Why I Go to Uman for Rosh HaShanah

Why do I go to Uman for Rosh HaShanah? Let me count the whys.

First of all, I go because the Rebbe said to come to him for Rosh HaShanah. This alone is sufficient reason to go. I need no other. If you have any inkling of the chassidic mind, you understand that if “the Rebbe” says to do something, the chassid does it. This is what it means to be a chassid. The Rebbe is the spiritual master and guide, and I, the chassid, am the perpetual novice.

I go for a number of personal reasons as well. Even though I live in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem, the Holy City, and regularly attend some of the local Breslov shtibels, I feel more strongly attached to Breslov as a chassidut when in Uman for Rosh HaShanah. (Thank God, I always feel connected to the Rebbe z”l, but to the chassidut most strongly when in Uman for the pilgrimage.)

I go to see my brother, who lives in New York, and my nephews and their children who also live Stateside. I go to see friends who live in California, Massachusetts, Michigan and elsewhere—including here, in Israel, whom I don’t see all year long. Catching up on each other’s lives, sharing Torah insights and struggles, offering help to newcomers and old-timers, and receiving from them as well. This, too, increases my feelings for and connection to Rebbe Nachman and Breslov chassidut.

I go to daven/pray with a minyan of 3,000-plus people, people who take their time to invest themselves in every word of prayer, screaming, shouting, swaying and singing. The nigunim/melodies alone are worth the trek. Not every prayer can be put into words. Some must be put into (or to) music.

I come to marvel at the diversity of Jews and Jewish “types” that come to Uman. I come to marvel at their self-sacrifice in making the hajj. I come to marvel at those who prepare tons of food—meals, snacks, drinks—for others, with no thought or interest in getting paid for it. I am humbled by all the volunteerism I see there.

I go to do hitbodedut in the Sofievka, an amazingly beautiful park.

I go to say the Tikkun HaKlali at the Rebbe’s grave site.

I go to speak to Rebbe Nachman z”l. Notice I write “speak,” not “pray.” We Jews pray to God and only to God. We Jews do not pray to any person, being or object whether animate, inanimate, tangible or intangible, but only to the One and Only Creator. How do I speak to a dead man? Before he passed away, Rebbe Nachman pointed out that for tzaddikim, dying is merely going from one room to another. Even though we are speaking to him from the other side of the door, he hears what we say. (In fact, he said all dead people hear what is said to them, but that not all of them are at their graves. But tzaddikim are always at theirs.) (How I hear his responses we will leave for another day.)

Returning (somewhat) to the first reason, I go because I “understand” (using the word loosely) that since Rebbe Nachman z”l uses Rosh HaShanah for tikkun haolam, my being present is a kindness for you and every member of humankind, past, present and future.

I don’t know if I recorded all the reasons I go, but these are some of them.

© Copyright 2015 148west.com/O. Bergman

Can’t Make it to Uman?

Here’s a letter I wrote to some friends who usually come to Uman for Rosh HaShanah, but can’t make it this year. Please apply whatever may work for you.

I know that you are upset/disappointed/etc. that you can’t be in Uman for this Rosh HaShanah. May I humbly suggest the following.

[1] BE HAPPY! This is not just the usual “b’simchah tamid,” (always be happy), but the simchah of the beginning  of the Seven Beggars story, when the King tells the prince to be b’simchah even when he descends the throne. That whole part of the story (the transfer of the kingdom from Father [God] to son [humankind]) is about the creation of Adam HaRishon, the first human being.

[2] Reb Yitzchok Breiter zl (of blessed memory) writes that a person who was once at the Rebbe’s tziyon (gravesite) can draw the kedushah (holiness) of the tziyon to where he is! This takes a little work.  So …

On erev Rosh HsShanah, BEFORE you come home from shul, go somewhere quiet (or just stay in shul later), close your eyes for a minute or two and picture yourself at the tziyon. Take that where you want—say Tikun Haklali and/or hisbodedus (private, personal prayer) and/or speak to the Rebbe zl. (You’re making a “long distance call,” as it were. This I confirmed with a leading Breslover whose name I will not share by email or on the web.)

If anyone asks why you came home late, say it was a long davening.

[3] On Rosh HaShanah keep your favorite sefer (work) of Rabbeinu zal at your place. You’re probably doing this anyway, but just in case.

