Uman Video

Video of the overflow crowd during the mass recital of Tikun Haklali on ErevRosh Hashona. This is a few hundred feet from the entrance to the Tzion ofReb Nachman and the crowd extends all the way up the main street. It was jam packed from inside until all the way out here. I was all the way inside and didn't realize the crowd went out so far. (The trick is to get inside the Tzion a half hour before the crowds come otherwise it will take an hour to squeeze through the crowd)

13-26 Tishrei Yartzeits

13 Tishrei - R' Akiva Eiger (1837)
13 Tishrei - R' Shmuel ben R' Menachem Mendel, "the Rebbe MaHaRaSh" of Lubavitch (1882)
13 Tishrei - R' Yisroel ben R' Avrohom Yaakov Friedman, the Sadigerer Rebbe (1906)
13 Tishrei - R' Chaim Berlin, Av Beis Din Moscow, Volozhin and Yerushalayim (1912) Son of the Netziv, ben R' Naftoli Tzvi Yehuda Berlin
13 Tishrei - R' Yosef Tzvi Dushinsky, Av Beis Din of Chust and Yerushalayim (1949)

14 Tishrei - R' Sholom Shachne of Prohovitch (1803) ben R' Avrohom the Malach
14 Tishrei - R' Yisroel ben R' Shabsei Hopstein, Maggid of Koznitz, author of Avodas
Yisroel, (1814) One of the 4 primary talmidim of the Rebbe, Reb Elimelech of Lizensk
14 Tishrei - R' Benzion Bruk, Rosh Yeshivas Novardok in Yerushalayim (1985)

15 Tishrei - Yaakov Avinu (1651-1504 B.C.E.)
15 Tishrei - R' Meir Arik of Tarnow, author of Imrei Yosher and Tal Torah(1926)
15 Tishrei - R' Mordechai ben R' Yisachor Bertche Leifer of Nadvorna (1894)

16 Tishrei - R' Moshe Zacutto (1697), author of Kol Haramaz on the Zohar and the Rebbe of the Ramchal
16 Tishrei - R' Tzvi Hirsch ben R' Shlomo Shapiro of Munkach, author of Darkei Teshuva (1913) father of the Minchas Elazar
16 Tishrei - R' Yitzchak Dov Halevi Bamberger, Av Beis Din of Wurzburg(1878)
16 Tishrei - R' Shimon ben R' Yisroel of Yaraslov (1849) talmid of the Rebbe, Reb Elimelech of Lizensk and the Chozeh of Lublin, author of Toras Shimon

17 Tishrei - R' Moshe Rosen (1957), author of Nezer Hakodesh, Buried in Mt. Judah Cemetery, Queens, NY.

18 Tishrei - R' Nachman of Breslov (1810) Son of R' Simcha, the son of R' Nachman Horedenker, but usually mentioned with his mothers name, Faiga, who was the daughter of the Baal Shem Tov's daughter Udel.
18 Tishrei - R' Betzalel Rensburg, author of Haga'os Hashas (1821)
18 Tishrei - R' Yona Mertzbach, Mashgiach of Yeshiva Kol Torah
18 Tishrei - R' Naftali ben R' Yehuda of Melitz (1915)

19 Tishrei - R' Eliyahu ben R' Shlomo Zalman, the Vilna Gaon (1797) See here for a connection between the Vilna Gaon and the Yid HaKadosh
19 Tishrei - R' Yaakov Yitzchak ben R' Asher Rabinowitz, The Yid Hakadosh of Peshischa (1813) Here is another vort from the Yid HaKadosh.
19 Tishrei - R' Aharon ben R' Yisroel Friedman, the Sadigerer Rebbe, author of Kedushas Aharon (1912)
19 Tishrei - R' Yosef Moshe Ades, Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef (1991)

20 Tishrei - R' Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Cracow (1663)

20 Tishrei - R' Boruch Yosef of Sudlikov (1884) Son of R' Aryeh Leib of Sudlikov, who was a son-in-law of R' Dovid HaLevi Horowitz, who was a son-in-law of the Degel Machane Ephraim
20 Tishrei - R' Eliezer ben R' Yitzchok Papo, the Peleh Yoetz (1898)

21 Tishrei - R' Menachem Mendel ben R' Eliezer of Premishlan (1770) Talmid of the Baal Shem Tov, he was from the first to move to Eretz Yisroel.
21 Tishrei - R' Avrohom Shmuel Binyamin Sofer, the Cheshev Sofer (1961) Descendant of the Chasam Sofer
21 Tishrei - R' Dovid Moshe of Chortkov (1904) son of R' Yisroel of Ruzhin.

