A guide to Rebbe Nachman's
Rosh HaShanah in Uman
A guide to Rebbe Nachman's
Rosh HaShanah in Uman
BRESLOV RESEARCH INSTITUTE
JERUSALEM/NEW YORK
Copyright (c) 1992 Breslov Research Institute
All Rights Reserved
ISBN NUMBER 0-930213-43-2
The words are from a popular song "Uman, Uman Rosh Hashanah" showing the Breslover Chasid's fervent desire to be in Uman for Rosh HaShanah.
Cover: Benzion Solomon
Photos: Elli-Moshe Kline
1. Uman Uman...
2. Rebbe Nachman
3. Rosh HaShanah
4. A Little History
5. The Rebbe's Rosh HaShanah Today
6. Getting Ready
7. Why Me?
8. A Prayer
9. To the Point
10. How to Register
At last, he came. He was extremely weak. He sat for some time, and then
he started in a very low voice. It was against all the laws of nature
that he would be able to finish. The crush from the crowd was
tremendous. Several people fainted. Still, somehow, he continued. He
spoke about the future: how the whole world will be filled with the
knowledge of G-d, and all will see that everything is under His
Providence, everything is miraculous. The whole of creation will sing a
new song of love and kindness... It was his last Rosh HaShanah lesson,
his last lesson ever. Near the end of his talk, he stated to everyone
there: "No matter from what city you come, my followers should return
home and say: "Whoever believes in G-d should come to Rebbe Nachman for
Rosh HaShanah"."
Two weeks later he lay in bed, dressed in his best robe. Someone
arranged his clothing and washed the blood from his beard. He rolled a
ball of wax between his fingers with the utmost delicacy, composing his
thoughts. An unusually strong gale ripped through the town of Uman,
tearing out rocks from the hillside. The sukkah outside the house blew
down. Somewhere else, a fire suddenly broke out. They thought he was
gone. Someone cried out, "Rebbe! Rebbe! To whom have you left us?" But
he heard, he was still with them. He lifted his head with an expression
that said, "I am not leaving you, G-d forbid!"
Soon after that he breathed his last. Some of the people there said they
had seen people die peacefully but they'd never seen anything quite like
this. There was a great commotion in the room. People began sobbing
loudly. The following day, thousands of mourners attended the funeral.
Rebbe Nachman was buried, on October 17, 1810, in the place he had
chosen: the old cemetery in Uman, amidst the 20,000 Jewish martyrs who
had been massacred in the town at the hands of the Haidemacks some forty
years earlier.
September 1991. In the space of just a few days, over ten loaded
charters have flown into Kiev International Airport from Israel alone.
Other groups have flown in via Moscow from Britain, France, Belgium, the
U.S., Canada, Latin America, Australia... Still others have taken
different routes: by train from Warsaw, in buses from Bucharest... All
are converging on... UMAN!
The eve of Rosh HaShanah. No one with even the most elementary grasp of
history could fail to be amazed at the sight of hundreds uponhundreds of
observantjewishmen walking through the streets of this backward
provincial Ukrainian town some three hours drive south of Kiev. The
locals stare in amazement. The "Iron Curtain" has crumbled. The focus of
everyone's interest is a most unlikely looking spot in the middle of a
drab residential area overlooked by some gray high-rise apartment blocks.
A few locals hurryby on their way to work or to the market. Children play,
oblivious to the significance of the spot. Outside a pair of wooden
gates to the yard of what could be any old ivy-covered suburban
house, quite a crowd is gathered, with animated conversations taking
place in Hebrew, Yiddish, English, French, Russian... A variety of local
types try to change currency, peddle trinkets, offer trips in private
cars, etc. Two policemen placidly look on.
You move through the crowd into the back yard of the house. It is dense
with a throng of souls of every description, buzzing with spiritual
energy. Many are in black hats and coats, others in executive suits,
some in shirtsleeves, jeans and Reeboks or other garb. There are old
and young, down to small boys with long, flowing payos (sidecurls).
Every single person present has brought his own history - his own unique
story - of what drew him here to Uman for Rosh HaShanah at Rebbe
Nachman's gravesite. The crowd is thickest near the grave itself, a
simple marble structure next to the outer wall of the house. It is the
only remaining sign that this was once a cemetery. The intensity is
gripping. Everyone is either praying or reciting psalms or studying or
pouring out his heart in his own words - the approach to G-d that Rebbe
Nachman favored the most. It is impossible to remain unmoved.
Dozens of apartments have been rented in nearby buildings to house the
visitors. Down the road from the gravesite, less than two hundred and
fifty yards away, stands a large factory that has been made over to
house the Breslover Chassidim for Rosh HaShanah. Only five years before
the whole idea would have been unthinkable! In Soviet Russia? A huge
production hall has been converted into a synagogue accommodating over
two thousand daveners. Other halls have been turned into dormitories
full of army bunk beds. In the kitchen area, a team of plastic aproned
chassidim busily prepares plentiful quantities of kosher food specially
flown in from Israel, including challahs, fish, salads, soup, chicken...
even the Rosh HaShanah specialties, the simonim - apple and honey,
pomegranate, beetroot, black-eye beans, etc. The pride of the site is a
tiled, heated mikveh, built in the space of a few days by local
workmen.
"executive suits and jeans...."
"plastic-aproned chassidim"
There is a common misconception that the idea of the Tzaddik was
introduced by the founders of the chassidic movement. While there are
certain aspects of the Tzaddik's role which had their beginnings with
the Baal Shem Tov and his followers (though many of them, such as
dynasties, dress codes and the like have no place in Rebbe Nachman's
teachings), the concept of the righteous individual and his greatness
has always been a part of Judaism. From Moses, Joshua and the Judges
onward, each generation has had its own Tzaddikim, spiritual giants, men
who would lead, teach and guide the people. It would take literally a
whole book just to quote from the Talmud, Midrash and Zohar about the
greatness of the Tzaddikim. However, just as our understanding of the
Torah has diminished through history, so too has our appreciation of the
role of the Tzaddik, ironically just when we need it the most.
Does this mean that the Tzaddik is an intermediary? Well, yes and no.
First of all G-d forbid that anyone should think he needs a medium
between the Almighty and himself; not from his side and certainly not
from G-d's. Furthermore, G-d forbid that anyone should think he needs
someone else to carry out some form of devotion on his behalf so as to
somehow absolve him from fulfilling his own religious duties. We are-
all able, and indeed required, to accept responsibility for our own
lives and deeds and to take practical steps to develop our own personal
relationship with G-d. If the Tzaddik is an intermediary, it is only in
the sense that, having succeeded in conquering the physicality of this
world, he is able to be an agent or catalyst for bringing spirituality
down into it Through his efforts and attainments, a Tzaddik knows what is
necessary in order to serve G-d in a true and proper manner. The average
individual generally does not have a strong enough grasp of the
spiritual to be able to perceive G-d's will clearly and know how to
serve him in practice. He must therefore turn to someone who can guide
him.
Do we always know what to do? Can we on our own know what direction to
take? And what happens when we have estranged ourselves from G-d by our
misdeeds? Even the Torah, as the instrument that conveys G-d's infinite
wisdom to man, can actually mislead a person who tries to follow it
without the benefit of true guidance and leadership! Which of us can
honestly say that he is wise enough to look into the Torah and grasp
exactly what is required of him? The Talmud, Midrash and Shulchan Arukh
stress the importance of receiving from a teacher, so that one's
understanding of Torah be clear. As the Talmud teaches: "Even one who
has studied, as long as he has not received from a Talmid Chakham, a
qualified teacher, is still considered an ignoramus" (Berachot 47a). The
true Tzaddik can take the most elevated aspects of Godliness and bring
them down to a level at which the simplest person can relate to them.
The Tzaddik gives direction.
But how does Rebbe Nachman fit into all this? Rebbe Nachman has always
been different things to different people. To his followers, the
Breslover Chassidim, he is simply "The Rebbe," their prime source of
spiritual guidance in the quest for G-d. Some know him as a master
storyteller: his tales are counted among the great classics of Jewish
literature. To countless others, Rebbe Nachman is an outstanding
chassidic teacher, the great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, an
ever-fresh source of inspiration, whose lessons, conversations, parables
and epigrams continue to electrify and inspire until today, expressing
the wisdom of the Torah in a totally original way, opening up whole new
vistas in every area of life. Rebbe Nachman's optimistic message - serve
G-d with simplicity and joy - strikes a deep chord in many who have
found themselves on the fringes of the Jewish people, as well as
"lifers" born and raised in observant homes.
