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| Snapshot of the event from 2013 (Times of Israel) |
I recently spoke to an acquaintance, a wonderful fellow and true Baal Chased who went to Uman for
Rosh Hashana. I asked him what it was like and he went into a fawning description
of his experience there. He said that it was by far the most exhilarating and Jewishly
meaningful experience of his life. I nodded and went on my way. But I have
tremendous reservations about this phenomenon.
For those that don’t know what this is all about, Uman is the
city in the Ukraine where the Rebbe of Breslov, Rebbe Nachman MeUman is buried. He is the great grandson of the founder of
Chasidus, known as the Baal Shem Tov. He attracted thousands of followers in
his lifetime and is still a major influence on a great number of Jews that
consider themselves Breslover Chasidim. Even though he left no heirs to his Chasidic dynasty.
There is no Breslover Rebbe today.
Upon nearing his death, Rebbe Nachman
called two of his closest Chasidim as witnesses and declared that anyone that
visits his grave, gives some charity, and says certain chapters of Tehilim
(Psalms) will be pulled by him from the depths of hell no matter what they did to deserve it (as long as they did not
return to return to their foolish ways.)
His Chasidim had always made sure to be with the Rebbe on Rosh Hashana. After his death, this continued in the form visiting his grave on that day at the urging of his prime disciple, - aided by the Rebbe’s ‘promise’ has generated many pilgrimages to his grave by Breslover Chasidim. It has evolved into an annual tradition during Rosh Hashana where today it attracts tens
of thousands of Jews - 34,000 this year. And according to the Times of Israel 2700 hundred of them that became sick or injured
(directly or indirectly) by this event were treated by United Hatzalah, a volunteer
Jewish EMT organization based in Israel that accompanied them. One person there
died of heart failure.
I can understand being swept up in the emotion of the
moment. The fellow I spoke to really believed he had a deeply religious experience.
I don’t really want to take that away from him. But still - I have to question
just how much of that experience was actually a religious one. When a multitude of people show up to pray
anywhere, it can generate those kinds of feelings.
Even though there is a source for doing this directly in the Torah, I am not one to
pray at the burial places of Tzadikim - great religious figures. The idea behind doing that is the desire to take advantage of the merit of the deceased Tzadik buried there when praying to God. But far too many people mistakenly pray to the deceased Tzadikim, themselves. Which is almost idolatrous!
For me, prayer involves a direct connection to God. Which can
be done anywhere.
And if there is any place that one should seek to be closer
to God, it is not the Ukraine, which was perhaps the most antisemitic European
country during the Holocaust. That would be the last place I would go to seek closeness
to God no matter who was buried there. Would not going to the place nearest the Holy of Holies be a better
pilgrimage? Wouldn’t the Kotel be that
place?
And yet Uman draws many thousands of people who testify to what
they believe is a legitimate and unparalleled religious experience. Do the 34,000
people that attended this year and feel that way prove me wrong?
I don’t think so. For
one thing the 2700 that needed medical treatment shows that it isn’t exactly the same experience
for everyone. Certainly not for the fellow that had a heart attack and died - even if it was through natural causes.
We do not pray to intermediaries to deliver our prayers to
God. We pray to God directly.
Then there is the fact that this is an all male event. Which
means that their wives and children were left at home to fend for themselves on
Rosh Hashaana. I don’t see how doing something like that pleases God in any way.
There is also the fact that the Ukrainian locals don’t really
like it when so many Jews come into town and ‘suck up all the air in the room’:
The pilgrimage has created friction between the predominantly Israeli pilgrims and locals, many of whom resent the cordoning off of neighborhoods by police. Street brawls are not uncommon.
Is it really all that wise to stir up all that latent antisemitism?
I see nothing inherently positive about this trip. The experiences
felt there are not in my very humble opinion - truly religious. No matter what they
may seem like. I do not know the mind of God but I tend to doubt that this is what He has in mind for His people
on Rosh Hashana.
What works better than going to the grave of a dead Chasidic
Rebbe in the Ukraine is sincere Teshuva. And that can be done by anyone, anywhere.