Every year we brought here in the ‘Shabbat Square’ the various Hanukkah customs in the holy courtyards, and in the shadow of the Admors who hold the lighting stands in front of the Hasidim. This year, we chose to review the history of the menorahs that are lit in the Hasidic courtyards.
Some of the Admors are menorahs valued at hundreds of thousands of dollars, some of which have been inherited for decades or even hundreds of years. .
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In the Holy Courtyard, the Rebbe Gur lights three menorahs during the days of Hanukkah. On weekdays of the holiday, the Rebbe lights the menorah attributed to Rabbi Yaakov Aharon of Radzimin, which was handed over to him as an inheritance from his father, the Rebbe with the ‘Heart of Joy’.
The lighting in the Gur courtyard (courtesy of the photographer)
Another menorah that the Rebbe lights on the eve of Shabbat Hanukkah is a menorah that the Rebbe received from the Rebbe of Beit Yisrael, who received it from a Gur follower who purchased it with a large fortune from an antiques dealer many years ago.
Some in the Gur Chassidut believe that the menorah originated with Rabbi Yisrael of Rozin, and others believe that it was used by Rabbi Kotzk.
Rebbe Magor at the lighting of the fifth candle, this week (courtesy of the photographer)
On the evening of Shabbat Hanukkah, the Rebbe lights the third Hanukkah menorah, which he received as a gift from his father-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Weitz, one of the leaders of the Yeshiva of the Innovations of Harim at the time.
Vizhnitz
In the Vizhnitz Holy Courtyard, the Rebbe lights the ancient and special menorah, which was lit by Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz, who was a close disciple of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, and has been passed down from generation to generation.
The special and ancient menorah was inherited by the grandson of Rabbi Pinchas, the Rebbe of the ‘Imri Baruch’ of Moiznitz Zia’a, from there the menorah passed into the hands of the Rebbe of the ‘Love of Israel’ and to his son the Rebbe of the ‘Imrei Chaim’ See.
The Rebbe of Viznitz in lighting and the ancient menorah on the left (Shuki Lerer, courtesy of the Viznitz Holy Courtyard)
After his departure, the menorah was inherited by his daughter, Rebbetzin Mrs. Tzipora Friedman, who used to bring the menorah every year to her brother, the Rebbe, the owner of Yeshuat Moshe, in order to use it during Hanukkah.
After her death, her son Rabbi Jeremiah continues with special power, bringing the menorah to the current Rebbe of Moiznitz, which he lights with reverence.
Sanz
In the holy courtyard of Sanz, the Rebbe lights the candles in the menorah, which was lit by his father, the Rebbe, who has an abundance of life, which was handed over to him after his departure.
The Rebbe used to wear Shabbat clothes during the lighting ceremony, when even before that he used to prepare the wicks himself for the class, which was held every year by a majority of people with the participation of the masses of Hasidim.
The Rebbe of Sanz on Lighting (Moshe Goldstein)
After sitting for a long time by the candles and reciting the hymns, the Rebbe sets his table during which he recites the ‘Pashtel’ – Torah and Halacha words related to the days of Hanukkah, and even plays a spinning top with one of his grandchildren in front of the Hasidim.
Rahmestrivka
In the holy courtyard of Rachmestrivka, the Rebbe lights the glorious menorah, a gift from the governor R. Avraham Halperin, who gave the menorah as a gift to the Rebbe of Rahmestrivka.
There are those in the Chassidut who say that when the late Rebbe left, the clock installed at the top of the Chanukah menorah stopped, hinting at the great loss for the Chassidim, and then the Chanukah was inherited by the current Rebbe who lights the menorah from 2005, a year after the Rebbe’s death.
The enlarged menorah of the Rebbe of Rahmestrivka (courtesy of the photographer)
A few years later, in the year 5722, the Rebbe ordered the menorah to be widened to create a space of 2 fingers between each candle, an action that required widening the menorah on both sides.
In Rahmastrivka it is said that on the night of Shabbat Hanukkah, the Rebbe lights the candles in special silver goblets placed on the lamp, without any connection, so that there is enough oil from the time of lighting until the late hours of Shabbat night, when the Rebbe sets his table for his followers.
History of Abraham and Isaac
At the beginning of his career in the Rebbe, the Rebbe lit an ordinary menorah, but a little over ten years ago, at the initiative of the governors of the Berkowitz Brothers from London, an original and invested imitation was made, worth tens of thousands of dollars to the Vizhnitz menorah, attributed to Rabbi Pinchas of Koritz And since then the Rebbe has lit the candles in the menorah with reverence and immense enthusiasm.