Born in 1772, Rebbe Nachman was only eighteen when he first began to
attract a following. Many of his chassidim were outstanding scholars and
kabbalists in their own right, some of them far older than he. Rebbe
Nachman was only thirty-eight when he passed away in 1810, but even
afterwards his influence remained potent. His teachings spread by word
of mouth, and especially with the printing of his writings. Today his
ideas are studied by both Jews and non-Jews, and have been the subject
of a growing body of literature, academic and popular, in English,
French, Russian, Yiddish, and of course - Hebrew.
When Rebbe Nachman once passed through Uman - eight years before he died he took
special note of its cemetery, praising it in the most glowing terms.
"How beautiful it would be to buried in this cemetery," he said. But by
then Uman was notorious for a new kind of Jew, one whose outlook was
almost diametrically opposed to that of the 20,000 martyrs.
Paradoxically, Uman had become one of the first centers of the Haskalah,
or "Enlightenment" movement, in Russia.
Although it was in Germany that the Haskalah had first developed, it was
now beginning to spread eastward to what had for centuries been the
bastion of Ashkenazic jewry: Poland, the Ukraine and Russia. This was a
time of unprecedented philosophical explosion in which many of the ideas
that had previously defined man's place in the world were shattered.
Leading intellectuals resented the notion that man is subservient to
G-d; they wanted to sever all links with the Divine. This took its toll
on the Jewish world. Traditionally, religious debates had centered on
how to fulfill the mitzvos of the Torah - for instance, the Shema: at
what hour is it to be recited, sitting or standing, etc. Now however, this
changed, and people started questioning the very necessity of reciting
the Shema as well as praying the other mitzvos.
Unlike today, there was no such thing then as an "Orthodox" Jew - one
was either a Jew or not. Owing to outside hostility, most Jews had
little choice but to live in their own closed communities. But in the
new political climate in Europe, "equality" was now being offered to
all, even the Jews. For the first time they could gain admission to
non-Jewish society and culture! But, the price was high: the tallis and
tefillin had to be discarded at the gate. It was the ultimate challenge
to that generation's leaders, who fought to innovate ways to preserve
Torah-observance against the sweeping tide of assimilation. But for
many, the promise of "full equality" proved too enticing to resist and
they pursued it with all their might. Rebbe Nachman made a chilling
statement to his followers: "We are now at the end of the Jewish people,
their outer limit. This is the point where the boundary of the Jewish
people ends... When the jewish people reaches this point they are very
far from G-d" (Tzaddik #92).
The assimilationists in Uman were led by a clique of three. Rebbe
Nachman was the only chassidic leader who was able to communicate with
them, and they themselves invited him to move to Uman. He told them that
now was not the time, but when he finally came to the town to die eight
years later, he would spend hours with them - playing chess, etc., much
to the wonderment of his followers. He used to talk to them about every
subject under the sun ... except Torah. Yet one of them, Hirsch Ber, said
that each conversation with the Rebbe was as if he were telling him,
"There is a G-d." Later, after the Rebbe's death, Hirsch Ber told the
Rebbe's foremost disciple, Reb Noson, "You have lost the Rebbe? We have
lost the Rebbe! If the Rebbe had lived, we would have repented
completely and become Tzaddildm" (Until the Meshiach, p.206).
One of Rebbe Nachman's main purposes was to throw out life rafts to
those who would become engulfed in the massive impending ideological
torrent. Rebbe Nachman had a profound grasp of the alienation, the
anguish and the despair so characteristic of the modem age. Hero after
hero in his stories spends years wandering through vast forests,
deserts, wildernesses and the like, searching and searching... Again and
again Rebbe Nachman addresses such contemporary issues as anxiety,
frustration, depression, disease ... He saw clearly that further
sophistication was no answer. "The greatest wisdom of all," he said, "is
to be simple." He stressed faith, joy and looking for the good.
"Gevalt!" he cried. "Don't give up!!!"
Rebbe Nachman wanted the fire of his Torah to keep burning brightly. For
eight years he nurtured his disciple, Reb Noson, imbuing him with his
spirit and guiding him as to how to spread it in the world. Reb Noson
later printed all of Rebbe Nachman's teachings. He established regular
gatherings of the Breslover Chassidim. He built the first Breslover
synagogues. And through his own voluminous writings he encouraged, and
continues to encourage, countless Jews to follow Rebbe Nachman's
pathways with strength and joy.
Yes, Rebbe Nachman certainly wanted his influence to remain alive in the
world. But when he said to his followers, "I want to stay among you," he
meant something more specific. From the time he first became sick with
tuberculosis, he started talking more and more about his gravesite. He
spoke about the possibility of going to die in the holy Land, or of
traveling to Lemberg (Lvov), where many other great Rabbis were buried.
When he finally settled on Uman, one of the reasons he gave his
followers was that it would be easy for them to travel to his
gravesite.
The Talmud states that the Tzaddikim are greater after their passing
than during their lifetime (Chullin 7b). Personally the Tzaddik has no
need for this material world. His only mission is to bring people back
to G-d. But during his physical lifetime the Tzaddik is limited, by his
body: though he constantly strives to negate his being in G-d's infinity
in order to accomplish his mission, he can only do so intermittently,
because he cannot leave his physical body. After his physical death,
however, his soul remains permanently absorbed in G-d's infinity, making
him all the more capable of rectifying the world.
The practice of visiting the graves of the Tzaddikim is an ancient one.
When the spies entered the Land of Israel, we are told, "And they
ascended from the south, and he came to Hebron" (Numbers 13:22). Since
there were twelve spies, why does the verse say "he came to Hebron"?
Rashi (ad loc.) explains that this refers to Caleb. "He wanted to be
saved from the counsel of the spies, so he went there alone to prostrate
himself at the graves of the Patriarchs." Even before this, we find that
Jacob explained to Joseph why he buried Rachel at the roadside instead
of taking her to Bethlehem. "This way she will be of help to her
children when Nevuzaradan takes them into exile. They will pass by her
grave, and Rachel will come forth and weep and entreat for mercy on
their behalf" (Rashi, Genesis 48:7).
Rebbe Nachman made a promise that no other Tzaddik in the whole of
Jewish history has ever made. Taking two of his closest followers as
witnesses, he said: "When my days are ended and I leave this world, I
will intercede for anyone who comes to my grave, recites the Ten Psalms
of the General Remedy - the Tikkun HaKlali (The 10 specific chapters in
the book of Psalms are: 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150. For
further details, see Rabbi Nachman's Tikkun, Breslov Research Institute,
1984.) - and gives some charity. No matter how serious his sins and
transgressions, I will do everything in my power to save him and cleanse
him. I will span the length and breadth of the Creation for him. By his
payos I will pull him out of Hell!" (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom #141). "It
makes no difference what he did until that day, as long as he undertakes
not to return to his foolish ways from now on" (Tzaddik #122).
We are still trying to stay afloat today as we are being deluged with
the ideological descendants of the haskalah. The seeds Rebbe Nachman
planted are only now, 200 years later, beginning to show their full
bloom. This is one of the reasons why to Breslovers, Rebbe Nachman is
very much alive today. In a world with an over abundance of questions
and too few answers, we can all profit from the veritable treasure that
the Rebbe wants to give us. His ideas are addressed to all seeking
generations, but in many ways they resonate clearest in this generation
of intense spiritual searching. Although his wide appeal is attested to
by the range of Jews who overcome all obstacles to spend Rosh HaShanah
with him in Uman, his message is nonetheless felt as a deeply personal
one. Now, having some idea of the awesomeness of what a tzaddik is and
what he can accomplish, we begin to view the journey to Uman on Rosh
HaShanah from a completely different perspective.
That his followers should travel to him for Rosh HaShanah was one of the
things Rebbe Nachman was most emphatic about. "Although many other
chassidim traveled to the Tzaddikim for Rosh HaShanah, there was no one
who was as insistent about the matter as Rebbe Nachman" (Tzaddik #23).
He said, "My Rosh HaShanah is completely new. G-d gave me the gift of
knowing what Rosh HaShanah is" (ibid. #406). Rebbe Nachman said that on
Rosh HaShanah he was able to help people in certain ways that he simply
was not able to the rest of the year (Tzaddik #406). He put so much
stress on the importance of his Rosh HaShanah that he exclaimed, "My
very essence is Rosh HaShanah!" (ibid. #403).
