B”H
I should take some time to describe the Chaggim in Jerusalem. This is, of course, impossible, but I might be able to give an idea of how I experienced them through my little Mayanot community.
Rosh HaShanah is a fairly cheerful holiday by most Jews, but by Chassidim it is the most austere day of the year. It’s on this day that we must beg Hash-m not only to sustain us physically and spiritually, but we must plead on behalf of the entire universe. Chasidus teaches that Hash-m creates the world anew every moment, and the only time when G-d reconsiders bestowing this great mercy upon us is on Rosh HaShanah. After a month of “The King in the field”, Hash-m dwelling among us during Elul, on this day G-d is seated on his throne of judgement and we cry out for Hash-m to judge us favorably.
I davened by the Yehsiva erev Rosh HaShanah, and by day I went to the Tzemach Tzedek’s shul in the old city. The Tzemach Tzedek, the third Rebbe of Lubavitch, founded that shul almost 200 years ago and it’s one the best synagogues I’ve ever been to. It’s a long davening, and more than one baal tfilah broke into tears in the middle of chazonos.
If you’ve never davened a Chabad Yom Kippur, it’s one of those things you should do before you die. I haven’t been around long enough to compare, but Chabad must have the best approach to Yom Kippur; it’s a whole day of singing and freiliche davening without the slightest bit of gashmius to destract you. Y’K is a time of great simcha by Lubavitchers; Hash-m cleanses us of all our sins to prepare us for the coming year, what could be bad?
The chazzan at the yeshiva for Yom Kippur is an older man who comes from one of those Yerushalmi families that’s lived in Jerusalem for hundreds of years. He has a beautiful voice and wonderful kavonoh. It’s apparently a tradition by them to take snuff, what they call “tabac” in Hebrew, during Yom Kippur davenen, to take your mind off food I guess. He had the hook up too: We started off with banana flavor, then moved to mint during musaf, and he brought out a lemon flavored one at mincha. Every once in a while a little kid would go around with a jar of this stuff, and the davening would be peppered with sharp sneezes for a few minutes.
The Days of Judgement are always overwhelming for me. By always, I mean the past 3 times I actually observed them, and I came away feeling like a big schlepper. I'm just starting out in my tshuvah, and big holidays like that just show me how much further I to go and how much more I have to learn. I suppose that's kind of the point though; It's part of the awe of G-d. No every feels like they had a perfect year, or that they really brought all they could to the davenen, because who amounts to anything in front of Hash-m's throne of Glory? Maybe the Baal Shem Tov, but he was a player.
Kol Tuv,
Yoel David
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Haneros Halalu
B”H
We have less classes this week, thanks to Chanukah, so I finally have time to do some writing. This is a current post, followed immediately by a High Holiday post. I apologize for not being consistent; I want to fill in the past few months as well, but I will definitely try to stay current from now on.
Happy Chanukah!
Chanukah is one of Chabad’s favorite holidays, so we’ve been busy this week. All of our studying was steered towards learning about the holiday; how to celebrate and sanctify it and what it really means. I’ve never talked so much about wicks and flames and olive oil in my whole life. The whole neighborhood is changed too: Every single store in Geula is selling oil, chanukiot, beeswax candles, and every kind of wick you could imagine. Secular folks roll in too, from Tel Aviv. It’s quite sweet to see chareidi hassidim standing in line with women with heels and bleached hair; everyone’s there for the same reason.
First night was Shabbos, so we marched to the Kotel for maariv. It’s a 45 minute walk, and we literally sang and danced the whole way. We took the direct route, through the Arab souk, where we got quite a few funny looks, and many a tourist whipped out their camera’s to photograph us. It was a geshmak davenen too, with more dancing and singing. There were no rabbis at the Yeshiva the whole Shabbos, so the shluchim ran the show, and it was just a fun, freilechin shabbos from start to finish.
Chanukah is also prime time for mivtzoim. Just about every Jew knows about Chanukah, and no one minds lighting a few candles and celebrating a miracle. We’re going out to the Ben Yehuda and Jerusalem’s various malls every night this week, handing out chanukiot, doing public lightings, and dancing in the streets. We set up some big speakers, plug in an ipod with some Avraham Fried, and grab whoever walks by. A huge circle appears in seconds; everyone knows it’s a holiday, and they want to celebrate.
I’m going to Tsfat this weekend. That should be post worthy.
A Freilichin Chanukah!
Yoel David
We have less classes this week, thanks to Chanukah, so I finally have time to do some writing. This is a current post, followed immediately by a High Holiday post. I apologize for not being consistent; I want to fill in the past few months as well, but I will definitely try to stay current from now on.
Happy Chanukah!
Chanukah is one of Chabad’s favorite holidays, so we’ve been busy this week. All of our studying was steered towards learning about the holiday; how to celebrate and sanctify it and what it really means. I’ve never talked so much about wicks and flames and olive oil in my whole life. The whole neighborhood is changed too: Every single store in Geula is selling oil, chanukiot, beeswax candles, and every kind of wick you could imagine. Secular folks roll in too, from Tel Aviv. It’s quite sweet to see chareidi hassidim standing in line with women with heels and bleached hair; everyone’s there for the same reason.
First night was Shabbos, so we marched to the Kotel for maariv. It’s a 45 minute walk, and we literally sang and danced the whole way. We took the direct route, through the Arab souk, where we got quite a few funny looks, and many a tourist whipped out their camera’s to photograph us. It was a geshmak davenen too, with more dancing and singing. There were no rabbis at the Yeshiva the whole Shabbos, so the shluchim ran the show, and it was just a fun, freilechin shabbos from start to finish.
Chanukah is also prime time for mivtzoim. Just about every Jew knows about Chanukah, and no one minds lighting a few candles and celebrating a miracle. We’re going out to the Ben Yehuda and Jerusalem’s various malls every night this week, handing out chanukiot, doing public lightings, and dancing in the streets. We set up some big speakers, plug in an ipod with some Avraham Fried, and grab whoever walks by. A huge circle appears in seconds; everyone knows it’s a holiday, and they want to celebrate.
I’m going to Tsfat this weekend. That should be post worthy.
A Freilichin Chanukah!
Yoel David
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