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The Holy Ushpizin in Bobov: “Fortunate is the One who Sees All This”
There was an elevated spiritual feeling and a physical and spiritual uplifting during the Sukkos festival in the Bobov chassidic court. Etrog presents a complete description of the Bobov chassidim’s Sukkos – in the shade of pure faith – day by day, hour by hour.
Yosef Feffer 14/10/2009 16:51
Thousands of Bobov chassidim recently finished celebrating the festival days, the days of the month of Tishrei, in an elevated atmosphere in the shade of the holiness of Maran HaAdmor of Bobov, shlit’a.
As has always been for many years, Bobov Chassidus invested a very great effort in building the especially magnificent sukkah, in all of its glory. This work included gates and crowns that were built by the Yeshivah students during the Yeshivah intersession, when they have time off from their Yeshivah studies. This is a tradition of many years that started with the first Admor of Bobov ztz’l and even previously with HaRav HaKodesh of Rapshitz ztz’l who were concerned throughout the entire year about the beauty of their sukkah. Indeed, the Sukkah built this year was a thing of beauty; every item in the Sukkah has deep meaning as well.
The vast throngs of chassidim already began to arrive during the first days of Sukkos, so that by the time of the Tisch on the second night of Sukkos, when the Simchas Beis HaSho’eivah took place, the masses had thronged to the holy abode of the chassidic court. It was a very emotionally moving moment when the Admor shlit’a stood up to sing the melody of “Ha’ederes v’ha’emunah” with enthusiasm and rejoicing.
The tradition in Bobov is that all the chassidim of every age make a blessing on the Admor’s set of the four species in his huge sukkah. This is a fascinating sight, as each one of the large groups stand in line to bless with another one of the four species of the Admor.
Every day many chassidim arrive to take in the spectacle of the avodas hakodesh of waving the four species and reciting the Hallel. Each chapter is sung with a different melody; and the Admor concludes each one. The avodah of waving the species takes a very long time since they sing all the traditional melodies passed down from our holy ancestors during the waving of the four species.
Every evening during Chol HaMoed thousands of chassidim visited the huge sukkah during the Tisch. High bleachers were erected to provide place for all the chassidic men that come from every chareidi neighborhood and also from outside the city of New York.
At the beginning of the Tisch the Bobov tradition is that dozens of avreichim and bochurim stand behind the Admor and play inspiring and joyous melodies on violins; these melodies are connected to the Ushpizin, while the entire congregation sings along with them. The Admor shlit’a spoke words of Torah every evening, spicing his holy words with drush and remez, as well as words of encouraging mussar.
Scores of admorim and rabbis flocked to the sukkah during the days of Sukkos to participate in the Tisch and they provided an esteemed presence at the dais of honor.
The holy dancing that took place after the Tisch was a glorious sight to behold. The entire congregation broke out into exuberant dancing in the tradition of Bobov (hand upon the shoulder). During this time the Admor shlit’a stood in his place and encouraged the dancing and singing from his place.
On a number of evenings during Chol HaMoed the Admor shlit’a handed out prizes and certificates to bochurim who excelled in their studies and were even tested on entire mesachtos and areas of halachah.
Towards the last days of the Chag even more chassidim arrived to spend time with the Admor shlit’a in the holy court. The communal activists in charge of hachnasas orchim of Bobov worked extra hours to provide lodging and meals for everyone in the best possible way.
Hoshanah Rabbah was an elevated spiritual event in its own right. The evening began with the reading of the Mishneh Torah, and was followed by the recital of the entire Sefer Tehillim which continued throughout the entire night. The Tisch on the night of Hoshanah Rabbah is considered the main Tisch of the entire Sukkos, and the sukkah is filled until there is not even any standing place, although it is very late at night. The Admor shlit’a appears at the Tisch at only 2:00 in the morning.
During the Tisch the violins play the melodies of the Yamim HaNoraim. It is difficult to describe the spiritual feeling evoked by the experience. At the end of the Tisch the Admor shlit’a spoke his holy words, and beseeched Hashem for kindness and mercy for His people Israel. The Admor shlit’a also tasted a number of foods with the silver spoon that once belonged to Maran Baal HaKedushas Tzion ztz’l, one of the few possessions that survived the Holocaust.