Rosh HaShanah has an entirely different character than Pesach, Shavuos
or Sukkos. It is the "Day of Judgment." Our health, our wealth, indeed
our very lives are at stake. In a sense, Rosh HaShanah is a repeat of
Creation. In order to create anything new, there is always an element of
judgment. What form should this new creation take? What will be best,
taking all the different factors into account? Should we go ahead at
all? Rosh HaShanah is no different. It requires, from G-d's side, a new
creation: a New Year. The year to come has not yet been, and needs to be
brought into existence. Creation. just as construction of a building
requires a blueprint, so too, the construction of the year needs a
specific plan. just as an architect draws up the blueprints for the
building, so is G-d the architect for the year. His plans are prepared
and drafted on Rosh HaShanah.
So Rosh HaShanah is not merely the first day of the Jewish calendar. It
is the outline for the entire year. Aside from his many other
considerations, Rebbe Nachman places paramount importance on Rosh
HaShanah because he wants to impress upon us the significance of the
"head" - what we can accomplish if we attempt to begin the year properly
and have our "heads" - our thoughts - in the right place. Therefore,
Rebbe Nachman teaches: We must be wise on Rosh HaShanah - we should only
think good, positive thoughts: that G-d will be good to us and give us a
good year, and that we will do our best to live the way we know we
should. And, because Rosh HaShanah is associated with thought rather
than speech, the Rebbe also counsels us to be very careful to speak as
little as possible on the first day of Rosh HaShanah (Rabbi Nachman's
Wisdom #21).
According to the normal scheme of things it should only have been a
matter of time before the Breslov movement disappeared after Rebbe
Nachman's passing. He did not leave a successor" as such. In most
chassidic groups, when one Rebbe dies, a new one is chosen to succeed
him, often his son or another close relative. Rebbe Nachman had two
sons, but both died in infancy. There was no other candidate for Rebbe
that his followers felt to be on anything like the same outstanding
level as he was. One might have expected that the Rebbe followers would
have eventually drifted apart and gone their separate paths.
Which indeed they could well have done had it not been for Reb Noson,
only thirty at the time of the Rebbe's passing. After the Rebbe's burial
that Sukkos of 1810, all the chassidim who had been with him in Uman
journeyed back to their respective home towns to confront their private
thoughts as the harsh Ukrainian winter set in. Although not the most
senior of his chassidim, Reb Noson had been closest to the Rebbe during
his lifetime, and was of course devastated by his early passing. He
could not accept that this was the end of the story. As the weeks
passed, all kinds of statements the Rebbe had made over the years kept
running through his mind - especially about the power of visiting his
gravesite. Within a few months, with the snow still thick on the ground,
Reb Noson hired a carriage and journeyed from village to village picking
up those who had been Rebbe Nachman's followers for their first
pilgrimage to Uman to pray at the Rebbe's Tzion (grave) on Rosh Chodesh
Shevat (January), 1811.
When Rebbe Nachman first became sick, he told his followers that if they
would continue to follow his pathways and work to develop and purify
themselves, even people who had not known him in his lifetime would
become attached to them, and they in turn would make more followers
"...for I have accomplished and I will accomplish." In the years after
his passing, the Rebbe's promise began to come true. Ms leading
followers all had many disciples of their own, and so the Breslov
movement began to grow. Because of the draw of the Rebbe's Tzion, it was
natural for Uman to become more and more of a focus. This was especially
so after 1866, when Reb Noson's leading pupil, Reb Nachman of Tulchin,
moved there. The Breslov community in Uman became a vibrant center of
spirituality and devotion. Seeking Jews would travel to Uman from all
over the Ukraine, White Russia, Lithuania and even as far away as Poland
in search of the living Torah of Rebbe Nachman.
Rebbe Nachman's grave in 1922
That should have been it. But it wasn't. Under Stalin you did not put in
an appeal to preserve a Jewish cemetery if you valued your life. Still,
in the rubble left after the Nazi desecration, Reb Zavel Lubarski was
able to find traces of two poles which had stood at the head and foot of
the grave to support a rail. The plot of land containing Rebbe's grave
was then acquired by a Breslover Chassid, Reb Daniel, the ger (convert).
The exact position of the grave having been located, the house was
designed in such a way that its exterior wall would run alongside it,
and the grave was thus inconspicuously protected in the private yard of
the house. After Reb Daniel emigrated to Israel, the house came into the
hands of a non-Jewish couple, who have lived there ever since.
The successive ravages of the Bolsheviks and the Nazis and the rigors of
Stalinism forced the remnants of the Breslover Chassidim in the Ukraine
to go underground. Any visits they made to the Tzion had to be covert.
But in the meantime those who had emigrated had established new Breslov
centers in Israel and America, and these were expanding rapidly. Until
the 1960s all access to Uman was completely barred to Jews from outside
Russia, but that did not prevent people from studying and practicing
Rebbe Nachman's teachings, and hearing from their elders about what Uman
stood for.
Rebbe Nachman's grave in 1991
(click for 1996)
The following winter a group of eleven people from the United States
traveled to Uman under the leadership of Rabbi Zvi Aryeh Rosenfeld. More
trips followed, but owing to the presence of military installations
nearby, the Soviets circumscribed the visitors in every conceivable way.
You had to travel all the way to Kiev just to apply for the special visa
required to visit Uman, and visas were as often as not refused. Even
when they were granted, it was forbidden to visit Uman unaccompanied,
and certainly not to stay in the town overnight.
Reb Noson once said, "Even if the road to Uman were paved with knives, I
would crawl there just so I could be at Rebbe Nachman's grave." For the
most devoted Breslovers, visiting Rebbe Nachman's Tzion was the dream of
a lifetime. People resorted to all kinds of stratagems to get around the
Soviet obstinacy, sometimes putting themselves at considerable risk to
travel to Uman even without a visa. One of the main principles of
Breslov teaching is that the obstacles to any holy goal are only sent in
order to increase one's yearning and determination to achieve it. How
many prayers flowed forth in the endeavor to get to Uman! And they were
answered. One way or another, there was a steady trickle of visitors to
the Tzion. No where was this more evident than in the desire of the
Breslover Chassidim to be by the Rebbe for Rosh HaShanah kibutz.
It was Reb Noson who spelled out what the Rebbe meant. just as his
chassidim had come to him for Rosh HaShanah during his lifetime, so they
should in the future come to his gravesite. When Reb Noson arranged the
first pilgrimage to the Rebbe's Tzion in the winter of 1811, one of his
main intentions was to impress this on the other chassidim. But out of
the hundreds that had come for the Rebbe's last Rosh HaShanah, only
about sixty traveled to Uman the following year. Even so, this was
enough to encourage Reb Noson to feel that the Rosh HaShanah gathering
could continue, and indeed with each year the numbers grew.
At first the Breslover Chassidim would pray in the local synagogue.
Within ten years, however, there were so many visitors that they could
not all be accommodated there. Each year somewhere else had to be found
to hold the services. Reb Noson used to make the arrangements, and it
soon became clear to him that the only practical solution was to build a
Breslover shul in Uman. The enormous costs involved made this an awesome
undertaking, but by Rosh HaShanah 1829 Reb Noson realized he had no
alternative. He feared that if Rosh HaShanah came and he was unable to
secure a large enough place, the overcrowding would discourage people
from coming, which might put an end to the annual Rosh HaShanah
gatherings.
The next few years brought many trials: a succession of bitter winters,
several serious epidemics which took a heavy toll on many Breslover
families, and an armed conflict between Poland and Russia which made
life precarious and travel for fund-raising nearly impossible. Yet
despite the difficulties, Reb Noson managed to secure a suitable
property, gained planning permission, purchased the necessary timber and
other materials, and started building. By the summer of 1834 the Breslov
shul - it was known as the "kloyz" was sufficiently advanced that it
could be used for the coming Rosh HaShanah. Reb Noson purchased a
beautiful Sefer Torah, books and everything else needed in a shul. He
was overjoyed...
But the joy was short-lived. With uncanny timing, the forces of hatred
against Breslov Chassidus, which had for years been simmering and
fermenting more or less underground, finally ruptured into open warfare
(For a detailed account of this period, see "Through Fire and Water,
Breslov Research Institute 1992"). Antagonism to Rebbe Nachman's
teachings had always existed among those who found them too much of an
assault on their own complacent attitudes. After the Rebbe's passing,
the opposition was directed against the Breslov Chassidim in general,
but especially against Reb Noson, who was doing more than anyone to
spread the Rebbe's teachings. It was now unleashed with unmitigated
fury. What followed was, unfortunately, not one of the finer moments in
Jewish history. Reb Noson's opponents denounced him to the Russian
authorities as a "false prophet" whose activities were against the
interests of the Czar and therefore treasonable. Reb Noson was promptly
arrested, exiled to Nemirov, the town of his birth, and placed under
house arrest.
