As a 1.5-year-old war continues wreaking havoc across Ukraine, tens of thousands of Breslover chassidim are in Uman, welcoming in Rosh Hashana and the year 5784 at the Kever of Rebbe Nachman. The difficulties encountered in reaching Uman this year were historic, but despite them, the dedicated Chassidim would not be stopped from spending their Rosh Hashana in the place where they feel most connected to Hashem and their spiritual leader.
As in past years, the city of Uman is teeming with life, with numerous Batei Medrashim alive with the sound of Torah and Tefillah. At any given moment, hundreds are davening at the Kever of the Rebbe, with many more sitting and learning – by themselves, with a chavrusah, or with their children. They crossed primarily through Hungary, Poland, and Moldova, resolute in their Emunas Chachamim and their Bitachon in Hashem that they could come and go safely.
Since war has broken out, Rosh Hashana in Uman has been relatively subdued – a nightly curfew is implemented from 12 am to 4 pm, and there is little of the dancing and singing that are seen in Ukraine’s more peaceful years. The ruchniyus, however, has not suffered, as the regular order of Rosh Hashana events are moving forward with their full force and the participation of the Chassidim grateful to be there.
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
8 Responses
I studied the teachings of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov,
and publicized some of his teachings.
However, entering a war zone to pray at his grave
is insanity and a violation of Torah Law:
{1} Babylonian Talmud, tractate Shabbat, page 32A:
Rabbi Yannai said: A person should never stand in a place of danger, and hope for a miracle, because a miracle might not happen. And if a miracle happens, it is subtracted from your eternal accumulation of good deeds.
{2} Babylonian Talmud, tractate Chullin, page 10A:
A question of danger is treated more stringently than is a question of a prohibition.
{3} Midrash Rabah, Seder Miketz, Parshah 91, End of Paragraph 9:
The Satan accuses a person when he is in danger.
{4} Rambam, Hilchot Rotzeach, Chapter 11, Paragraph 4:
Avoiding danger to health is a Torah command.
{5} Pele Yoetz, chapter Ahavat Atzmo, page 10:
We must avoid places where there is even a doubt of a doubt of danger to human life.
As I write these words, I realize that people will NEVER listen to me, but I write them anyway, so when I appear before the Heavenly Court, I can say that: “I tried to warn them, but they refused to listen.”
Square root
Writing them now is “shoin achar hamaaseh” they are all there already. If anything it is being poseach pe lesoton r”l.
You should have posted this a week ago. Perhaps they would have listened. It is too late now.
Square, they are at least as smart as you are, and they have concluded that the risk is low enough to be justified. When they all come back safely, what will you say? That you were still right, but shomer pesa’im Hashem?! Even if that were the case, the gemara says many times that where “dashu bah rabbim” we are allowed to rely lechatchila on shomer pesa’im. Tens of thousands seems to me like “rabbim”. So even if you’re right, you’re wrong. But the more reasonable interpretation is that your assessment of the risk is wrong and theirs is right.
Square what about yidden living in Trumps America, isn’t that a sakanah?
There are many sides to the argument of going in a time of war and of spending thousands of dollars to go when there are other needs. Chassidim have a mesorah to spend Yom Tov with the Rebbe and I am not one to argue either way on that.
That being said, all I see is a tremendous kiddush hashem that tens of thousands of people gathered in a war zone and were peaceful with each other. I’m sure the local community appreciates the influx of money each year as the economy must boom each September.
@SQUARE_ROOT
It constantly astonishes me how people become uber talmidei chachomim in pursuit of blind hisnagdus to Breslov and Uman Rosh Hashanah. I recall hearing a podcaster literally invent a Breslo
It constantly astonishes me how people become uber talmidei chachomim in pursuit of blind hisnagdus to Breslov and Uman Rosh Hashanah. I recall hearing a podcaster literally invent a Breslov source out of thin air, and now yours.
Before you post such a frankly silly analysis of both halachah l’maaseh and the situation on the ground in Ukraine, I should note (as I stand in the airport in Poland on the way back from Uman) that it’s 1000x more dangerous to travel to and from the shtachim in Yehuda v’Shomron, yet thousands do it on a daily basis with nary a comment from the armchair enthusiasts.