Nittel Redux
(Picture by Mike Ford)I just got off the phone with the Sudilkover Rebbe. He told me that Sudilkov's population was made up of both Russian Orthodox and Catholics and that he follows the minhag of Sudilkov's Jews who observed both December 25 and January 6 as Nittel.
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Aha! So what will ASJ do?
Do you even need to ask that question?
I will now do what they did in Sudilkov.
That makes little sense, since we're not in Sudilkov now, at least I don't think you are....
Are you? did you pack up and move there after all?
Enquiring minds need to know this!
Hirschel:
מקום שמחשבתו של אדם מגעת, שם הוא כולו
מרן הבעל שם טוב --
[A person is where his thoughts are - the Baal Shem Tov].
Did you ever have any doubts that ASJ was in Sudylkov???
Yitz
well, Yitz, now that you mention it I guess you're right. The question is should we Pasken Halochoh and Minhag based on a Machshovoh? Does a Zionist in America keep one day Yom Tov?
I know that the Rebbe said it goes after the place the person is currently . . .
Hirshel: it probably depends on how strong the machshava is. The Baal Shem Tov hakadosh did kria when someone (Ohr Hachaim?) was niftar miles away. When asked that one is only supposed to do kria when he's there he answered "of course I was there!"
> I know that the Rebbe said it goes after the place the person is currently . .
Since it is a machloykes anyhow there is no need for us to argue about the mesoyro.
Glad you got your answer.
Thanks, Moshe. The Me'or Einayim of Chernobel was once at the Baal Shem's kever [resting place] in the winter, there was snow or ice on the ground. His Chassidim saw him standing in his stocking feet [after all, it was a holy place!]. When asked how he could do so in the midst of the winter, he answered that the Baal Shem's Tzion is like Eretz Yisrael, and there it's warm!
Thanks for your visit!! Happy new year!! :)
> The Me'or Einayim of Chernobel was once at the Baal Shem's kever [resting place]
> in the winter, there was snow or ice on the ground. His Chassidim saw him standing
> in his stocking feet [after all, it was a holy place!]. When asked how he could do
> so in the midst of the winter, he answered that the Baal Shem's Tzion is like Eretz Yisrael,
> and there it's warm!
Aha! I was looking for this mayse all around. Where did you see it? This would be the first chasidic mekoyr for this minhog to remove one's shoes (or not to wear leather ones at least) when going to kivrey tzadikim. I need it for Breslover minhogim project.
> When asked how he could do so in the midst of the winter, he answered that the
> Baal Shem's Tzion is like Eretz Yisrael, and there it's warm!
The Rebe zllh"h also says in Likutey Moharan, that kivrey tzadikim amitiim are like Eretz Yisroel. This refutes some critics (very surprisingly I saw it from some contemporary chasidic mekubolim), who try to say that the inyan of hishtatchus al kivrey tzadikim is applied only IN Eretz Yisroel. Kivrey tzadikim ARE Eretz Yisroel in a sense.
This minhog is practiced by only Russian chasidim. Chernobil, Rizhin (Boyan, Husyatin, etc.), Karlin-Stolin, Lubavitch for example. Surprisingly many people in Breslov today don't know about it. However similar picture is found in Boyan, where many people forgot such minhog. I tried to research more, if original Breslover minhog was the same (I'll be surprised if it wouldn't be). So far I did find, that Reb Gedalya Kenig removed his shoes, while going to kivrey tzadikim. But is it because of Breslover minhog, or other reasons - isn't known. So I have to search more.
(I do it so nevertheless, or use non leather shoes in such cases which also according to this minhog).
A Yid, I merely pointed out a place of reference
Mottel: I was asking Yitz, who brought that story.
Okay, it took me a while, but I found 2 sources [I had brought the story from memory]:
1. Admorei Chernobyl, by R. Yisrael Klapholtz, p. 54, who cites "Meiras Einayim." The lashon there is "She'hu mchuvan v'omed al retzuas Eretz Yisrael," that he was standing on a place that was directed to a strip of the Holy Land.
2. Sefer HaBaal Shem Tov, [from the Be'er HaChassidus series] by R.Eliezer Steinman, p. 91. He cites a "Michtav HaRav MiMedzibuzh."
Zechusam yagein Aleinu!
Thanks a lot!
I looked it up in Meiras Eynaim. It is a kuntreys in the beginning of the common "Seyfer haBaal Shem Tov al haToyro" (by Reb Noson miKalbiel z"l and Reb Shimon Mencahem Mendl miGovartchov z"l). It is found there under number 79. (Number 80 there is exactly the piece from Likutey Moharan which I quoted above! Look also there few more details from Likutey Halochoys). Great. I once learned it before (Meiras Eynaim), but now I see it worth to go over it again.
A gut Shabes!
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