A week before Rosh HaShanah 1835, Reb Noson secretly left Nemirov in the
middle of the night to go to Uman. His hope was that if he was already
there, his opponents might at least leave him in peace for the "Days of
Awe." Undeterred, they reported him to the authorities, and the night
before Rosh HaShanah, the police arrived with drawn weapons in order to
"capture" Reb Noson, who was led through the streets like a common
criminal. However, due to the intervention of Uman's leading maskilim,
whom the authorities knew and trusted, and with whom Reb Noson had
always maintained a relationship, a deal was struck permitting him to
remain in Uman for Rosh HaShanah. Later, whenever Reb Noson would recall
the suffering he endured to spend that Rosh HaShanah in Uman, he would
say that it was more meaningful than any other Rosh HaShanah he had ever
experienced.
With the steady spread of Rebbe Nachman's teachings, the annual Rosh
HaShanah gatherings attracted visitors from further afield. By the early
1900s people were coming from Poland and even from Israel, where the
beginnings of a Breslov community were forming. Despite the hardships of
pre-modern travel, Uman remained fairly accessible until 1917, when the
Russian border was closed. The chassidim in Poland then started holding their
own Rosh HaShanah gathering in Lublin, while the Breslovers in Jerusalem
established another. In the 1940s Rabbi Avraham Sternhartz, a grandson
of Reb Noson who had moved to Israel shortly before the war, started an
annual gathering in Meron at the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai,
author of the Zohar.
The violent repression of Jewish religious activity in Russia forced the
Rosh HaShanah gatherings in Uman underground. Nevertheless, even after
the Second World War, the few remaining Breslover Chassidim in Russia
continued holding a secret Rosh HaShanah minyan in Uman despite the risk
of imprisonment. However, with the shift of the Breslov movement to
Israel and the U.S., the main Rosh HaShanah gatherings were those held
in Israel. By the 1970s and 1980s the gatherings held in Meron and
Jerusalem were each attracting many thousands, while smaller gatherings
were held in New York, and later in Manchester, England.
The gatherings in Meron and Jerusalem were major events, involving a
whole organizational infrastructure to arrange accommodation, meals and
so on. The two days of intense prayer, communal eating, chassidic study
sessions, song and dance created a unique atmosphere that made a deep
impression on many who had never been in Uman nor ever dreamed that they
would ever go. From time to time during the Rosh HaShanah dancing, a few
people would sing the traditional Breslover song, "Uman, Uman, Rosh
HaShanah..." But the idea of actually being in Uman for Rosh HaShanah
was as laughable as Avraham and Sarah having a baby in their old age.
Yet they did! And so too the Breslovers came back to Uman - in spite of
the "Iron Curtain"! The draw of Rebbe Nachman's s hold over the
imagination Tzion never lost it of the Breslover Chassidim. By the early
1980s more and more organized groups were traveling to Uman from the
U.S., Britain and even Israel. The Russian authorities turned down all
requests to arrange a tour to coincide with Rosh HaShanah they still
wouldn't even allow visitors to stay in Uman overnight - but the
Breslovers kept on asking... and praying...
And in 1988 it happened. After protracted negotiations, the Soviet
facade began to crack, and the authorities finally gave permission for
two hundred-fifty people to spend Rosh HaShanah in Uman. Even after
agreeing, they kept on changing their minds, creating innumerable
difficulties along the way. Nevertheless, by a miracle, it came off.
Uman's one and only hotel - an old, shabby, dilapidated building more
like an army barracks - was inundated with chassidim, who sang, danced
and poured out their hearts in prayer, leaving the bemused locals to
stare at the strange specter in total wonderment.
The following year, over a thousand people came. A large, empty factory
site was rented some ten minutes walk from the gravesite. The production
halls were hastily converted into a synagogue, dining hall and
dormitories, and food was flown in from Israel. Elderly Jews who had
lived their entire lives in Uman began stepping forward out of nowhere
to join the festivities. The sight of so many of their emancipated
brethren literally dancing in the streets finally convinced them that
they could at last drop the paranoid attitudes which had perforce become
second nature during the long years of Stalinist, Nazi and
post-Stalinist persecution. By Rosh HaShanah 1990, the number of
visitors had doubled to two thousand, and an even larger factory site
was acquired two minutes from the gravesite. As Rebbe Nachman once said:
"Every year people say that previous years were better and times are not
as good as they were before. But the opposite is true. G-d now directs
the world better than ever" (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom #307).
Praying at Rebbe Nachman's gravesite - 1991
This applies even to those who have already had a taste of an Uman Rosh
HaShanah and who normally find it hard to imagine ever going anywhere
else - how much more does it apply to those who are contemplating going
for the first time. Today the trip to Uman ought to be almost as easy as
booking your tickets and packing a suitcase. But while the collapse of
the Soviet Union has eliminated many of the obstacles that used to
exist, others still have a way of coming up.
Few people are in the happy position of not having to wonder how to
finance such a trip. One of the first things to do is to pray for the
necessary funds... and then start saving! The Breslover Chassidim of old
used to put aside a special savings box at the beginning of the year and
add at least a few coins every so often. For those whose yearning to go
is very strong, the necessary funds often have a way of appearing at the
very moment when things seem most hopeless. Rebbe Nachman explicitly
stated: "I have already made it my business to take care of the expenses
of those who come to me for Rosh HaShanah" (Siach Sarfei Kodesh 1-27.
Many today can testify to this as an actuality!
Another obstacle most people come up against is their sense of
responsibility to their families, their home community and the like.
Understandably, wives have always had great difficulties with the idea
of being left at home with the children on this holiday. Yet it is
important to point out that the husband, as in many other realms of
Jewish life, is considered the family's representative - in the long
term, the benefits from the trip to Uman are enjoyed by the rest of the
family as well. As for the short term, Reb Noson once remarked: "It is
one of G-d's miracles that Yom Kippur comes right after Rosh HaShanah.
This way, the members of the family have to for-give each other!" (Rabbi
Eliyahu Chaim Rosen; Siach Sarfei Kodesh 1-665).
Some people feel tom about the idea of leaving Israel in order to travel
to the Ukraine for Rosh HaShanah. From America, England, France or any
of the other places in the Diaspora where there are Breslover Chassidim,
this might seem logical enough. But to leave the Holy Land? Yet Rebbe
Nachman taught that the holiness of the graves of the Tzaddikim is in
the same category as the holiness of the Land of Israel (Likutey Moharan
II, 109). Thus, "those who travel (from Israel) to the graves of
Tzaddikim are actually traveling from the Holy Land... to the Holy
Land!" (Rabbi Shmuel Shapiro).
Even after dealing with all the other issues, there may well still be a
nagging voice inside that keeps saying, "I can only get a good night's
sleep in my own bed... I won't be able to eat the kind of food I'm used
to... the davening will be so crowded... wouldn't it be just as good to
stay at home? Surely my kavanah in davening will be much better - I
won't have the distractions of an unfamiliar place!" These were exactly
the points one of his followers put to Rebbe Nachman, saying he much
preferred being with him when things were quieter. The Rebbe responded:
"Whether you eat or don't eat; whether you sleep or don't sleep; whether
you concentrate on your prayers or you don't concentrate properly.. just
make sure you are with me for Rosh HaShanah." Reb Noson adds: "All the
distractions the man mentioned were purely imaginary. They were the
promptings of the evil inclination - because thank G-d it was perfectly
evident that in the main people prayed with deeper concentration among
the assembled chassidim on Rosh HaShanah than they would have done if
they had prayed in their own home towns" (Tzaddik 404).
Every effort and sacrifice, large or small, that we make in our journey
to the Tzaddik is precious. Two of Rebbe Nachman's closest followers Reb
Yudel and Reb Shmuel Isaac, used to travel long distances to get from
their homes to the Rebbe. Atone point they wanted to move to the same
region so as to be close to him all the time, and so they did. The Rebbe
then told them he greatly missed their journeys to him. With every
single step they would take on their way an angel was created. They
said, "But what about all our efforts and running before we finally
hired the coach to bring us?" "They are also included," replied the
Rebbe. "Every one of those steps also creates an angel." Just before his
last Rosh HaShanah in Uman, the Rebbe spoke about this again and said:
"Oh to have the merit to see the clear, radiant light of the roads you
travel to be with me" (Tzaddik #291).
