Editor’s note: The annual pilgrimage of Breslover chassidim to Uman on Rosh Hashanah is the subject of much criticism in frum (and not so frum) circles. “How can people leave their wives for yom tov?” people ask. Others claim that the tens of thousands who descend upon Uman, Ukraine, cause a tremendous chillul Hashem.
Due to these criticisms – and others – we thought it only fair to allow a prominent Breslov personality an opportunity to answer these criticisms and offer an insider’s perspective on the Uman experience.
Not too long ago, Breslover chassidim were ridiculed to such an extent that many hid their identity. When their friends and neighbors would hear they were willing to leave their wives and pay thousands of dollars to travel halfway across the globe to a backward town in Ukraine for Rosh Hashanah, they would loudly conclude that Breslovers had lost their minds.
Times have thankfully changed. Today, upwards of 60,000 Jews – including prominent rabbis, politicians, intellectuals, and celebrities – join the annual pilgrimage to Uman. Many who are not (yet) Breslover chassidim come for a once-in-a-lifetime spiritual boost only to discover that they can’t fathom spending Rosh Hashanah anywhere else. What is the allure of Uman?
To describe Rosh Hashanah in Uman to the unaffiliated is nearly impossible – but I’ll try to at least provide a taste. Imagine the schlep of a lifetime. You pack your bags with whatever modern amenities you can squeeze in for a weeklong plunge into a country where most people are still living in the 18th century. Then you board an overbooked flight (or flights) to Kiev filled with ecstatic chassidim.
One thing you immediately notice is that your fellow travelers seem to have nothing in common. They hail from every conceivable background – rich, poor, religious, secular, Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and everything else. But there is one common denominator: They are spiritual seekers. Some are pious chassidim while others are just simple Yidden whose lives haven’t turned out as planned and are making the trek to Uman hoping for a new lease on life.
After the plane lands, there’s a three-hour shared van ride from Kiev to Uman. You peer through the window and see a Ukraine that’s a mix of ancient and modern, with horses and buggies alongside Mercedes SUVs and dilapidated huts leaning on soaring skyscrapers. I personally feel transported into an alternative reality. These feelings arise again when I arrive in Uman, and I think to myself, “How in the world am I going to spend an entire week in this place? What am I doing here?”
But to followers of Rebbe Nachman, the logic behind making the trip to Uman is simple: Reb Nosson, Rebbe Nachman’s preeminent student, reported: “The Rebbe once said that on Rosh Hashanah he was able to help people in ways that were beyond his ability during the rest of the year.” Indeed, the Rebbe once exclaimed, “My very essence is Rosh Hashanah!” These statements complement the Rebbe’s famous promise to help anyone who says the Tikkun HaKlali (a specific set of 10 perakim of Tehillim) beside his grave.
In Uman, people wake up at 4 a.m. and head over to his gravesite. The Rebbe’s gravesite has been converted into a shul that fits many thousands – and yet there are no seats to be had! On one side, a sea of chassidim joyously sways in study, cries and screams while saying Tehillim, and pours out their hearts in hitbodedut. Opposite them, another crowd surrounds the grave, begging Rebbe Nachman for assistance. In such a place, teshuvah and prayer flow naturally.
While historically, Breslover chassidim would travel to Uman together with their wives and children, today so many converge on a few square blocks that doing so is no longer feasible. This state of affairs demands tremendous self-sacrifice by the many wives left behind, but I believe there is good justification for it:
Can we not safely assume that most women would gladly send their husbands off on a business trip that promises to bring home a tidy sum? Why should spiritual gains be considered any less worthy? On the Day of Judgment, when so much is at stake, who wouldn’t want the help of a renowned tzaddik who promised such a great return? Furthermore, in a world where materialism constantly beckons and overwhelms, wouldn’t every wife appreciate a more spiritually-attuned husband?
Yes, many will criticize various aspects of the Uman experience, and the media always does a great job selecting the most disturbing videos and images of crazed individuals. The complaints of poor behavior and chillul Hashem actually disturb Breslover chassidim more than anyone else. But the vast majority of people who come to spend Rosh Hashanah in Uman are sincere.
Before judging the many on account of the few, please try this short exercise. Close your eyes and envision what things might look like when Mashiach arrives. You are standing with your family, friends, neighbors, and co-workers, along with all their problems and deficiencies. Now you are joined by an incredible healer who fearlessly begins to work with each person at his level, no matter his shortcomings and failings.
This is Rebbe Nachman’s pre-messianic vision of a place called Uman.