Feel free to share with others who are staying home this year.

We will have you in mind.

kesivah v’chasimah tovah; may you and yours be written in the Book of Life, bsifran shel tzaddikim amitiyim. Amen.

Dear Mrs. Breslover

You’re right. It’s dangerous now in Ukraine. Civilian planes getting shot down by undisciplined, unled para-military forces (aka white guys with dangerous weapons pretending to defend something they think is important). Political unrest in a country with a long history of violent Antisemitism.  And your husband—God bless that fool—wants to go to Uman for Rosh HaShanah! What? Is he crazy?

If Rosh HaShanah was today, you would have a very good question and a real, legitimate cause for concern.

But Rosh HaShanah is not today.  It’s in two (2) months, eight (8) weeks, sixty (60) days. As you surely know, much can change in two months, even for the good. And you can help make that change. Instead of telling hubby, “You are definitely not going!” daven (pray) to Hashem that He bring peace to Ukraine so that it will be safe and secure, so that Jews from all over the world can travel there to be part of Rebbe Nachman zl‘s Rosh HaShanah.

I’m writing this because I know many women have already expressed these feeling to their husbands. I also know that a Jewish woman’s tefilot (prayers) are powerful; they carry a lot of weight with The One Who Lives Forever. I also know what Rebbe Nachman says about the importance of his Rosh HaShanah, not only to the individual who is privileged to directly participate, but to the Jewish people in general and to the world at large as well. And I also know that if, even at a time like this, your husband is actually thinking of going,  his presence will contribute immeasurably to the effectiveness of the Rebbe’s Rosh HaShanah.

Encourage your husband to make his reservations. Let it be tentative—”God willing you’ll be able to go and return safely”—make a back-up plan for getting there, but don’t say, “No.” Daven that he should be able to go. And God willing we will be blessed with a safe, happy and healthy new year. Amen.

© Copyright 2014  148west.com/O. Bergman

 

for Rosh Hashanah 5774

Some words as we get closer to the sunset of 5773, and the opening of 5774.

Once, at the beginning of the year, Rebbe Yochanan ben Zakkai (a Mishnaic sage who was a teacher of one of Rebbe Akiva’s teachers) had a dream. He saw that that year, his nephews were to lose 700 dinarim. (How much is that? Enough to buy more oxen and camels than you’ve ever dreamed of owning.) What did Rebbe Yochanan do? Throughout the year, he went to them more often than usual, asking them to contribute to various charities. They gave and they gave.

Near the end of the year, his nephews were hit with an unexpected tax bill. They came to Rebbe Yochanan for advice. “Don’t worry,” he said. “They won’t take more than 17 dinar.” They asked him how he was so certain. He told him about his dream. “Since you’ve given me 683 dinar, you won’t lose more than 17.”

“Why didn’t you tell us about the dream? We would have given you the whole thing!”

“No,” Rebbe Yochanan said. “It’s better that you give the charity for the sake of the mitzvah.”

I bless you with a prayer I say for myself. If, God forbid, you have to lose any money this year, may it be to worthy charities, and not to doctors/(self-)medications, lawsuits, traffic fines, late fees, penalties. May you give to the needy, not to the greedy—and for the right reasons.

I’m not big on predictions, astrological or otherwise. But I’ll go out on a limb here. Ready? Every reader of this blog will have his/her Jewishness tested this year! Hard to fathom, I know, but I guarantee it. Not to worry, though. I offer you a piece of ancient Jewish wisdom that is tried and true. If you follow it simply and straightforwardly, you’ll make it through the storm.

Don’t surrender! Maintain whatever practices and devotions (aka Torah study/mitzvah observance and prayer) that you have undertaken. Even if it looks as if they are not helping your Jewish progress; even if it seems that they are hindering it, ask yourself (in a Talmudic sing-song, if possible): “If I pray regularly and am going backwards, how likely is it that not-praying will help me go forward?”

The difference between tzaddikim and people like us? They don’t give up. Adjust, exhale, regroup and re-plan, but never, ever throw in the towel.

And what should we pray for? This is a “been asked almost forever” question. A Roshh Hashanah piyut (supplemental poem-prayer) answers in two short sentences:

Give me to understand what I should ask for /
Make me aware what I should request

If you make it to Uman, please look me up. I’m staying at the Ritz.

May you and yours be immediately written and sealed for good life and shalom. Amen.