Representatives of the Vaad (organizing committee) are available day and
night to direct people to their accommodations. Normally the first thing
most people want to do after depositing their bags is to go to the
Rebbe's Tzion to pray, a deeply moving experience both for those coming
for the first time and for those returning. With more and more people
arriving by the hour, the excitement and awesomeness of Rosh HaShanah
can be felt ever more strongly. In the present economic crisis in the
Ukraine there is practically nothing to buy in Uman, and all the sights
worth seeing in the town can be "done" more than adequately in the space
of less than half an hour. The only place really worth visiting is the
elegant Sofiefka park, of which Rebbe Nachman himself said, "To be in
Uman and not go there?" The absence of distractions is probably just as
well, since it leaves one free to rest, and then take advantage of every
available moment before Rosh HaShanah to be at the Tzion to pray, study,
meditate and contemplate. (Those with a spare day or two before or after
the festival may wish to go to visit the graves of the Baal Shem Tov in
Medzeboz, Rabbi Levi Yitzchok in Berdichev, Reb Noson in Breslov,
etc.)
Grave of the Baal Shem Tov
Reb Noson's grave in Breslov
Selichos
After Tashlikh was when Rebbe Nachman would give his Rosh HaShanah
lesson. Today this is the time for study sessions with leading scholars
of the Breslov movement, with a wide variety of shiurim at all levels,
in Yiddish, Hebrew, English, French, Russian... The various Rosh
HaShanah teachings in the writings of Rebbe Nachman and Reb Noson are
not only a commentary on and explanation of today's Rosh HaShanah. The
manifold facets of Rosh HaShanah as it actually is in Uman today are
themselves a teaching - a vivid, living commentary on the practical
meaning of Rebbe Nachman's teachings - on the vital importance of
putting all our strength into prayer and joyous service of G-d... on
being prepared to confront ourselves and ask ourselves the deepest
questions about the purpose of our lives and how we are measuring up in
fulfilling our potential... on valuing the spiritual over and above the
material... on loving and appreciating our fellow Jews when they can be
so exasperatingly different from ourselves....
People who have never been in Uman for Rosh HaShanah may wonder what it
means to go to the Tzaddik if he isn't actually there in the flesh. But
for those who have had the experience, the Rebbe's spirit can be felt at
every turn: at the Tzion, where somehow one finds oneself expressing
one's deepest personal needs and issues so naturally; in the shul, where
"intensity" is too tame a word to describe the rapturous joy and
profound awe that inspire the entire gathering; in the singing and
dancing accompanying the Yom Tov meals; at Tashlikh; and in the words of
Torah that flow forth, whether at the organized shiurim or in informal
study sessions and conversations with old friends and new.. Each person
comes away with a wealth of new insights and chizuk - encouragement, to
start the new year off on the right footing.
One goes before a king dressed appropriately. The clothes a person wears
and the way he wears them are among the greatest indicators of his
personality and what he has made of himself. just as we have physical
clothes, so too we have spiritual "clothes." These are made up of our
thoughts, words and actions, which literally envelop our soul, giving
exact expression to who and what we really are. Coming before the
Almighty, our spiritual "garments" must be scrubbed as clean as they can
be. The month of Elul is specifically the time when we concentrate our
energies on cleansing our spiritual selves.
There is no more effective way to cleanse ourselves than through taking
care about the way we speak. What we say, and the way we say it,
accurately reflects our inner essence, because it is speech that
expresses our daat our mind and inner consciousness. Speech is the
mother of action, since the way we articulate our inner thoughts and
desires has a decisive influence over the things we do. Speech is the
intermediary between thought and action. Thus the way we speak is an
indication of the degree to which our lives are devoted to the holy.
There are people who have made themselves a world where not a word they
say concerns G-d. Their mouths are full of criticism, ridicule, cynicism
and sarcasm, and they only have ears for similar talk from others. The
exquisite Godliness which exists in all things remains hidden and
unrevealed.
The one truth is the existence of G-d. If we can stick to the truth, and
use our language to assert and reveal His presence, we thereby have an
awesome power to channel Godliness directly into the mundane world we
live in. Godliness can then "dwell" in the world. As a start, this can
be as simple as making it a point, when something good happens to you,
to acknowledge where it came from!
Hisbodedus is the time to take a calm, honest look at ourselves to see
where we need to improve. Changing entrenched habits can be difficult.
The first step is to ask G-d to help. The essence of hisbodedus is
simplicity - to express ourselves to G-d in simple, straightforward
language the way we would talk to an intimate friend. Shortly before
Rebbe Nachman passed away, when he was seriously ill, his grandson,
Yisroel, came into him. The Rebbe said: "Pray to G-d that I should
become well again." The little boy went aside and said: "G-d! G-d! Let
my zeida be well!" The adults in the room started smiling, but Rebbe
Nachman said: "This is how we have to ask things of G-d. What other way
is there to pray?" (Tzaddik #439). Hisbodedus is the key to repentance:
each session is a practical workshop in self-cleansing.
Our sages teach: On Rosh HaShanah, three books are opened; one for
Tzaddikim, one for the completely wicked, and one for those in between.
Tzaddikim are inscribed immediately for a good life, and the completely
wicked for a bad life, while those in between are given time to repent
until Yom Kippur (Rosh HaShanah 16b). Reb Noson writes: "Those who are
attached to the Tzaddikim are inscribed together with the Tzaddikim"
(Likutey Halakhot, Nezikin 5:17). May we all be granted this year - and
every year - to be inscribed and sealed in the Book of the Righteous,
Amen.
My decision to travel to Uman was as difficult as my decision to become
a Breslover Chassid. I attended, and was successful in, the finest
Lithuanian style Yeshivos, where chassidus was labeled an "off-shoot" of
"authentic" Judaism. The Baal Shem Tov and all of the other Chassidic
Masters were never mentioned and none of their works studied. Despite my
continual progress in learning, I felt an emptiness - something was
always missing. I felt a bit like the son in Rabbi Nachman's Story "The
Rabbi's Son" - externally "having it all," but aching inside. A baal
teshuvah persuaded me to attend a lecture in Rebbe Nachman's teachings
and it far eclipsed anything I had ever heard or learned in all my years
in Yeshivot. A "seed" took root and I began studying Rebbe Nachman's
works despite the opposition I faced. I had to make a large scale
intellectual "overhaul" to integrate the Rebbe's ideas and change my
mindset. But to take the Rebbe into my heart, to make the pact and go to
Uman, I had to over-come a different set of obstacles, including the fact that
I felt that Breslover Chassidim "weren't my type." It ultimately became
a matter of "surrendering" to the Rebbe's suggestions. When I finally
"surrendered," it was a most awesome feeling. Now, having found Rebbe
Nachman, going to Uman for Rosh HaShanah is an integral part of me.
S. S., executive with Warner Brothers, USA:
Since my childhood in Brooklyn, I knew of the benefits to be derived
from visiting the grave of Rabbi Nachman in Uman and had always wanted
to make the trip. I learned of the annual Rosh HaShanah pilgrimage from a
friend and given the relaxation of tensions in Russia, I decided to
go.
T.L.B., attorney, England:
The Rebbe says in Tzaddik that there is nothing greater than being with
him for Rosh HaShanah and that he is able to help us then in a way which
is not possible during the rest of the year.
J.L., LAN systems engineer, Israel:
The decision to go to Uman was a very difficult My wife wanted me to go
very much, but one we recently moved to Israel from Minnesota and I
wanted to postpone it for a year or even two. I saw merit in going for
the sake of my personal "tikkun," but I had my rationalization why
postponing the trip would be better. I went this year partly for "shalom
bayit" peace at home - but mainly I had an account to settle. As with
all Baal Teshuvas, I had to correct a few past "wrongs" which were in
need of major repair - you know, the type of repair you need a
specialist for. I would not go to a small-town plumber to replace all
the plumbing in the Empire State Building. Also, the opportunity to see
the area where my grandfather and his family lived played a part in my
decision.
I grouped them into two divisions. One was the material, the conditions
of the city of Uman, which I imagined as an early 20th century or even
late 19th century city. I wasn't "disappointed." Regarding the
spiritual, I learned that, one cannot expect to become inspired when
"looking over one's own shoulder." l again " surrendered" myself to just
traveling there, hoping that the moment of inspiration would come. And
it did!
S.S.:
My only fear was not being accepted by the chassidic Jews of Breslov and
other sects who make up the overwhelming majority of attendees -since I
am not a practicing Jew. But to the contrary, not only were my fears not
realized, but I was warmly accepted by everyone. Perhaps because of my
background, I was treated as a special guest whose journey to Uman was a
real sacrifice, and everything was done to make me feel comfortable and
at home.
