Thousands of Sanzer chassidim throughout Israel gathered in Kiryat Sanz, Netanya early Sunday morning for the first Selichos with the Sanzer Rebbe.
As is customary in Sanz, the Rebbe spoke words of hisorrerus before the section of Shema Koleinu.
In his drasha, the Rebbe tearfully spoke about the situation of Klal Yisrael in every location around the globe – the numerous tzaros and disasters – which alone should be enough to wake up any heart, without the need for a drasha in hisorrerus.
The Rebbe compared the situation of the generation to a patient in a coma – however much the doctors and nurses tend to him and poke him – he doesn’t speak.
The Rebbe cried out: “Every day we heard of terrible disasters, so many new orphans this year, almanim and almanos. Accidents, tragedies, illnesses in adults, young adults and children. We’re pained, we go to levayos, we sigh for day or two. And then what? We return to our routine. Oiy to us! This is our greatest tzara – that we’re in a coma.”
The Rebbe continued – “יראתי מתוך שמחתי ושמחתי מתוך יראתי [Eliyahu Rabbah Gimmel]. When everything is going well for someone, he fears what the next day will bring. But שמחתי מתוך יראתי – the very fact that a person fears should bring him simcha – that he’s not in a coma. The segula of the shofar is to wake us up from a coma. But why do we wait for the shofar? Why didn’t we wake up from the sounds of the teruah over the whole year? How were our hearts not moved from the blood that was spilled until now?”
The Rebbe called to increase limmud Torah davka in the coming days and during Yom Tov when we naturally learn less. “And at the very least to take on one kabbalah from now, the first day of Selichos, until after Simchas Torah – 30 days of observing the Kabbalah under all circumstances. This will prove that we’re heeding the kol hashofar and seeking to improve our ways and b’ezras Hashem, Hakadosh Baruch Hu will send us a good and sweet year.”
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
5 Responses
Thank you very much for this great article.
Wait a minute. The Sanzer Rebbe is Chassidish. I thought that my Neo-Hasidic friends told me that you are supposed to dance BiSimcha and play music by Slichos, and just talk about positive things that make you feel good. This sounds “Litvish”. Crying? Teshuva? People today want to “connect”!
Oh wait. Maybe that is pseudo-Hasidism. Maybe the Heiliger Sanzer Rebbe is the REAL thing…
So well said, maskildoresh. Very many people today are only willing to “connect” in their comfort zone, through pleasure and fun..anything less chilled is a “turnoff”! Its so sad. But that’s only because we are so long in this golus and far from our soul’s true desires..
Were lucky to have gedolim who can put us in touch with our essence when were willing to listen.
We need moshiach now
maskil doresh.
If you have done any historical background, Chasidim in all generations were gedolei torah, some were more known and some were less known (The baal hatanya wrote the entire shulchan aruch harav in three years, the haflaa and his brother Rav Shmelke were geonim, the kozhnitzer magid used to speak in learning with Rav Chaim Volozhiner, and the list goes on for pages…).
The idea of chasidus was to INCLUDE even those that are peshutei am to avodas hashem, in their personal oifen. This is a long discussion, but just to correct the ignorance.
Ish Hashalom.
You clearly misunderstood my intent.
Include the Peshutei Am – 100 percent!
But THOSE Gedolai HaChassidsus had defined pathways to do so in a responsible way, each according to their own Derech. You may call me ignorant, but that doesn’t erase my knowledge of history, or the Seforim of each of those great Geonim you mentioned
My objection is to those who claim to be going in the Derech of the Chassidim who are in fact not doing so.
If you want to know the Derech of Chassidus, it would make sense to follow what millions of Chassidim have been doing since its inception. Which is in line with the Avoda of Heiliger Sanzer rebbe.
Not those that make something akin to Simchas Torah by Slichos, based on their own ideas of what Peshutai Am need today. I’m not sure if abandoning generations of Chassidishe Mesora is primarily ignorance or arrogance. But it’s certainly sad.