 10:00.

At 10:00, the second shift will begin sefer Tehillim while the first shift begins reciting the list of names and their accompanying requests. Each name and request is mentioned individually.

At 12:00, the second shift will begin reciting the names while the third shift will begin reciting sefer Tehillim… and so on and so forth for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Unceasing prayer without so much as a moment's letup throughout the 40-day period, including Rosh Hashanah eve, Rosh Hashanah day, Friday night and motzoei Shabbos, erev Yom Kippur, Yom Kippur eve and Yom Kippur day.

At every given moment, messengers of Kupat Ha'ir will be praying and completing sifrei Tehillim for contributors to Kupat Ha'ir.

Twelve shifts every day, throughout the night and all through the day, and an additional 40 times in Kupat Ha'ir's regular minyan.

516 times, the numerical equivalent of Va'eschanan and then one more, to break through the gates of heaven. 516 times all of Tehillim; 516 times each name and bakashah!

Since the time of Moshe Rabbeinu, there has never been a consecutive 40-day-and-40-night prayer – not to mention the recitation of the names 516 consecutive times!

The 516th time, the prayer about which Hashem said "Rav lach," the one that has the power to rip up even the harshest decrees – will be recited at the time of Ne'ilah, between 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Yom Kippur, just when Hashem is signing the decrees for the new year. Who doesn't want to be included in this tefillah?

How do I donate to Kupat Hair?

Send your donation in the enclosed S

1eenvelope.

Call the 24 Hour Tzeddakah Hotline ((donation by credit card) at 1-866-221-9352 Fax: 1-888-633-2188 F Email: info@kupat.org

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your donation to the Rabbonim in 3 Send your area (see list on Envelope).

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Send your donation to: Kupat Hair 4415 14th Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11219

Please make checks payable to: American Friends of Kupat Ha'ir

Montreal: Rabbi Y. C. Wenger Shlita, 2227 Goyer Avenue, Montreal Quebec H3S 1H1 In Send your donation to: Toronto: Rabbi M. M. Lowy Shlita, 240 Carmichael, Toronto Ontario M5M 2x4 Please make checks payable to: Canadian Friends of Kupat Ha'ir Canada

1-866-221-9352

24 Hour Tzeddakah hotline For all information or to receive a pushka call 1-800-233-2188 Our office number in Israel: 3-671-6994