TL.B.:
The first time I went for Rosh HaShanah was in 1989 (I have since been
in 1990 and 1991). 1 was apprehensive as to what I might find. But in
fact, it was a homecoming. The first night of Rosh HaShanah tears poured
down my face at the joy of being with the Rebbe for Rosh HaShanah. One
could sense his presence amongst his chassidim - many of whom had
experienced many problems and difficulties in getting to Uman.
J.L.:
I somehow managed to keep my expectations rather small. I just wanted to
get there and back in one piece (the "Gorbachev coup" had occurred only
weeks before). But if the Rebbe could help correct my "account", it
would be well worth the trip. The experience at Rebbe Nachman's Tzion,
as well as at Reb Noson's and the Berdichover's, was more than I
expected. The old mikvah in the Kiev synagogue was also very uplifting.
I did not expect to daven at all those different places. Afterwards, I
even felt bad that I didn't have the strength to go to the kever of the
Baal Shem Tov. I definitely plan on going back, though next time with a
little more insight, a little more kavanah (intention) and a lot less
weighing me down.
The Friday evening davening, after Lekho Dodi. The entire congregation -
over 2,000 people - continued singing a most gripping melody. The
congregation then broke out in an incredibly inspiring dance - an
awesome sight. To me it meant, "G-d! You have raised me out of the dirt,
poor and wretched soul that I am. You have brought me here to be with
princes - the princes of Your people." I stood entranced, helpless,
unable to move, tears rolling down my cheeks. I wouldn't trade those
moments for anything. Surprisingly, my most difficult moment was
actually at Rebbe Nachman's gravesite. It was very crowded. And though I
saw many people very deeply involved in their thoughts and prayers, I
felt too self-conscious to have hisbodedus. In short, I felt numbed by
all that was happening around me.
S.S.:
Hearing the passionate davening of the Breslovers is something I had
never experienced. It was an overwhelming and uplifting feeling. Of
course I could not keep up with the group, but I still felt there was a
place for me there and that I was a part of the prayers.
TL.B.:
Last year our baggage was lost by the airline. But I found that I didn't
need it. Even without a change of clothes, it was enough just being
there (and we got our baggage back after the trip!).
J.L.:
Being sick with a high fever was by far the most difficult part of the
trip for me. I really missed out on the Rosh HaShanah davening. But the
most inspiring aspect of the trip, even while lying there with fever,
was knowing that some major adjustments were being made on High in my
favor! I was finally able to do something that had a major positive
impact in my life, and possibly even for my family - both in this world
and in the next. Usually, I feel like all my efforts are barely enough,
if even that. But there in Uman I felt as though mountains were moved on
my behalf.
The differences were not very dramatic, but one thing is for sure: I can
now see the issues that I struggle with in a much clearer light. And
when the struggles seem a bit too unbearable and I feel I'm about to
break, I hang onto having been in Uman for Rosh HaShanah with the
Rebbe.
S.S.:
I am certainly a better person for the experience and I plan to return
to Uman next year. I wish I could say it had changed me more, but this
just would not be true. Three days, no matter how potent, cannot
overturn 49 years.
TL.B.:
Changes take place slowly and experiences are assimilated slowly. My
trips to Uman have had a cumulative effect and have helped me understand
what the Rebbe wanted from us. J.L.: After coming back, my davening was
radically different in the sense that there is now a connection that
wasn't there before, and life in general does not feel as weighed down.
Also, the relationship with my wife vastly improved.
So there's a lot each one of us can get out of Rosh HaShanah. "Nu, if I
can't get there this year, I'll go next year. My presence or absence
won't make much of a difference to anybody else." Or will it? The fact
is, it is not only what we can gain from Rosh HaShanah that counts, but
what we can contribute by our presence. In fact, it might count even
more. To paraphrase: "Ask not what Rosh HaShanah can do for me, but what
I can do for Rosh HaShanah!" Thus in his last ever lesson, on Rosh
HaShanah of 1810, Rebbe Nachman taught:
Master of all the worlds and all the souls: help us fulfill all the
teachings of the true Tzaddikim and carry out everything they have
taught us so that we can make amends for all our sins and return to You
wholeheartedly.
As we stand on the threshold of Mashiach, You have lovingly sent us a
true leader of the Jewish People - the "flowing stream, the source of
wisdom," Rebbe Nachman, son of Feiga, may his merit protect us. He has
taught us the path to follow so as not to lose all our precious days and
years in sleep. His teachings have the power to arouse us from our
sleep, release us from the insensitivity of our hearts, and strengthen
and encourage us.
Master of the world, loving G-d: You know the innermost secrets of all
hearts. You know all the obstacles and barriers we face and the trials
we go through. Visiting the holy grave of Rebbe Nachman has the power to
elevate and restore everything to You.
Grant that all of us should have the privilege of coming there joyfully
and praying at his grave. Help us wake up quickly from our spiritual
sleep and rise from the places we have fallen to. Bring us back to You
with all our hearts, and from now on let us always live in accordance
with Your will. Let the words of our mouths and the meditation of our
hearts find favor before You, HaShem our Rock and Redeemer. Amen.
To make the Rosh HaShanah in Uman as successful as possible and to
enable participants to spend their time usefully and profitably in Torah
and prayer, the Breslov community has set up an international Vaad
(committee) to help coordinate the arrangements. Fish, chicken and meat
are prepared, cooked and vacuum packed in Jerusalem under strictest
hygienic guidelines. An advance team of dedicated workers travels to
Uman weeks before Rosh HaShanah to prepare the accommodations and to see
that the synagogue facilities-benches, chairs, Ark etc. are being
readied. They also oversee the preparation of the mikvah and make the
necessary arrangements with city officials to reserve the vanya (public
bathhouse) for the exclusive use of the chassidim on Erev Shabbos and
Erev Yom Tov. They also prepare the "field kitchen," purchase vegetables
(e.g. potatoes, beets), Pepsi Cola and anything else that might
available in the Ukraine at that time.
Even so, it is not possible to cater for everyone's private needs, so we
have prepared a suggested list of items you may wish to bring for your
own use, some of them necessary, others optional. Bring enough to make
your stay comfortable but not too much to make traveling unbearable. As
yet the Ukrainian economy is not geared for the capitalist market. This
means that there are very few stores, and those that do exist have very
few items. In other words, bring what you need do not expect to buy it
there. Although it will make things much easier to travel as light as
possible, it should be remembered that items Westerners take for granted
are considered luxuries in the Ukraine.
"... enough to make your stay comfortable..."
This is a general list of clothing that should be included in your
packing:
Don't hesitate to bring any other items that will add to your comfort on
the trip - just remember to keep it light. Stay focused on the purpose
of your trip and you will be able to get the very most out of it!
The Ukraine declared independence in January, 1992, and have announced
their plans to introduce their own currency by April of 1992. Many
changes are rapidly occurring and one who wishes to register for Rosh
HaShanah should inquire in the early summer, preferably 2-3 months
before Rosh HaShanah. The Vaad will then be in a position to give you
up-to-date information.
In addition, the Vaad is hoping to introduce many improvements and is
seeking to lower prices by Rosh HaShanah 1992. In 1991, those coming
from North America were able to fly direct from Moscow to the Uman
military airfield, bypassing Kiev and eliminating a four-hour bus ride.
This year rights to fly direct to Uman are being sought for all
arrivals, but arrangements have yet to be finalized. At the time of
writing, the Vaad is engaged in negotiations with the Ukrainian state
and Uman city authorities to obtain permission to build a complex near
the Tzion to accommodate the ever-increasing numbers of visitors to
Uman.
As of this time, both Russia and the Ukraine require entry visas.
Because of their shift to capitalism, applying for visas is not the
lengthy ordeal it once was. Any travel agent can generally secure the
necessary visa within a few days, and it is recommended that you obtain
your visa prior to travel in order to speed up your entry. You need to
fill in a form, or the agent will do it for you. Three passport photos
are required. Nevertheless it is no problem to get a visa even at the
last minute: it is possible to apply for a visa on arrival at Kiev
or moscow airport. Entering through Moscow, however, necessitates an
additional visa (time and money). Therefore, it is advisable for those
who can to fly directly to Kiev. But be prepared for a slow moving line
- it can take an hour or more for the authorities to complete all the
formalities (in triplicate, by hand! How else?!).
Please note: Those planning to enter the Ukraine on Erev Shabbos or Erev
Yom Tov should make certain to obtain their visa in advance. Between
airport formalities and travel time to Uman, there is no time to waste.