After reciting Tehillim with the congregation, the Admor shlit’a returned to his abode where he bound the willow branches used for Hoshonos until the light of dawn.
On the day of Hoshanah Rabbah the Admor shlit’a entered the Beis Midrash for the prayers dressed in special garments like a Kohein Gadol, wearing the kippah of HaRav HaKodesh of Sanz and HaRav HaKodesh of Shinova zy’a. The waving of the lulav and esrog took the Admor shlit’a a very long time, and during the avodah the congregation sang the familiar melody of Tefillas Neilah of Yom Kippur.
The tefillos of the Hoshonos were recited by the Admor shlit’a who cried out with a holy fire, and from time to time his voice choked with weeping, while the entire congregation cried out after him, “Hoshana…”
From a spiritual arousal for rejoicing they moved to the piyutim of “Kol mevaser v’omer” while the Admor shlit’a sang them and danced in his place, and then continued with the Kaddish Tiskabeil in a tune of rejoicing. Thereupon, they struck the floor with their willow branches.
The Tisch on the day of Hoshanah Rabbah began at a very late time, but despite this there was a very large assembly. During the Tisch, which was relatively short, the Admor shlit’a sang the melodies of “Ha’azurim b’ahav” and “V’tisgav lavadcha,” as he danced with all his strength and the congregation sang along with him.
After the conclusion of the tefillos until the time of Shemini Atzeres the communal activists worked hard to arrange the Beis Midrash for the upcoming Hakafos. It is worthy to note that the Bobov Beis Midrash is one of the largest today in New York. Despite this, the place was too small to contain the thousands of chassidim who came to see and reflect upon the avodas hakodesh of Maran HaAdmor of Bobov shlit’a as he danced with the Sefer Torah.
The Hakafos of Shemini Atzeres took only a short amount of time and were finished after an hour and a half, whereupon the congregation hurried to the Tisch, during which the Admor shlit’a sang the melody “Amunim asher ne’asfu” with special enthusiasm.
On the morning they danced short Hakafos according to the tradition of the Rapshitz chassidic courts. During the Tefillas Mussaf the Admor shlit’a honored his brother-in-law, HaGaon HaTzaddik Av Beis Din of Bobov shlit’a with the Tefillas Geshem. The tefillah was said with tremendous arousal as the congregation beseeched for the rain of blessing that will fall with an influence of goodness from Heaven.
In the late afternoon hours the Admor shlit’a appeared for the ceremony of parting from the sukkah. The sukkah was filled with throngs of chassidim again who did not want to miss out on this spiritually elevated event. The Admor shlit’a passed out apples which are known to be a segulah for yeshuos tovos and bearing children.
Close to midnight thousands of chassidim began to gather in the Bobov Beis Midrash HaGadol for the Hakafos of the second night. After davening Maariv they sang the piyutim of the Baal HaChareidim and began the Hakafos at a very late hour.
Someone who has never experienced it could never understand it. The palpable excitement was awesome and the sight was wondrous to behold. Standing on bleachers, men of all ages and of all different stature stood in cramped quarters: elders next to youths, householders next to yungerleit, bochurim and youngsters, all on the bleachers, in order to gaze at the avodas hakodesh of the Rebbe shlit’a who invested every ounce of his strength as he danced with tremendous enthusiasm in the middle of the Beis Midrash. The climax of the event was when the Admor shlit’a passed the Sefer Torah to one of the important members of the congregation and danced opposite the Sefer Torah and encouraged the singing with his hand movements. At that time the singing intensified and swept everyone to an elevated state of rejoicing.
During the seventh Hakafah the Admor shlit’a is accustomed to ask his brother-in-law HaGaon HaTzaddik Av Beis Din of Bobov shlit’a to join him with the dancing and at that point the singing reaches a new peak of intensity. After all the Hakafos the congregation went down from the bleachers and danced in a circle in honor of the Torah. For many hours they danced in this manner until morning arrived.