22 Tishrei - R' Moshe Yaakov Hakohen Ribikov, the "Shoemaker from Tel Aviv" (1967)

23 Tishrei - Rabbeinu Chanoch ben Rabbeinu Moshe of Cordova, one of the four Shevuyim (1000)
23 Tishrei - R' Dovid Jungreis, Rosh Av Beis Din Yerushalayim (1971)

24 Tishrei - R' Yaakov Yosef ben R' Tzvi HaKohen of Polnoye (1783), foremost disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, author of Toldos Yaakov Yosef, the first chasidish sefer
24 Tishrei - R' Eliyahu Guttmacher, Av Beis Din Greiditz (1874)

24 Tishrei - R' Elchonon Sorotzkin, chairman of Vaad Hayeshivos
24 Tishrei - R' Chaim Zanvil ben R' Moshe Abramowitz, the Ribnitzer Rebbe (1995) Great tzadik and baal mofes, he was a talmid of the Stefanester Rebbe. He lived in communist USSR until 1970, then moved to Eretz Yisroel and then settled in the USA. He lived the last years of his life in Monsey, NY. Buried in the Vizhnitzer Cemetery in Monsey, NY.
24 Tishrei - R' Avrohom Yehuda Leib ben R' Pnchos Zelig HaKohen Schwartz, the Kol Aryeh (1883)

25 Tishrei - R' Yom Tov Lipman Heilprin, author of Kedushas Yom Tov (1794)
25 Tishrei - R' Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, the Kedushas Levi (1809) Son of R' Meir. He is traditionally mentioned with his mothers name, Sarah Sosha.
25 Tishrei - R' Moshe ben R' Shmuel Sofer, the Chasam Sofer (1839)
25 Tishrei - R' Dovid Mattisyahu Rabinowitz, Biala Rebbe- Bnei Brak (1997) son of the Chelkas yehoshu, R' Yechiel Yehoshua of Biala

26 Tishrei - R' Asher ben R' Ahron "HaGadol", the Stoliner Rebbe (1828)

Why it's Such a Great Mitzvah to Eat Erev Yom Kippur

Why is it such a great mitzvah to eat on Erev Yom Kippur? Because when we realize the dread and awe of Yom Kippur, we have no desire to eat, yet we force ourselves to eat, since we are commanded to do so. (The Rebbe, Reb Elimelech of Lizensk)

9-12 Tishrei Yartzeits

9 Tishrei – R' Yitzchak Shmelkes, the Bais Yitzchak of Lemberg
9 Tishrei - R' Avrohom Saba, author of Tzror Hama'or (after 1500)
9 Tishrei - R' Avrohom Abale ben R' Chaim HaLevi Gumbeiner of Kalish (1682), the Magen Avrohom

9 Tishrei - R' Elazar Nisan ben R' Moshe of Drobitich (1854) son of the Yismach Moshe and father of the Yetev Lev
9 Tishrei - R' Yitzchak Zev ben R' Chaim Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rov (1959)
9 Tishrei - R' Eliezer Zusman Sofer, author of Et Sofer (1902)

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10 Tishrei - Reb Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel ben R' Yosef Meir Twersky (1987), Machnovker Rebbe of Bnei Brak
10 Tishrei - Rebbi Akiva ben Yosef HY"D (153) Rebbi Yehuda Hanassi was born on that day.
10 Tishrei - R' Achai Gaon (511)
10 Tishrei - R' Yehuda Leib HaLevi Ashlag of Yerushalayim (1954), author of the Sulam on Zohar
10 Tishrei - R' Moshe Yitzchak ben R' Naftali Elimelech Gewirtzman of Antwerp, Known as Reb Itzikel of Pshevorsk (1976). Great beloved tzadik. He was a descendant of the Noam Elimelech and was said to be from the 36 hidden tzadikim.
10 Tishrei - R' Naftali Chaim ben R' Meir of Dzhikov (1894)
10 Tishrei - R' Avrohom Binyamin Silberberg, Pittsburgher Rov

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11 Tishrei - R' Huna berei Mar Zutra
11 Tishrei - Mar bar Rav Ashi (466)
11 Tishrei - R' Tavyomi (350)
11 Tishrei - Rabbeinu Yitzchak Halevi of Speyer (1133), the Rivoh, a talmid of Rashi
11 Tishrei - R' Avraham Abish of Frankfurt (1769), the Birchas Avrohom

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12 Tishrei - R' Avraham the Malach (1776), son of the Magid of Mezritch, R' Dov Ber

We Would Never Finish Confessing

Someone once asked the Rebbe, Reb Bunim of Peshischa, "Why is the Vidui confesion in alphabetical order, Ashamnu, Bogadnu…?

