NEW UPDATE: Rosh Hashanah – in Uman!

UPDATE SEPT 15 FROM RABBI ARUSH:

The Big Deal 

So much has been said about Uman Rosh Hashanah, but the words of Rebbe Nachman himself sum it up best: 

“My Rosh Hashanah is a big chiddush (new concept). Hashem knows that this thing is not an inheritance that I received from my forefathers; He just gave it to me as a present, that I know what Rosh Hashanah really is. You are not the only ones who are dependent upon my Rosh Hashanah – the whole world depends on my Rosh Hashanah!” 

Everyone who goes to Uman for Rosh Hashanah - they and their families are written in the Book of Life already during Maariv (evening prayers) at the beginning of the holiday!  

There are spiritual rectifications which even Rebbe Nachman cannot do during the course of the year, but when someone comes over Rosh Hashanah, then and only then can he fix them. 

Every single person counts! Rebbe Nachman teaches in Likutei Moharan that every single person exponentially increases the power of the gathering. Imagine a cube. First, one cube. Add one person – it isn’t another cube – it’s another layer. So 1x1=1 becomes 2x2 = 4. Another person, another layer – now 4x4 = 16. Each person, another layer, so the previous number become multiplied by itself. Now 16x16 =256. By the time you get to 18 people, you’re into numbers that we don’t even have the ability to count. And each time, one more person multiplies the amount! So each and every person has worth that is impossible to even count in numbers. 

Throw Out Your Reasoning 

You must simply ignore all the obstacles and JUST GO. Okay, wait you are asking – didn’t we just say that all the borders are closed? Who in their right mind goes and buys a ticket now? Why not wait until everything is worked out? 

Someone asked me that question during a Question and Answer session, and the answer is simple: Uman is going to open and when it does, the masses will all be clamoring. Who says you are going to be one of the ones who manages to get a ticket? Buy your ticket now!!! 

Overall, there is a great birur (clarification) process going on in the world right now. This is the strongest sign of the imminent coming of Moshiach that there has ever been. Who is on the side of holiness, emuna, G-d, the tzaddikim – and who not? And with this situation, now we see clearly – who is really a follower of Rebbe Nachman, who really believes in him – and who not? The real followers of Rebbe Nachman follow the lead of Rebbe Natan of Breslev, who said that even if the road to Uman was paved with knives and he had to crawl on his hands and knees – he would still go! This year is rough, but not that rough. Someone who really believes in Rebbe Nachman – he is terrified NOT go be in Uman for Rosh Hashanah! 

Don’t forget that on Rosh Hashanah your income for the year is determined! Don’t worry. How many miracles have we seen with people who prayed and found the money to go, and Hashem gave them the money back when they got home. Just go! 

I understand the people who are worried about safety or don’t have the money with the difficult financial situation in the world right now. But you don’t want to go because you’ll have to be in quarantine when you come home? This I don’t understand!  

G-d willing, it will work out, we are working on testing that might reduce the quarantine time. Even if you pray Yom Kippur alone, don’t worry – you’ll have the best  davening  you’ve ever had. Whatever it takes – just make sure you have Uman Rosh Hashanah in your pocket! 

Not an Exception – the Rule! 

This year, the gathering is Uman is going to bring the Final Redemption! This is the last Uman Rosh Hashanah. And according to the effort is the reward – you cannot imagine the rewards waiting for those who go despite all the obstacles. Rebbe Nachman will be giving out indescribable gifts. You’ll need 100 train cars to bring them all home. I hope it will fit everything…  

We see that even during regular years, there are obstacles and difficulties to get to Uman, each person his own story. But overall, it was easy – buy a ticket and go. There is food, fancy hotels, many places to pray – smooth sailing overall. But that isn’t what Rebbe Nachman wants this year! Rebbe Nachman wants the Kibbutz (Gathering) to be with prayers, with obstacles, with mesirut nefesh (self-sacrifice) – because that makes the Kibbutz so much more powerful.  

What a Rosh Hashanah this is going to be, coming into it with so much yearning and thousands of hours of prayers and counting! My students have done 6 hours of prayer about Uman Rosh Hashanah multiple times already, plus a 24 hour unbroken chain of at least 1 man and 1 woman praying about Uman at every moment, and many more additional hours – for 6 weeks already.  

Join us! Preferably an hour a day, but at least an hour a week plus 10 minutes every day. Pray that everyone who wants to get there, should get there, should get the money, should have the ability. Pray for peace – both between the Jews, and between the Jews and the non-Jews. It is especially important to pray that there should be peace, love and unity between everyone who comes to the Gathering. If there is machloket (fighting and arguments), then there is no Kibbutz, to gather together. Especially in Uman – Peace is the Most Important Thing! 

If there was ever a year to be in Uman for Rosh Hashanah, THIS IS IT! 

What about Safety? 

First of all, someone who is a shaliach mitzvah - someone who is on his way, doing, or returning from doing a mitzvah – has special protection from Heaven. If this is true of a small mitzvah – then how much more so is it true of a mitzvah, the likes of which the entire world stands, which Rebbe Nachman says is the most important thing! 

Everything will be worked out so that it is safe – do not worry about anything!  

BUT – you must follow the rules! Do not make a Chillul Hashem (desecration of G-d’s name)! Millions will be watching to see that the Breslev Chassidim follow the rules! Wear your mask, and follow all the rules! 

In the Merit of the Righteous Women 

We also see this year the axiom of the Sages, “In the merit of the righteous women we were redeemed from Egypt, and in the merit of the righteous women we will be redeemed.” Never before have I seen this so clearly unfolding before my eyes! 

Everything depends on Uman Rosh Hashanah. But a man cannot go without the permission of his wife, and even if he does, his prayers are useless, and cannot ascend. Therefore – everything depends on the women who send their husbands with incredible self-sacrifice! 

This year, not only am I seeing women giving permission to their husbands to travel even with everything, including quarantine when they finally return home – I am seeing them pushing their husbands out the door! “Whatever it takes – you must be in Uman for Rosh Hashanah!”  

More than 1,000 men came to Uman last week before the Ukraine shut the borders. Many lost the money they had already spent on flights in another week and paid another $900USD just to GO (without knowing how they will come home or how much that will cost) to fly with long layovers, just to ensure that they will be among those in Uman for Rosh Hashanah! And their wives pushed them out the door! 

Hashem is incredibly pleased and so is Rebbe Nachman. Kal hakavod! Good job! Good job to the men – and especially, good job to the incredibly important, precious and righteous women behind them! The Redemption is coming in YOUR merit!  

Everything Depends on Desire 

Remember – even if G-d forbid in the end you do not go - if you wanted to go, tried to go, prayed to go, and then you are not able – you still get the credit as if you went! And you will still have a terrific year G-d willing! Even in the worst case scenario, you cannot lose from doing everything in your power to try to get to Uman for Rosh Hashanah! 

G-d willing we should all meet this year at the tzion of Rabbeinu!