Close to daybreak the Admor shlit’a entered to make Kiddush. This Tisch was also relatively very short, and they managed to bentch birchas hamazon just before daybreak.
The next day the tefillos and Hakafos were relatively shorter. Afterwards, the community went to a large Kiddush that was prepared for them.
Towards the afternoon the Admor shlit’a returned to the Beis Midrash and after the reading of the Torah for Chassan Torah and Chassan Bereishis he alighted onto the Bimah and began the melody of “Sisu v’simchu b’simchas haTorah.” For a number of the verses he danced on the Bimah to the tune of “Torah hu Eitz Chaim” and “Ashreichem Yisrael, Ashreichem Yisrael” as the entire congregation danced while standing in their place.
After the Chag was over they began the ceremony of Neilas HaChag. For many hours the thousands of chassidim stood and sang the melodies of Sukkos, and at the end they broke into enthusiastic dancing led by the Admor shlit’a.
Immediately after Maariv, just as it’s mentioned in the Machzor of Yom Kippur – “They made a Yom Tov when the Kohein Gadol left the Holy of Holies” – the thousands of chassidim gathered outside the Beis Midrash for the “Maamad HaBegleitin.” With awesome singing they accompanied the Admor shlit’a along 15th Avenue until his home, the holy abode. Once there, he came out to the porch to bless the gathering with his holy blessing. The Admor shlit’a asked the bochurim and avreichim “to return to the Gemara.” This was the conclusion of the chain of spectacular Chagim in the chassidic court of Bobov.
As has always been for many years, Bobov Chassidus invested a very great effort in building the especially magnificent sukkah, in all of its glory. This work included gates and crowns that were built by the Yeshivah students during the Yeshivah intersession, when they have time off from their Yeshivah studies. This is a tradition of many years that started with the first Admor of Bobov ztz’l and even previously with HaRav HaKodesh of Rapshitz ztz’l who were concerned throughout the entire year about the beauty of their sukkah. Indeed, the Sukkah built this year was a thing of beauty; every item in the Sukkah has deep meaning as well.
The vast throngs of chassidim already began to arrive during the first days of Sukkos, so that by the time of the Tisch on the second night of Sukkos, when the Simchas Beis HaSho’eivah took place, the masses had thronged to the holy abode of the chassidic court. It was a very emotionally moving moment when the Admor shlit’a stood up to sing the melody of “Ha’ederes v’ha’emunah” with enthusiasm and rejoicing.
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| Chassidim playing violins as the custom of the Sanz Court [צלם] |
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| At the table of the Ushpizin (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| The assembly at a Tisch on Chol HaMoed (Etrog) [צלם] |
The tradition in Bobov is that all the chassidim of every age make a blessing on the Admor’s set of the four species in his huge sukkah. This is a fascinating sight, as each one of the large groups stand in line to bless with another one of the four species of the Admor.
Every day many chassidim arrive to take in the spectacle of the avodas hakodesh of waving the four species and reciting the Hallel. Each chapter is sung with a different melody; and the Admor concludes each one. The avodah of waving the species takes a very long time since they sing all the traditional melodies passed down from our holy ancestors during the waving of the four species.
Every evening during Chol HaMoed thousands of chassidim visited the huge sukkah during the Tisch. High bleachers were erected to provide place for all the chassidic men that come from every chareidi neighborhood and also from outside the city of New York.
At the beginning of the Tisch the Bobov tradition is that dozens of avreichim and bochurim stand behind the Admor and play inspiring and joyous melodies on violins; these melodies are connected to the Ushpizin, while the entire congregation sings along with them. The Admor shlit’a spoke words of Torah every evening, spicing his holy words with drush and remez, as well as words of encouraging mussar.
Scores of admorim and rabbis flocked to the sukkah during the days of Sukkos to participate in the Tisch and they provided an esteemed presence at the dais of honor.
