A planeload of frum guys made its way on Wednesday to Uman, in the Ukraine, for the Rosh Hashanah festivities, despite some unexpected delays (wildcat strike) at Ben Gurion airport. As most everyone visiting these pages knows, Uman is the burial place of Reb Nachman of Breslov.
Reb Nachman, the great grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of modern chassidut, taught us how to speak to God in regular conversation “as you would with a best friend.” And he taught us about hitbodedut – self-seclusion, through which we can establish a close, personal relationship with God and gain an understanding of ourselves.
I don’t expect there will be much room for seclusion in Uman this coming holiday, what with thousands of Breslovers roaming the streets and packing every standing edifice. But, maybe, if you’re really good at it, you can find yourself even in a huge crowd.