Obviously, one's flight arrival time must be carefully checked before
setting out on one's journey, and allowance should be made for
unforeseen delays en route. The fact that one is traveling to Uman is no
justification for desecrating Shabbos. One possibility would be to plan
to arrive in Kiev on Erev Shabbos, stay in Kiev for Shabbos and then
proceed to Uman after Shabbos.
Arrival at Kiev International Airport
Vaad c/o Yeshivah Breslov:
The Vaad also has offices in Bnei Brak, Emanuel and Safed. Call for
information.
Rabbi Laibel Berger
STI
The Breslov Research Institute is truly honored to have Presented the
what and whys of Rosh HaShanah in Uman, hoping that this short yet large-
booklet will encourage many others to join us. Though we are not the
Vaad, we are prepared - and pleased - to act as an information center
for those who have any questions. For those who seek updated
information, we suggest you make your inquiries about ten weeks before
Rosh HaShanah (during July and August). Our addresses and telephones
are:
May HaShem inscribe us this year, and every year, in the Book of the
Righteous, for good health and success in all our endeavors. And, may we
all merit to see the Coming of the Mashiach, the Ingathering of the
Exiles and the Rebuilding of the Holy Temple, Amen.
Or send mail info@breslov.org
1. Uman Uman...
2. Rebbe Nachman
Connecting Heaven and Earth
The Tzaddik is one who attains such a level of self-mastery and
spirituality that all his thoughts, feelings and actions - his very
being are in total consonance with G-d's will. This gives him a uniquely
close relationship with G-d. In essence, what distinguishes the Tzaddik
from anyone else is that he has an unparalleled mastery of the
spiritual, which gives him the ability to bridge the physical and
spiritual worlds. Yet for all his spirituality, he is, and remains, a
human being. This indeed is his strength. He is able to channel Torah
spirituality into this world, and guide others as to how to serve
G-d.Why Uman?
The name of the Breslover Chassidim comes from the town of Breslov,
where Rebbe Nachman spent most of the last eight years of his life. That
being the case, where does Uman come in? Why did he particularly want to
be buried there? Nobody can claim to know exactly what was in Rebbe
Nachman's mind. Still, if we transport ourselves about two hundred years
back in time and take a look at what Uman stood for then, a coherent
picture begins to emerge.
In a certain sense, Uman was a place of opposites. In 1768, forty-two
years before Rebbe Nachman passed away, Uman, then under Polish rule,
was a garrison town. With the advance of an army of rebellious
Haidemacks, thousands upon thousands of Jews from all the surrounding
areas fled to the town for safety. When the Haidemacks arrived at the
gates, the governor gave them access if they would agree to spare all the
gentiles in exchange for the Jews. The Haidemacks entered, set up a
cross, and offered the Jews a choice between conversion and death.
Without exception they chose death. In the space of three days some
20,000 were slain. Their martyrdom brought about a great sanctification
of G-d's name."I want to stay among you!"
Rebbe Nachman's lifetime came at a crossroads in history. just beginning
was the industrial revolution that has so totally transformed our
material life, unleashing the most amazing, hitherto undreamed of
possibilities for both good and evil. Perhaps even more fateful was the
burgeoning ideological revolution, which was to shake the entire
framework of beliefs and assumptions on which people had based their
lives. Standing on the threshold of the modem age, Rebbe Nachman said:
"I'll tell you a secret. A great wave of atheism is about to enter the
world" (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom #220).3. Rosh HaShanah
The Head
Yet before we can fully appreciate the meaning of Rosh HaShanah with the
Tzaddik, we first have to understand a little of what Rosh HaShanah
itself is all about what sets this day apart from the rest of the year.
Rosh HaShanah literally means the "head of the year." The year is like
an organic entity, with a head, a heart, arms, legs and so on. The head
is at the top - the first day of the year. Just as the head directs the
body, so too, one's Rosh HaShanah will determine the outcome of the rest
of the year. Thus, our Sages teach: "On Rosh HaShanah it is decreed what
will be at the end of the year" (Rosh HaShanah 8b). Whatever takes place
up till the very end of Elul, the last month in the Jewish calendar, was
already decreed at its "head," at the very beginning of the year.A Little History
The Kibutz ("gathering")
Every year Rebbe Nachman's followers used to travel to be with him for
Rosh HaShanah. Hundreds came for his last Rosh HaShanah in 1810. It was
then that he made his strongest statements ever about the importance of
coming to him for Rosh HaShanah. "No one should be missing," he said,
"Rosh HaShanah is my whole mission" (Tzaddik #403). Eighteen days later
Rebbe Nachman passed away - leaving his chassidim to ponder, among other
things, why he had spoken so much that year about the importance of
coming to him for Rosh HaShanah since he must have known it was going to
be his last one in this world.5. The Rebbe's Rosh HaShanah Today
Waking up
Practically everybody traveling to Uman for Rosh HaShanah today,
especially from Europe, the U.S. and further afield, faces a lengthy
journey by night and day. If there is anything positive to be said about
the disorientation this causes, it could be that it helps prepare one
for the intensity of the Uman experience, which is very much about
waking up, quite literally as well as in the spiritual sense. After the
various delays that can crop up on the way, many finally get into Uman
in the wee hours of the night, only to find the area near the Rebbe's
Tzion surprisingly alive with a bustle of activity (the hours after
midnight are a favored time for Breslovers to pray and meditate.) It is
an interesting fact that many people who at home find themselves unable
to manage without their seven to eight hours of sleep each night
discover that they can do very well with much less while in Uman.6. Getting Ready
Cleansing.
Getting ready for Rosh HaShanah is much like preparing to meet the
"King." Few of us today have had any exposure to true royalty, nor have
we grown up with that sense of respect and reverence for kings and
powerful rulers that previous generations had. Today our impressions of
those who rule are all too often colored by the widespread scandals
surrounding so many leading figures and our awareness of their true
nature. This may make it difficult for us to imagine the awe evoked in a
person who comes before a king. Yet we a re not, of course, even talking
about being brought before an earthly ruler. On Rosh HaShanah, we are
brought before the King of the Universe, who will scrutinize us in
profound and uncomfortable detail. We have to be ready!Hisbodedus.
Thanking G-d for the good in our lives is one of the best ways to start
a session of Hisbodedus - the private prayer and meditation in one's
native tongue, that Rebbe Nachman advocated as the highest level of
devotion. It is particularly important to set aside time for this
practice during Elul. It can be a very rewarding experience to make a
detailed list of all the things we have to be grateful for, from our
health, strength, faculties, family, home, livelihood... to the mitzvos
we have the privilege of performing every day.. and the very fact that
we are Jews, with a holy soul that will endure for ever. By focusing on
the good and developing a positive outlook we put ourselves in a far
stronger position to grapple with the evil within us.Study.
Rebbe Nachman suggested to some of his followers to read through the
entire TaNaKh (Bible) during the period from the beginning of Elul up
till the end of Sukkos (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom #251). The study of the
Zohar and Tikkuney Zohar is also extremely beneficial during this
period: the very language used in these works is so holy that it has the
power to motivate us to serve G-d. The same holds true of the teachings
of Rebbe Nachman in his Likutey Moharan, The Aleph-Bet Book, Rabbi
Nachman's Stories and Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom (see Kokhavey Or, p. 77f
#26,27). Some Breslover Chassidim try to go through all of these works
during this period. Another important aid to repentance is reciting
Psalms (Likutey Moharan II, 73).Pidyon Nefesh - Redemption.
The day before Rosh HaShanah is a very good time for presenting a pidyon
- charity money given to the Tzaddik in order to redeem oneself in the
eyes of Heaven and cleanse one's Soul (Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom #214).
Nowadays, Breslover Chassidim give this redemption money to an elder of
the community.7. Why Me?
How did you come to the decision to go to Uman for Rosh
HaShanah?
M. C, Kollel student:What were your expectations upon arriving in Uman? How did your
expectations compare to your actual experience?
M.C:What was the most inspiring - and the most difficult - aspect of your
experience?
M.C.:What changes in your personal life did you notice when you returned
from Uman (davening, belief, spiritual, physical)?
M.C.:
Rebbe Nachman continued:
So, "Why me?" Because the benefits I gain by joining this "community,"
together with the benefits countless others gain because of my presence,
are the best start to "building" the New Year.8. A Prayer
Excerpts from a Prayer to come to Rebbe Nachman's gravesite by R.