The holy dancing that took place after the Tisch was a glorious sight to behold. The entire congregation broke out into exuberant dancing in the tradition of Bobov (hand upon the shoulder). During this time the Admor shlit’a stood in his place and encouraged the dancing and singing from his place.
On a number of evenings during Chol HaMoed the Admor shlit’a handed out prizes and certificates to bochurim who excelled in their studies and were even tested on entire mesachtos and areas of halachah.
Towards the last days of the Chag even more chassidim arrived to spend time with the Admor shlit’a in the holy court. The communal activists in charge of hachnasas orchim of Bobov worked extra hours to provide lodging and meals for everyone in the best possible way.
Hoshanah Rabbah was an elevated spiritual event in its own right. The evening began with the reading of the Mishneh Torah, and was followed by the recital of the entire Sefer Tehillim which continued throughout the entire night. The Tisch on the night of Hoshanah Rabbah is considered the main Tisch of the entire Sukkos, and the sukkah is filled until there is not even any standing place, although it is very late at night. The Admor shlit’a appears at the Tisch at only 2:00 in the morning.
During the Tisch the violins play the melodies of the Yamim HaNoraim. It is difficult to describe the spiritual feeling evoked by the experience. At the end of the Tisch the Admor shlit’a spoke his holy words, and beseeched Hashem for kindness and mercy for His people Israel. The Admor shlit’a also tasted a number of foods with the silver spoon that once belonged to Maran Baal HaKedushas Tzion ztz’l, one of the few possessions that survived the Holocaust.
After reciting Tehillim with the congregation, the Admor shlit’a returned to his abode where he bound the willow branches used for Hoshonos until the light of dawn.
On the day of Hoshanah Rabbah the Admor shlit’a entered the Beis Midrash for the prayers dressed in special garments like a Kohein Gadol, wearing the kippah of HaRav HaKodesh of Sanz and HaRav HaKodesh of Shinova zy’a. The waving of the lulav and esrog took the Admor shlit’a a very long time, and during the avodah the congregation sang the familiar melody of Tefillas Neilah of Yom Kippur.
The tefillos of the Hoshonos were recited by the Admor shlit’a who cried out with a holy fire, and from time to time his voice choked with weeping, while the entire congregation cried out after him, “Hoshana…”
From a spiritual arousal for rejoicing they moved to the piyutim of “Kol mevaser v’omer” while the Admor shlit’a sang them and danced in his place, and then continued with the Kaddish Tiskabeil in a tune of rejoicing. Thereupon, they struck the floor with their willow branches.
The Tisch on the day of Hoshanah Rabbah began at a very late time, but despite this there was a very large assembly. During the Tisch, which was relatively short, the Admor shlit’a sang the melodies of “Ha’azurim b’ahav” and “V’tisgav lavadcha,” as he danced with all his strength and the congregation sang along with him.
After the conclusion of the tefillos until the time of Shemini Atzeres the communal activists worked hard to arrange the Beis Midrash for the upcoming Hakafos. It is worthy to note that the Bobov Beis Midrash is one of the largest today in New York. Despite this, the place was too small to contain the thousands of chassidim who came to see and reflect upon the avodas hakodesh of Maran HaAdmor of Bobov shlit’a as he danced with the Sefer Torah.
The Hakafos of Shemini Atzeres took only a short amount of time and were finished after an hour and a half, whereupon the congregation hurried to the Tisch, during which the Admor shlit’a sang the melody “Amunim asher ne’asfu” with special enthusiasm.
On the morning they danced short Hakafos according to the tradition of the Rapshitz chassidic courts. During the Tefillas Mussaf the Admor shlit’a honored his brother-in-law, HaGaon HaTzaddik Av Beis Din of Bobov shlit’a with the Tefillas Geshem. The tefillah was said with tremendous arousal as the congregation beseeched for the rain of blessing that will fall with an influence of goodness from Heaven.
In the late afternoon hours the Admor shlit’a appeared for the ceremony of parting from the sukkah. The sukkah was filled with throngs of chassidim again who did not want to miss out on this spiritually elevated event. The Admor shlit’a passed out apples which are known to be a segulah for yeshuos tovos and bearing children.
