I just saw a thought-provoking post elsewhere, which is worth sharing. A site from New Jersey in the USA claims that there are still many people (ב"ה, כן ירבו) that follow the old way of saying סליחות.
Can you believe it? Without even a single, non-electric guitar?
If no one tweeted about it, if no video was posted, did it actually happen that way?
ב"ה there are still great masses of people that follow our ancient holy traditions, even if a smaller group adopting newfangled ways is making more noise.
כתיבה וחתימה טובה
There's a Midrash which says that before the Mabul Hashem made life on this earth something akin to Gan Eden. This was to lull the people into a sense of complacency so that they wouldn't repent and be spared the impending devastation. I think that this is now being repeated as so many frum Jews have untold wealth and their primary concern is how to enjoy themselves. I'm not criticizing them, their reaction is natural, but I doubt that it's pleasing to Hashem. To that point Selichos is nothing more than a glorified concert and Rosh Hashanah is now another opportunity to go to a five star hotel. Yes the Rabbis will remind us of what Elul felt like in Europe 150 years ago, but no one really gets it. Let's hope that Hashem will take solace in the fact that some people recognize that nothing has changed and we should all be Tzittering for our lives.
ReplyDeleteI don't know where you live; but where I live this is not a "smaller group adopting newfangled ways...making more noise". This is becoming the "rov". It's scary to see. People are not taking anyting seriously anymore.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that. It seems to me that this varies significantly based on the population. The ones pushing this new style seem to be younger (in general, usually younger people are pushing changes more than older ones), and more modern. There is also a connection to the neo-Chasidus movement. So if a group is young, modern (and not very yeshivish, or very old style Chasidic), it is more open to such innovations. The same types quite likely may be doing similar by having hallel with musical instruments on rosh chodesh, and maybe even singing and dancing at kevarim with guitars. This describes congregations like KMH in the Five Towns area of NY with Yussie Zakutinsky and Joey Newcomb.
ReplyDelete"The same types quite likely may be doing similar by having hallel with musical instruments on rosh chodesh, and maybe even singing and dancing at kevarim with guitars. This describes congregations like KMH in the Five Towns area of NY with Yussie Zakutinsky and Joey Newcomb."
DeleteFalse. KMH does not have and has never had hallel or selichos with musical instruments.
Okay, if that is accurate, I stand corrected. I guess they save the guitar for when they go to a cemetery to accompany the singing and dancing there. Where did Zakutinsky get that from? Not from the Rosh Yeshiva of Grodno-Queens, and not from the late Lubavitcher Rebbe. And the Izhbitza Rebbe didn't do it either AFAIK.
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