Yitzchak Breiter (1886-1943), a leader of the Breslov Chassidim in
pre-war Poland.9. To the Point
The city of Uman today might aptly be compared with a city in medieval
Europe. There are no convention halls or modem hotels with the
conveniences known to those in the West. This has necessitated many
improvisations in order to cater to the visiting chassidim during the
week of Rosh HaShanah. It is a bit like having to prepare for an army
battalion out in the field for a week of maneuvers. Special arrangements
are necessary to provide food, accommodation and synagogue facilities
for the thousands who descend upon Uman. (Though many women travel to
Uman during the year, the logistics are such that it would be impossible
to cater to both men and women for Rosh HaShanah.)Money
Since your tickets, room and board will have been pre-paid, do not bring
too much extra cash. There are many locals who would be happy to
"lighten your load," so please be careful. In Uman itself the only times
you are likely to need local currency is at a store or to pay the
entrance fee to the Sofiefka Park or the municipal bathhouse. In other
words, you may only need a few coins - do not convert large amounts.
There is also ample opportunity to bargain and barter. For this purpose,
small bills, such as single dollar bills, can come in handy, and as a
supplement, cigarettes and chewing gum are also a valuable bargaining
commodity. If you do want to purchase something, it would be wise to
find out what others have paid before you approach a "vendor." Do not be
afraid to bargain. On Rosh HaShanah 1991, the average Ukrainian's
monthly salary was about 500 rubles, which is roughly equivalent to
$15-20.
"... not too much to make it unbearable"Language
At least five languages are common currency at the Rosh HaShanah
gathering in Uman: Hebrew, English, Yiddish, French and Russian. Fluency
in any one is sufficient to get you through, though you might want to
brush up on a few phrases in one or more of the others - who knows, you
might find yourself sitting next to someone extraordinary! People from
many different backgrounds come to the Rebbe's Tzion for Rosh HaShanah,
so the variety of different minhagim (customs) is tremendous. Don't be afraid
to ask people why they are doing what they are doing. Most will
be happy to explain both the simple and esoteric reasons.
Food
As on any foreign trip, it is best to avoid drinking tap water. Bottled
drinks or boiled water are preferable. The meals provided by the Vaad
are quite plentiful and wholesome. However they are provided only upon
arrival in Uman, so bring enough food for 2-3 meals/snacks per day prior
to your arrival in Uman as well as sufficient food for your return trip.
Any tasty morsel that might increase your Yom Tov and Shabbos enjoyment
should also be brought. Bring a little extra to share with your friends
as they will undoubtedly do the same. Please realize that to seat and
serve some 2,500 people at one time is not very easy! The "kitchen
staff" and "waiters" are very dedicated - but only human - even if they
are chassidim. Therefore, you might want to bring your own food and eat
in your lodgings.What should I bring?
The following are a few suggestions of what to bring:
The Vaad always has hot water in the kitchen area for tea and coffee but
you might wish to make your own where you sleep. So you might add a
small water cooker, hot cups, tea, coffee and sugar (or substitute).
(Make sure electrical appliances are adapted for 220v.)Clothing
The Ukraine is a northern country and the weather in Uman during
September can be cold and wet. You'll be thankful you brought rain and
winter gear. Don't expect central heating - you can always take layers
off.
In addition, the following items should not be forgotten:
It's a good idea to make your own detailed list, so you can check off
each item as you pack. Some miscellaneous items also helpful are:
Whatever you do, don't forget your passport, visa and ticket!10. How to Register
Perhaps the most important accomplishment of the Vaad has been to keep
costs to an absolute minimum. Realizing the financial stresses on almost
everyone's pockets, the Vaad has for the past few years made
arrangements with travel agents for unbelievably low prices. For
example, for Rosh HaShanah 1991, the round trip to Uman from Israel -
including air-fare, visas, transfer to and from Kiev airport,
accommodation and board for the week - was only $600! From New York, the
price was $1,100. For those who wished to travel via Medzeboz (gravesite
of the Baal Shem Tov) and other cities, there was no extra charge.Visas
For those wishing to travel to Uman for Rosh HaShanah, registering with
the Vaad is highly recommended as they will take care of all necessary
arrangements - from travel arrangements and visas to accommodation and
board - for the lowest possible cost. For those whose trips necessitate
individual arrangements, it is still possible to register with the Vaad
for accommodation so as to be assured of a place on arrival (though
accommodation is always available even at the last minute.)Air arrangements
Those from the diaspora who wish to combine their trip to Uman with a
visit to Israel either before or after Rosh HaShanah should be aware
that all Vaad flights from Israel to the Ukraine and back are chartered,
and there is no guarantee that space will be available for those flying
only one way. Prices and available space on flights should be verified
before making travel arrangements. Those wishing to include Israel in
their trip would be advised to consider booking regular flights. Check
with your Vaad representative.Transport to Uman from Kiev
Those arriving in Kiev on their own can take a taxi directly from the
airport to Uman (about three hours by cab). Ukrainian taxis seat four
only and their baggage compartments are small, so be forewarned about
the difficulties involved in transporting large suitcases. Although in
1991 the price for the trip from Kiev to Uman was $30 (!) fluctuations
in the value of the ruble have brought increases in prices, and one
might even be charged as much as $100 for the trip (though this is still
inexpensive for a 150 mile journey). Things could easily have changed
again by Rosh HaShanah time. Be wary of the "socialist-turned-capitalist"
taxi drivers who know of our desire to get to Uman and wish to
capitalize on it. Do not be afraid to bargain and please do not simply
accept their stated price as they will then overcharge everyone else who
follows. It sometimes pays to travel from the airport into Kiev, where
one can pick up a taxi for less.General information
Registration form:
In the next section we have provided a registration form to enable the
Vaad to apply for your visa, make flight reservations and arrange the
necessary accommodations. Please be sure to copy your family name,
passport number and all the necessary information directly from your
passport, so that all the information is accurate. This will help in
expediting your application. Also, please ascertain when the flights are
scheduled to leave and return, so you can make your preference known
when registering.
Deposit:
The deposit requested in 1991 was $100.00 and is most likely to remain
the same. Prices will be kept to an absolute minimum but the final price
will not be known until midsummer. Please check with the person you
register for up-to-date information.Late registration:
We point out that a cut-off date is necessary to enable the Vaad to
finalize the prices for the charter flights. Those registering after
that date might find themselves with extra expenses for regularly
scheduled flights and/or other charges (e.g. rush visas, etc.). So for
your own benefit, try to register early. Even so, last minute
arrangements can often be made.Children:
Many people bring their young sons to Uman because of Rebbe Nachman's
promise that any boy coming to him before the age of seven would be
protected from impurity. The Vaad makes arrangements for children to be
accommodated with their fathers. Parents should make sure to bring
suitable clothing, snacks and some toys etc. Be advised that in some
countries (e.g. Israel, England) you can register your children on your
passport, thereby saving additional visa fees. Include any children
traveling with you in your registration form. Other countries (e.g. USA)
require a separate passport for each child, necessitating separate
applications, registration and visas. Important reminder. If you are
bringing children, be sure your reservations are all for the same
flight. at just wouldn't do to return home without the children, no
matter how tempting!)Where to register
The following are either representatives of the Vaad or will be able to
assist you in contacting the Vaad and in other ways.Israel:
Vaad Breslov for Rosh HaShanah
POB 35167
Jerusalem
Tel: (02) 281-901
Fax: (02) 512-913
POB 5023, Jerusalem
Tel: (02) 273-067United States:
Dave Fried
Nesia Travel
4602 New Utrecht Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11219
Tel: 718-633-3800
Fax: 718-972-0595
1946 50th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11204
Tel: 718-338-2434Canada:
Rabbi Shaya Lichter
26 Dell Park Avenue
Toronto, Ontario
M6B 2T4
Tel: 416-782-4872England:
Trevor Bell
Breslov Charitable Foundation
33, Waterpark Road
Salford, M7 OFT
Tel: 061-795-1251France:
Institut Breslev
63 Bd. Rochechouart
75009 Paris
Tel: 45-26-93-97
75 Av. de la Liberte
73100 Aix-Les Bains
Tel: 79-35-50-88Israel:
Breslov Research Institute
POB 5370, Jerusalem
Tel: 824-641
Fax: 825-542
North America.
Breslov Research Institute
POB 587
Monsey, NY 10952-0587
Tel: 914-425-4258
Fax: 914-425-3018England.
Breslov Charitable Foundation
33, Waterpark Road
Salford, M7 OFT
Tel: 061-795-1251
Copyright (c) 1986 by the Breslov Research Institute
All Rights Reserved