The Rebbe of Tel Aviv during the lighting of Hanukkah and Hanukkah candles (Shuki Lerer, Archive: Yoel Weber)
Amshinov
In the Amshinov Holy Courtyard, the Rebbe holds the lighting ceremony in the small hours of the night using a reed menorah made of pure silver.
In Amshinov, the Rebbe, as well as the other chassidim, light the candles in the menorahs of the menorah itself, and not using glass cups, and for this purpose special catches are marketed in the chassidim whose function is to hold the wicks straight.
The Rebbe holds the lighting class in front of a small group of pre-registered Chassidim. On the eve of Hanukkah, the lighting is done exclusively with the family members.
The Rebbe of Amshinov (Photo: Ari Kuperstock)
The chassidim say that the Rebbe used to light and extinguish each candle before lighting it, in order to make the candles light better, and in addition, the Rebbe used to make sure before saying the blessings that his rabbinical wife was ready for the lighting ceremony.
After the lighting, the Rebbe recites the melody “Maoz Tzur” in the well-known melody of Beit Amshinov, to the section of “Bare Arm”, where the Rebbe stops the singing and says Torah for about 45 minutes, after which he honors one of the Hasidim in the song “Bare”.
Kapichnitz
In the Holy Courtyard Kapichnitz, the Rebbe lights the menorah he received as a gift from his grandfather, the Rebbe Rabbi Yehoshua Heshil of Kapichnitz, on the occasion of reaching the age of Bar Mitzvah.
The Chassidut says that due to the fact that the menorah is small and very tiny, the Rebbe managed to get permission to put it in the hospital gates for the benefit of his uncle, the Rebbe with the ‘Abir Yaakov’ from Sadigura, in the last year of his life, and that after lighting it one day the fifth candle suddenly went out.
The Rebbe of Kapitschnitz at the lighting ceremony (Matat Minzer)
When the late Rebbe heard that the candle had gone out, he sighed and said, “Oh, I am the fifth son of my late father,” and a few days later he lost consciousness and left at the beginning of the month of Tevet.
The Chassidim also say that since that incident, the Rebbe of Kapichnitz has been lighting the same glasses he lit at the hospital at the time at the Rebbe Baal Ha’Avir Yaakov, and that he keeps them to this day very carefully, more than the menorah itself.
Calib
In the holy courtyard of Kalib, the Rebbe organizes the lighting ceremony using an ancient menorah that he inherited from his grandfather, the Rebbe of Kalib Zatzokal, who managed with real devotion to keep it on guard during the terrible Holocaust.
The menorah is attributed to the grandfather of the Rebbe Zatzokal, Rabbi Pinchas Chaim of Razla Zia, and it survived the difficult days of the war until its end.
The Rebbe of Kalib Zatzokal lit by the Rebbe continues (courtesy of the photographer)
In Calib, the Rebbe lights the candles inside the reeds, and not using glasses made of glass, while the wicks are made of linen, which the Rebbe himself prepares for the kindness of the mitzvah.
Miolen
The Rebbe of Myalen, who ascended the throne of the Rebbe about a year ago, inherited from his father the Rebbe of Kretschnif-Kiryat Gat Zatzokal the menorah that the Rebbe lights.
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This is a menorah that belonged to the Admor Rabbi Meir of Kretschnif, who bequeathed it after his departure to his son Rabbi Lazer Wolf, when during the Holocaust and the terrible war, Rabbi David Moshe of Kretschnif Zia hid sacred objects in the courtyard of the house. Israel also got to take the menorah with him.
After his death, the menorah was inherited by the Rebbe of Noam Yisrael from Kretschnif Zatzokal, and after his death he bequeathed it to his son, the Rebbe of Myalen, who performs the lighting ceremony with enthusiasm and reverence.
Zuchka Amsna
The Rebbe of Zuchka Amsna lights Hanukkah candles in a menorah that he received from his grandfather, the Rebbe of the Nahal Yitzchak, who received it from the Rebbe, Rabbi Itamar Mandborna.
The Rebbe of Zuchka Amsna plays the violin (Shuki Lerer)
In Chassidut it is said that the Rebbe received the ancient menorah from his grandfather after he purchased a new and glorious menorah for him, and as a token of gratitude he gave him as a gift the ancient menorah through which the Rebbe arranges the lighting in Shabbat clothes, after which he plays the violin.