The Rebbe answered, "If it wasn't in alphabetical order, we would never be able to finish confessing"!

Back from Uman

Rosh Hashona in Uman was a great and uplifting spiritual experience, as usual. I will hopefully get around to writing about it sometime in the future. In the meantime you can read one persons experience here.

7-8 Tishrei Yartzeits

7 Tishrei - Zevulun ben Yaakov Avinu (1438 B.C.E.)
7 Tishrei - R' Dovid Oppenheim of Nikolsburg-Prague (1736)

8 Tishrei - R' Noach ben R' Mordechai of Lechovitch (1833)

Ksiva Vechasima Tova

I probably will not be posting until about September 19. I am off to Uman for Rosh Hashona. I will IY"H, visit the kvarim of other tzadikim also. I will have everyone in mind; all of Klal Yisroel is, after all, one neshoma. You can still send a kvitel if you would like. (I will not have time to write it over in Hebrew so either scan it in Hebrew, write it in "Word" or just write it in English.) If anyone is interested in subsidized flights to Uman, see here.

Ksiva Vechasima Tova to all of Klal Yisroel. May we all be inscribed in the book of Tzadikim Gemurim.

23 Elul - Anniversary of 9/11

This Thursday, 23 Elul,  will be the 6^th anniversary of 9/11, on the Jewish calendar. That is the day when so many innocent man and women were murdered in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon and the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. Among those killed were many Yidden from our neighborhoods.  

Hashem Yinkom Domom

 

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Saved by Shnaim Mikra

 

The following story I heard from a Rov, who knows the family, and spoke to the man involved to verify its authenticity:

                                                 

This man was the type that we would call a "Yeke". (A German Jew, they are known to always be very punctual ) He had the same procedure everyday; he would be in his office, on one of the high floors of the World Trade Center, everyday by 8:30 AM. (I don't remember the exact time, but he was always in his office on time.) He was one that was always careful to be read the parsha of the week Shnaim Mikra V'Echod Targum, and to finish by Shabbos. For some reason that week he did not finish the parsha on time.

 

As he stepped off the train on the morning of September 11, 2001, he remembered that he didn't read the parsha. It was a Tuesday morning, which halacha says is the next best time to finish the parsha. So, he sat down in the subway station and read the parsha Shnaim Mikra V'Echod Targum. Partway through, he heard a huge explosion, and the rest is history.

 

Chazal say that one who is carefull to read the parsha Shnaim Mikra V'Echon Targum will have his days and years lengthened. This man actually saw this in action.

 

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Rav Mattisyahu Salomon's Shmooze on the Eve of 9/11

 

Right after the attacks of 9/11, everyone was talking about the speech that Rav Mattisyahu Salomon, the Mashgiach of Lakewood Yeshiva, had given Monday night, the night before 9/11. The speech is included in his book With Hearts Full of Faith. Here is a small part of what he said:

 

We all think, coming into Rosh hashona, that we are going to live and just need to negotiate the terms; how much money, health, etc. We need to beg Hashem for our very lives; that we should live out the year.

 

There are so many Yishmaelim in Brooklyn. What would happen if chas v'Sholom they decide to make a jihad against the Yidden. There are cities in Europe where so many great Jews and Rabbis lived, and now there is no trace of them. Someone once said, "imagine if one day they bring Jews to Boro Park and say that Jews once lived here".

 

After the attacks, people realized that this musar schmooze, given a week before Rosh Hashona, was definitely inspired with Siyata DiShmaya.

 

May we see the Geula Shleima speedily in our days.

 

Pruzbul

Although most authorities hold a pruzbul is needed at the end of shmita, the Rosh and others say to also make a pruzbul before shmita. For those interested, you can fill out a pruzbul online, or you can click on the picture above, print it out and fill it out yourself, with your own "Bais Din".

22 Elul - 6 Tishrei Yartzeits

22 Elul - Rabeinu Yaakov ben R' Moshe HaLevi Segal Moellin of Mainz (1427), the Maharil, the primary source of Minhagei Ashkenaz

22 Elul - R' Mordechai Dov Twerski of Hornesteipel ben R' Meshulam Zusia Ytzchok. He was a descendant, ben avcher ben, from the Rebbe, Reb Zusia of Anipoli. He was raised by his maternal grandfather, the Cherkasser Rebbe, after his father died, so he adopted the his family name, Twerski. See Heichal HaNegina for more.

