The Seventh Day of Pessach

B"H

As most of us know, according to Jewish tradition, the Israelites crossed the Red Sea on the seventh day of Pessach. This year, the seventh day was also a Shabbat and a holiday on a Shabbat always means double holiness and lots of spirituality.

After the Shabbat meal on Friday night (Erev Shabbat), my friend and I went to the chassidic Tish of the Toldot Avraham Yitzchak in the Mea Shearim market. The men's section downstairs was packed but upstairs, the Ezrat Nashim was almost empty. We got some great seats and slowly slowly, more and more women streamed inside. Even the Rebbitzen came later.

Rebbe Shmuel Yaakov Kahn was in a great spiritual mood and encouraged his Chassidim to sing. He loves songs and swinging. However, it seemed that it was only him being in a swinging mood and it took him some time to wake up his Chassidim. Usually the Rebbe succeeds.

We didn't stay to long and usually I don't like leaving the Avraham Yitzchak early, as I love their Tish .Nevertheless, we had to move on to Toldot Aharon, as I had read about a special Minhag (custom) they keep on the seventh day of Pessach, and I wanted to find out more. I had read in the book of Amnon Levy ("The Haredim") that on the seventh day of Pessach, the Toldot Aharon Chassidim spill water into their Beit Midrash and the Rebbe is dancing through it. Thus representing "Yetziat Mizraim - Crossing the Red Sea". It sounded very spiritual and I would have loved to see that.

When we got to the Toldot Aharon Tish, the place was packed. Hundreds of Chassidim and even worse, hundreds of women occupying the benches. There was no way for us climbing up the metal benches. Luckily, we found some space to stand and look through the Mechitzah. It was relatively late, midnight, and Rebbe David Kahn had just started his Tish.
Eventually we sat down on the back benches without seeing anything. However, it was interesting watching all the women going in and out. It was about after midnight when I asked a Toldot Aharon woman about the custom and when it is going to take place. And her answer proofed once more that you shouldn't trust in books but speak to the Chassidim yourself.
The custom "spilling the water in the Beit Midrash" doesn't exist at all. She told me that around 3am, the Rebbe is going to dance by himself. His Chassidim build a circle and he dances. He does it with such ecstasy that his Neshama (soul) is rising into the upper worlds and thus, the souls (Neshamot) of the Chassidim are rising as well.

When I asked her if all the women were able to see it she gave me the Beit HaMikdash (Temple in Jerusalem) as an example. It says in the Talmud that in the Beit HaMikdash was never a lack of space. Hundreds of thousands of people used to pray there and they all found a spot. The same in the Toldot Aharon Synagogue. As soon as the Rebbe dances, all the women would found a spot; no matter how packed it was.

As we were tired, we decided to leave and unfortunately missed the opportunity of getting the feeling of the Beit HaMikdash. By the way, the Toldot Aharon Rebbe dances by himself twice a year. On the seventh day of Pessach and on Simchat Torah. But on Simchat Torah, only members are allowed into the synagogue due to lack of space. And here we go. Sometimes no other place reaches the sanctity of the Beit HaMikdash.

कॉम