In a huge awakening: Last night (Friday night), thousands of Vizhnitz Hasidim gathered at the Western Wall Square for a rally of prayer, outcry, and encouragement for the health and complete recovery of the Rebbe of Vizhnitz, who has been in great weakness for about two years.
The initiative was born following a special and unusual 'call to arms' issued by the Rebbe's three sons: His Holiness Rabbi Chaim Meir Hager, Av Beit Din of Kiryat Vizhnitz, His Holiness Rabbi Yitzhak Yeshaya Hager, and His Holiness Rabbi Yaakov Mordechai Hager, Av Beit Din of Kiryat Vizhnitz in Elad.
The sons called on all Hasidim to gather for a mass prayer in preparation for the High Holy Days, to petition the One who dwells above for their father, that he may return to lead his congregation in robust health like the ancients.
The Rebbe's sons were also joined in the call by his brother-in-law, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hagar, rabbi of the Vizhnitz Yeshiva in Elad.
In a special voice message he left on the "Vizhnitz system" - the inside line of Hasidism, he urged the public to come and explained the background to the surprising rally.
""Usually, before a prayer gathering, we ask whether anything unusual happened, God forbid," the Grand Master said in the recording, "so here nothing happened. Precisely because nothing happened, we cry out to the Creator of the World to show mercy to our father, our shepherd, and restore the crown of our head as in ancient times, from the health of body and soul.".
During the rally, the head of the Hasidic community, Rabbi Yisrael Miller, spoke encouraging words, expanding on the tzaddik's activities to spread the name of God in the world, "Yesh Bora Olam," and called on the audience to pray more so that the Rebbe can continue his glorious leadership.
Before the recitation of the fourth book, the Gaon Rabbi Israel Ernster, grandson of the Rebbe of Yeshua Moshe from Vizhnitz, zt"l, passed. In reciting the Capital K"l "Shir HaMa'alot Me'Ma'akim" verse by verse, the great Rabbi Yaakov Mordechai Hager, Av Beit Din of Hasidism in Elad, recited the verses in the style of the High Holy Days and with a weeping voice that shook hearts. In reciting Psalm 47 of Tehilim, the great Rabbi, Rabbi Shaul Greenberger, was honored by the Shabak.
At the end of the assembly and after singing awakening melodies and longings, the influential Rabbi Yitzhak Moshe Erlanger approached the ark to receive the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven. Before saying them, he began with short words of encouragement, and then shouted the cry of "Shema Israel" and "The Name is God" out of a tremendous awakening, with the entire audience repeating after him in a loud voice that shook the Western Wall plaza.
The massive rally ended after long hours of prayer.
Over a hundred buses, alongside hundreds of private vehicles and vans, transported thousands of Hasidim from all over the country to Jerusalem.
The Hasidic community notes that this was one of the largest and most spontaneous gatherings ever known at the Holy Court of Vizhnitz.