Close to midnight thousands of chassidim began to gather in the Bobov Beis Midrash HaGadol for the Hakafos of the second night. After davening Maariv they sang the piyutim of the Baal HaChareidim and began the Hakafos at a very late hour.
Someone who has never experienced it could never understand it. The palpable excitement was awesome and the sight was wondrous to behold. Standing on bleachers, men of all ages and of all different stature stood in cramped quarters: elders next to youths, householders next to yungerleit, bochurim and youngsters, all on the bleachers, in order to gaze at the avodas hakodesh of the Rebbe shlit’a who invested every ounce of his strength as he danced with tremendous enthusiasm in the middle of the Beis Midrash. The climax of the event was when the Admor shlit’a passed the Sefer Torah to one of the important members of the congregation and danced opposite the Sefer Torah and encouraged the singing with his hand movements. At that time the singing intensified and swept everyone to an elevated state of rejoicing.
During the seventh Hakafah the Admor shlit’a is accustomed to ask his brother-in-law HaGaon HaTzaddik Av Beis Din of Bobov shlit’a to join him with the dancing and at that point the singing reaches a new peak of intensity. After all the Hakafos the congregation went down from the bleachers and danced in a circle in honor of the Torah. For many hours they danced in this manner until morning arrived.
Close to daybreak the Admor shlit’a entered to make Kiddush. This Tisch was also relatively very short, and they managed to bentch birchas hamazon just before daybreak.
The next day the tefillos and Hakafos were relatively shorter. Afterwards, the community went to a large Kiddush that was prepared for them.
Towards the afternoon the Admor shlit’a returned to the Beis Midrash and after the reading of the Torah for Chassan Torah and Chassan Bereishis he alighted onto the Bimah and began the melody of “Sisu v’simchu b’simchas haTorah.” For a number of the verses he danced on the Bimah to the tune of “Torah hu Eitz Chaim” and “Ashreichem Yisrael, Ashreichem Yisrael” as the entire congregation danced while standing in their place.
After the Chag was over they began the ceremony of Neilas HaChag. For many hours the thousands of chassidim stood and sang the melodies of Sukkos, and at the end they broke into enthusiastic dancing led by the Admor shlit’a.
Immediately after Maariv, just as it’s mentioned in the Machzor of Yom Kippur – “They made a Yom Tov when the Kohein Gadol left the Holy of Holies” – the thousands of chassidim gathered outside the Beis Midrash for the “Maamad HaBegleitin.” With awesome singing they accompanied the Admor shlit’a along 15th Avenue until his home, the holy abode. Once there, he came out to the porch to bless the gathering with his holy blessing. The Admor shlit’a asked the bochurim and avreichim “to return to the Gemara.” This was the conclusion of the chain of spectacular Chagim in the chassidic court of Bobov.
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| During a Tisch. Seen here are the Admorim of Tziashnov, Beled, and Beitish (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| The Admor blesses his congregation with a L’Chaim Tovim u’L’Shalom (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| The Bobover Rebbe dancing after a Tisch (Etrog)[צלם] |
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| The chassidim with their special customary dancing after a Tisch (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| The Bobover chassidim pass by to make a blessing on the Rebbe’s Four Species (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| The Bobover Rebbe at the Tisch on Hoshanah Rabbah (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| The Bobover Rebbe arranges the willows for Hoshanah Rabbah (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| Tefillos on the day of Hoshanah Rabbah (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| The chassidim during the tefillos of Hoshanah Rabbah (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| The Rebbe dancing during the melody of “Tisgav Lavadcha” on Hoshanah Rabbah (Etrog)[צלם] |
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| The Tisch during Neilas HaChag (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| The children of Bobov carry torches to accompany the Bobover Rebbe home after Simchas Torah (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| The holy congregation on Motzaei Yom Tov opposite the Bobover Rebbe’s home, receiving his blessing (Etrog) [צלם] |
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| The Bobover Rebbe blesses the congregation of thousands with his holy blessing (Etrog) [צלם] |
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