© Copyright 2013 148west.com/O. Bergman

Getting Ready for Rosh Hashanah

One of the things we learned from our ruminations about Uman and LSD is that a big part of our spiritual—excuse me, Jewish—mission is getting along with our fellow Jews. (Of course, Rebbe Akiva put this a bit more succinctly when he said “Love your fellow as you love yourself” [Leviticus 19:18] is a major principle of the Torah [Bereishis Rabbah 24:7].)

But loving people—even if you don’t like them and even if you can’t stand them—and inter-acting civilly is not the last step. It’s the first step. The real power of love is much greater. Pardon the cliché, but the whole is far greater than the sum of its parts.

As you know, Rosh Hashanah is Yom HaDin, Judgment Day. We pray to be written in the Book of Life, for a sweet, happy and healthy new year. But that judgment thing, you know, just won’t go away. Fortunately, God also wants us to come out with a good verdict. So we have to give Him some good reason to make it come out right.

Each of us has the ability to influence the verdict. In fact, you are one of the judges. You are not the chief justice, but your opinion will not only be heard, but it will factor into the final decision. Rebbe Nachman teaches, “On Rosh Hashanah one must be wise and think only good thoughts, that God will be good to us ….” (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #21).

That means, don’t just wish for a good year, and don’t just hope for happiness and good fortune, but “be wise.” Think about what is good, what would truly be good if it happened, if it existed. “Think only good thoughts” about how you, and others, can be better at living a more wholesome Jewish life, for example. Focus and concentrate on how and in what ways “God will be good to us.”

Don’t be selfish and use your wise thinking only on you and yours. Think about your friends, neighbors, local, city, state and federal governments. (I’m not a big fan of politicians, to put it mildly. This recommendation is not for their sake, but ours, per the Mishnah [Avot 3:2], “Pray for the welfare of the government.”) Think wisely about the material misery of so many across the globe, but think even more wisely about the decline of morality and of civilization which need to be reversed.

Our individual efforts to “think only good thoughts” will have a positive impact, but only to a limited degree. The reason? Because as strongly as you or I focus on bettering the world, we are acting singly. We can mitigate the judgment only to our individual limits. But what if we thought together? What if we were so in love with one another before Rosh Hashanah that we agreed on which were the best, or most necessary, points to “be wise” about and we focused on them together?

Yeah, that would be pretty cool. Now, maybe it’s too close to Rosh Hashanah 5774 to do something globally, maybe not. But certainly, it’s not too late to discuss with some friends and fellow shul/synagogue/chaburah-goers about which “good thoughts” to think and in what ways we want “God to be good to us.” Ditto, for folks, spouse and siblings.

Uniting in peace and love, even as a small group, creates a mind much greater in scope, with much greater power. The Rebbe teaches (Rabbi Nachman’s Wisdom #62):

When thought is intensely concentrated and focused, it can exert great influence. All faculties of the mind, conscious and unconscious, down to the innermost point, must be focused without distraction. When many people do this without distraction, their thinking can actually force something to happen. (See there for a caveat!)

A final word. We usually think of “good” in material terms, “more” and “better,” “bigger” and “faster.” When Rebbe Nachman says “good” he means an eternal good beyond our comprehension—but within our ability to live.

© Copyright 2013 148west.com/O. Bergman

Uman Rosh Hashanah & LSD

On my Twitter account last week, I riddled: How is Uman Rosh Hashanah like taking LSD?

OK. Maybe you said because each is a trip. Ha, ha. Very funny. LOL. ROTFL. And probably very true. But before we go any further, I want to make TWO THINGS VERY CLEAR.

  • I do not equate the taking of LSD, or any drug, with any authentic Jewish spiritual practice (with all due respect to both the Yaqui Way and Rastafarians everywhere).
  • I DO NOT ENDORSE TAKING ANY ILLEGAL DRUGS, INCLUDING HALLUCINOGENS.

If you have never taken LSD and are curious to know what it’s like; or if you have and would like to relive the experience (while limiting the chances of a negative flashback), you may want to read Monkey, by Arthur Waley.

OK, back to the subject at hand.

One innocent responded to the riddle by saying that the two are connected by the Summer of Love “but in spirit only.” I won’t disabuse him of this latter notion, but he’s right on the first count, although I would describe Uman RH more as Human Be-In than Summer of Love.