 

23 Elul - R' Uri "the Seraph" of Strelisk (1826) ben R' Pinchos, his main Rebbe was R' Shlomo of Karlin
23 Elul - R' Meir Yehuda Getz, R' of the Kosel and Rosh Yeshivas Beit El (1995)
23 Elul - R' Yitzchak Menachem Mendel Danziger (1942), the Alexander Rebbe, killed in Treblinka with eight of his children HY"D, he was the son of R' Shmuel Tzvi of Alexander

 

24 Elul - Chabakuk Hanavi (c. 480 B.C.E.)
24 Elul - R' Yisroel Meir ben R' Aryeh Zev HaKohen Kagan (1933), the Chofetz Chaim
24 Elul - R' Yechezkel Abramsky (1976), Rov of Slutsk and London, author of Chazon Yechezkel

25 Elul - R' Elazar (102 C.E) ben R' Shimon bar Yochai
25 Elul - R' Yechiel Michel (1786) ben R' Yitzchok, the Maggid of Zlotchov, talmid of the Baal Shem Tov

 

27 Elul - R' Noson Adler, Rebbe of the Chasam Sofer
27 Elul - R' Sholom ben R' Elazar Rokeach (1855), the first Belzer Rebbe, known as the Sar Sholom 

28 Elul - Shaul Hamelech and his three sons died in Gilboa 4 months after Shmuel Hanavi's death (878 B.C.E)
28 Elul - R' Chaim Yehuda Leib ben R' Avrohom Dov Auerbach (1954), Rosh Yeshiva Sha'ar Hashomayim, father of R' Shlomo Zalman

29 Elul - R' Yaakov Halevi Lipschutz, secretary of Rav Yitzchok Elchonon Spector and author of Zichron Yaakov

1 Tishrei - Sara Imeinu
1 Tishrei - R' Amnon of Mainz HY"D(1012)
1 Tishrei - R' Meir Yehuda Leibush, The Malbim
1 Tishrei - R' Yaakov Dovid Wilovsky of Slutzk, Chicago and Tzefas, known as the Ridbaz

 

2 Tishrei - R' Yisroel Lipshitz (1860) Tiferes Yisroel

2 Tishrei - R' Yisroel ben R' Asher of Stolin (1868) known as the "Yenuka" after being crowned Rebbe at the age of 4. He is also know as the "Frankfurter" since he is buried in Frankfurt.

 

3 Tishrei - Gedalia ben Achikam (422 B.C.E.)

3 Tishrei - R' Naftali Trop (1930) Rosh Yeshiva in Radin, his sforim on Gemara are used in many Yeshivas.

3 Tishrei - R' Shimon Noson Nota ben R' Dovid Tzvi Shlomo Biderman of Lelov (1929)

3 Tishrei - R' Noson Sternhartz (1972) son of  the author of Kochav Lev, the leader of Breslov, R' Avrohom, great-grandson of R' Noson of Breslov

 

4 Tishrei - Baal Shem of Michelshtat, R' Yitzchok Aryeh (Zekel Leib) Wormser (1847), numerous people go to his kever on the yartzeit and throughout the year. Here is a book with his bio.

4 Tishrei - R' Avrohom Danziger (1820) Author of Chaye Adam and Chochmas Adam

4 Tishrei - R' Boruch Refoel Soloveitchik, son of the Brisker Rov, R' Yitzchok Zev

 

5 Tishrei - Naftali ben Yaakov Avinu

5 Tishrei - R' Boruch Sholom HaLevi Ashlag (1991) His father, R' Yehuda Leib was the great Mekubal, the Baal HaSulam on Zohar.

 

6 Tishrei - R' Aryeh Leib ben R' Boruch (1811), the legendary "Shpole Zeide". See Dixie Yid for a fascinating explanation, from R' Yizchok Meir Morgenstern, of the machlokes between R' Nachman of Breslov and the Shpole Zeide

 

Great Story from Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh Author's American trip

Great Story from Bilvavi Mishkan Evneh Author's American trip

Bilvavi Shiurim Download

Dixie Yid has All Bilvavi Shiurim From United States Visit Available for Download

Sponsored Flights to Uman

As in the past couple of years, there is someone partially sponsoring flights to Uman for Rosh Hashona, for those that have never had the zchus of going before. I believe you have to show up in person to the Breslover Shul in Boro Park to be eligible. For hours, location and all the details, call 718-878-4222.