"Der Rebbe hat stark gebeten….."

B"H

As I am still suffering from the flue, I didn't expect too much for the past Erev Shabbat. I was rather in the mood of "leave me all alone with my running nose". Rabbi Mordechai Machlis didn't run his usual dinner - show but was celebrating the Shabbat Chatan of his oldest son Moshe. Nevertheless, Rabbi Machlis gone away over Shabbat doesn't mean that there are no public meals in his home. He always leaves his house open for everyone and he found someone else to run the regular Shabbat show.

A litvishe haredi paper had published two pictures and the headline: "Wedding at Toldot Aharon".
One picture showed the Toldot Aharon Rebbe, Rabbi David Kahn, and the other one showed his brother, the Toldot Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe, Rabbi Shmuel Yaakov Kahn. According to the paper, Rebbe Shmuel Yaakov had come over to celebrate the wedding of a grandson of the Toldot Aharon Rebbe. Therefore my plan was to find out more.

I went to the Toldot Aharon Synagogue after Shabbat dinner and, in fact, a Tish took place. The first one after at least two months. I walked in and right away asked a woman if there are Sheva Berachot tonight.

Here I have to mention that some time ago I started going to the Tishes alone and anything connected to chassidic society, I do my own. This turns out to be much better. The Chassidim respond differently when you are alone and refer to you much more.

However, the Toldot Aharon woman told me that the wedding wasn't at Toldot Aharon but at Toldot Avraham Yitzchak. "But, she added eagerly, we also have a great celebration in two weeks. A grandson of our Rebbe is getting married."

I walked into the Ezrat Nachim and found a great seat in the middle of all the Toldot Aharon women. I was sitting next to two very nice young girls and in front of me sat an elderly group member. First we were a kind of moving around until we were seated and I told the elderly lady in Yiddish that she can sit next to me, as there is enough space. Suddenly she turned around and asked: "You speak Yiddish ?" I told her yes, but rather broken. And due to my cold my voice was not the best anyway. However, this was the beginning of a long and very nice conversation. A conversation in Hebrew, by the way.

The Toldot Aharon woman asked me where I was from and where I had studied Judaism. She asked me about Chassidut and different subjects until she told me about herself. She was very nice and very open, because I mentioned that I am not really from a chassidic background but rather born into the outside world.
Then she explained me all the Rabbis sitting next to Rebbe David Kahn. I never asked her for any kind of explanation because of my sore throat but she kept on talking. To the right of the Rebbe was one his younger brothers who actually looked very much like the Rebbe himself. Then came the sons and in - laws. The lady even showed me some of the grandchildren. When I asked her about the upcoming wedding of one of the Rebbe's grandson's she and the other two girls didn't know who the bride would be. The only thing they knew was that she would not be from Toldot Aharon.

Usually the members marry within the group but the Rebbe's family mostly marries out into other chassidic groups.
I asked her if I could come to the wedding and she said that I should already come for the Shabbat Chatan. Why wait ?
So, the entire coming Shabbat I will spend with Toldot Aharon and I am very excited.

Everybody seemed to be excited that Erev Shabbat. It was a great and open atmosphere and I enjoyed it very much. Their Tish doesn't last for too long, as Rebbe David Kahn keeps a tight schedule. A short while before the Tish officially ended, the women started to leave. Just by accident, I turned around and my eyes fell on a huge green note stuck on the door. "Der Rabbi Shlit"a hat stark gebeten……… - The Rabbi Shlit"a has asked…" The Rebbe asked the women to leave the Tish at least 15 minutes before its end, as he doesn’t want everyone to leave at the same time. Women and men could gather in the streets outside and this is completely immodest.

I said "Shabbes" to the helpful woman and hope to see her again next Shabbat.

However, I had to go over to the Toldot Avraham Yitzchak and look at their Sheva Berachot. As you can imagine, Rebbe Shmuel Yaakov Kahn was in a great spiritual mood and was clapping hands, waving his arms and swinging without any end. Also Rebbitzen Channah was swinging a lot, due to their Simcha. To the Rebbe's right sat Rabbi Me'ir Brandsdorfer in a special rebbe like chair. Rabbi Me'ir Brandsdorfer is the most important member of the Toldot Avraham Yitzchak and has a high position in the Beit Din Zedek of the Edah HaCharedit.

I found another great seat and almost fell asleep. It was far after midnight and I would have gone home but was too lazy to get up. I also had to find out who the bride is, from which chassidic group. After a short while, a young Avraham Yitzchak woman sat down next to me and I asked her. She, as well as the Toldot Aharon woman I had spoken to before, was impressed that I knew so much about their Chassidut. So, she let me know right away that the bride is from the Chassidut Biale in Bnei Brak and the young couple celebrates in Bnei Brak tonight.

I didn't ask her for the exact wedding date last week, and whoever is planning to go to Sheva Berachot can go to the Avraham Yitzchak Synagogue in Mea Shearim and find out. Please take into consideration that parts of the Sheva Berachot will take place in Bnei Brak and I didn't want to find out all the days and when and where.

I just know that I will go to the Toldot Aharon wedding and I am very much looking forward to that.