Rebbe Nachman was very insistent that his followers be with him for Rosh Hashanah. I want to offer a reason. Even though it took place on the Sixth Day of Creation, Rosh Hashanah is the anniversary of Creation because it is the day humankind was created. Without us and our free will, all the beauty and genius of Creation is nothing but a glorified puppet show.

When we and Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge—girl souls with Eve, guy souls with Adam—all hell broke loose. We were driven from the Garden of Eden and have been trying to get back since. Rebbe Nachman, as the tikkun for/of Adam (humankind, not the guy), calls upon us to re-participate in the annual Opening Day Contest between Serpent and Human. Each year, Rebbe Nachman (with our fragmented-souls reaffixing themselves to his whole Adam-soul) fixes more and more of the damage.

Rebbe Nachman teaches that the greatest part of the RH tikkun (and really every tikkun), is the resultant right-daat, consciousness/awareness. One of the claims made by those who championed “turning on” was that it resulted in “tuning in,” being conscious of the truths of reality and the correct way to live them. It’s not necessarily apparent to us who are blessed to be part of Rebbe Nachman’s Rosh Hashanah, but somehow our consciousness and behavior are permanently altered by the experience. If we remain vigilant, the changes grow stronger within ourselves and get shared with others by osmosis.

Another Yid also got it (mostly) right, although for some reason he responded somewhat tentatively, “Both cause you to see deeper patterns in reality and make you feel outside of daily pedestrian life?” The feeling of being outside the confines of ordinary life is certainly there. This is one of the reasons that many people crash emotionally and/or spiritually (as well as physically) after Rosh Hashanah, sometimes as soon as they pull out of Uman!

As for seeing “deeper patterns in reality,” well, that depends. It has long been my contention—and Rebbe Nachman’s foremost disciple, Reb Noson, backs me up on this (Likutey Halakhot, Taanis 4:8)—that Rebbe Nachman doesn’t really “teach” anything. He says his lesson and each of us who receives the lesson hears what he is capable of hearing, i.e., what he wants to hear. Sadly, those results are sometimes antithetical to Rebbe Nachman’s mission, as well our own personal missions. Reb Noson writes that the best method for “getting it right” is to beg God (and your living teacher) to make you get it right!

Which brings us to the final (for now) part of the riddle’s answer. We will talk first of taking LSD since, in all likelihood, more people who surf the Internet have done LSD than have ever been to Uman. (That is due to change, by the way.) Broadly speaking, there are (were?) three general approaches to taking LSD. There is the Kesey “Electric Kool-Aid” School, the Hunter Thompson “Gonzo” School and the “Let’s Have Fun” School.

What each school sought is not the point here. What is important is that depending on the “why” one was going to ingest the drug, is how one would set up his environment, in order to best foster that goal. Everything that was beyond the person’s planning was viewed in terms of how it impacted on reaching the goal, fun, escape or consciousness.

Uman RH is the same. Some come for the adventure. Some come for a material and/or spiritual escape, including Rebbe Nachman’s promise, that he will pull them out of Hell, no matter what they’ve done (as long as they try their best to not do it again). Some come for daat/consciousness. Some in this last group have a specific state, level or type of daat they want to reach. Others just put themselves “on the table and let the Rebbe operate” on their minds.

Is Uman RH for you? It’s a trip. It requires physical stamina even for those coming from the Holy Land, a three-hour flight. You are (most likely) coming from a First-World country to a non-First-World country. People are coming and going at all hours of the day—and night. Your sleeping and eating patterns will be disturbed, to put it mildly. Services are much longer than usual.

It requires emotional stamina. For a week, you’re thrown into close quarters with Jews of all different types, with different levels of Jewish knowledge, commitment, sophistication, and whose level of courtesy and couth may fall far short of what you consider normal human decency.

It requires spiritual stamina. Facing the physical and emotional challenges, how patient can you remain so that you don’t fall short in your own interactions with others? How committed to maintaining your Torah-learning schedule (adjusted for travel and the holiday)? How patient to focus for davening (praying)? Can you be conscious enough to be b’simchah, to relish that you are part of something bringing humankind to its tikkun?

Do you believe in Rebbe Nachman? Is your faith in his genius and tzaddik-ness enough to cover your stamina handicaps?

© Copyright 2013 O. Bergman/148West