Great Demand for the Belz Tish

B"H

The Israeli summer is hot and dry. So far, we have not seen any rain since April. Maybe a few drops when the winter season started a few weeks ago, but the real rain showers have not yet started. As everybody can imagine, we desperately need rain and sometimes when it does not rain enough, leading rabbis announce special rain prayers at the Kotel (Western Wall). Nothing in Israel should be taken for granted and we always have to pray. Even for rain.

When I walked with my friend to Rabbi Mordechai Machlises Shabbat dinner last night, it started raining and we arrived a kind of wet. A Chassid told us that, again, the Rebbes of Toldot Aharon and Toldot Avraham Yitzchak are gone. Beit Shemesh, abroad, wherever.
"Well, they have money", added the Chassid sarcastically.

As the Rebbe of Chassidut Dushinsky is abroad as well (for another two weeks or so), we decided to leave the Machlis house earlier and go to Belz. At least, the rain had stopped when we started walking at 9pm. It is always exciting walking through haredi neighbourhoods on Erev Shabbat. Maalot Dafna, passing the Sadigora Synagogue, turning into Bar Ilan Street, Eli HaCohen, passing Czernobyl and Satmar, and finally standing in front of the impressive gigantic Belz Synagogue.

The Belz Tish was packed. Hundreds of people were there and we were lucky finding a good place to stand and watch Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeach and his Chassidim. Not all the participants were chassidic, as there were many national religious and litvishe as well.

To me, the Belz Tish sometimes appears to me a little boring. No songs and dances as at Toldot Aharon or Avraham Yitzchak. No real "action". Rebbe Rokeach sits, eats and prays, says "Git Shabbes" and that is about it. He has quite a few "servants" around him. One is moving his chair back and forth and others serve him wine and food. Everything is pretty organized. They even have guys watching over the people to be quiet. There is no talking when the Rebbe speaks.

The Ezrat Nashim was packed as well. It did not take too long and a group of Israelis showed up who wanted to see a chassidic Tish. As everyone was standing on each others feet, we speedily came into contact with other women. "Well, said one woman next to me, if her father had not favoured Zionism, she and her family would still belong to Satmar". Although she was anything but chassidic any more, she knew Yiddish and many details about Chassidim and their lives. While we were talking, four young Toldot Aharon guys walked into the Belz Tish. As you can surely imagine, this was a kind of unusual, as Belz has still some disagreements going on with the Edah HaCharedit. However, one Belzer Chassid once told me that the "war" is not as bad any more as it used to be years ago. "Everything has changed a little and the former Toldot Aharon Rebbe, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kahn z"tl, died long ago and his sons are somehow less extreme.

The Toldot Aharon guys walked in very carefully. After less than a minute they left but came in again shortly after. It was funny to see them standing in the middle of all the in black dressed Belzer Chassidim (On Shabbat, Toldot Aharon Chassidim wear light brown coats). No one said a word to them and nothing exciting happened. I even think that Toldot Aharon was rather bored at Belz.

The only excitement at the Ezrat Nashim was the elderly Chassid coming in and shouting "Shshshsh !" He was in charge of the women's silence and it was quite funny see him walking and around with his "Shshsh". Especially the Israeli group had a great laugh and they even imitated him loudly. The Chassid got upset but kept himself under controll.

At 11pm, the Tish was over and as soon as Rebbe Rokeach gets up, all his Chassidim jump after him and sing "Shabbes Koidesh".
On our way back through Mea Shearim we found the synagogue of the almost unknown chassidic group "Mishkenot Ha'Roim". I wonder if they let anyone joining the synagogue service when he is not really anti - Zionist.

Next Friday, we definitely go to Karlin for Maariv and then we will see what else is on.