Kingdoms (2019): Season 1, Episode 2 - Episode #1.2 - full transcript
Admor (Our master, teacher and rabbi)
The Admor (Rebbe) serves as the master
and spiritual leader of a Hassidic sect
The title of Admor is usually passed down
from father to son
Since the dawn of Hassidism,
since the Baal Shem Tov - faith in the Zaddik.
Faith in the Zaddik.
I sincerely believe
to that these special, unique leaders
there aren't many,
but they exist.
were born on a higher plane.
They were born differently,
they grew up differently.
their parentage and birth are holy.
And this holiness is often
passed down through the generations.
One Zaddik said:
Why do you go to the Zaddik
that he will pray?
If someone's in distress,
he goes to a good friend
to pour his heart out.
What friend is better than the Rebbe?
He's the community leader.
He teaches them how to live.
A Jew goes to him and says:
I'm in trouble,
my son or daughter, God help me.
is sick.
That's the relationship.
It isn't just hocus-pocus.
It's a deep relationship
rooted in the idea
that the Zaddik influences
his community
and they influence him.
They go to him.
They support him
so he can be their envoy
as people once sent
a special envoy
to lobby with the king.
He's the Jewish people's envoy
and lobbyist
because he studies all day
and he's surrounded by the people
and he's more pious
than anyone else in the world
so he goes to God and says,
as we say in the prayer:
I'm only the Jews' representative.
the Jews came to me
and asked me to be their envoy.
So, God, you burdened me
with such a difficult job.
please help me.
And God helps him
Episode 2
Microcosm of the Temple
Montreal, Canada
Preparing for the arrival of the Belzer Rebbe
The Rebbe will stop here.
He'll go in there.
We’re very excited.
We are?
-Very excited for the Rabbi to come here.
What does it say on your hat?
"Welcome, Belzer Rabbe."
Welcome in God's name.
Are you excited?
-Very. Extremely.
Why? Because of this visit?
Because this is the first time in the past
21 years that the Belzer Rebtoe came
and everything is ready.
-Hi.
It's so much fun here,
there's so much going on.
Are you from here?
-Yeah.
Why? What's going on?
What do you feel
We feel like we're inspired.
he came all the way to us,
to Montreal.
And it’s a lot of fun, a lot of people,
a lot of guests.
Have you ever seen him before?
-Yeah, I was in Israel three times already.
What's so special about this visit?
We feel so touched that he came
from Israel to visit us.
All the best.
Could you try and explain me...
explain to me the connection
of you, a Hassid,
It's a very good question.
And I don't think I can
explain it 100 percent
because you have to be in it,
like..
for example.
God forbid there's a person
who..
who's blind.
Can you explain to him the difference
between red and green?
No way. There's no way
you can explain it.
You have to live with it,
you have to see it.
But we believe.,
the Hassidism...
First you have to know
what Hassidism is all about. -Yeah.
The connection between the Rebbe
and the Hassid is very, very deep.
It's... believing; we believe,
Hassidim, that we all...
He's more than a father for us.
We don't do any move
without him.
"Welcome to the Rabbi
on his holy journey.
"Mattes and the whole family."
Kids, how many guests
came to Montreal?
Ten? -Don't be silly.
Thousands...
Shmuel, have you ever seen the Rebbe?
Have you ever really seen the Rebbe?
Never?
This boy has never seen
the Rebbe with his own eyes.
Yaakov Yitzhak,
who are all these people?
The Belzer Rebbes.
What do you see here?
This is the Rebbe,
this is the Rebbe of Bulgoraj,
his father.
this is the previous Rebbe
of blessed memory.
and this is their father,
the third Rebbe.
Put some tape on it.
We ask all the women to move. The area
inside the fence is for children only.
The Rebbe will be here, God willing,
in ten minutes.
The Belz sect numbers about 7,500 households
and its center is in Jerusalem
The Belz community in Montreal
numbers about 250 families
Thousands of Hassidic came from all over
North America in honor of the Rebbe's visit
What's your relationship
with the Rebbe?
Closer than a son.
Really?
-Absolutely.
feel that way?
It's a lot of people. How is it that
everyone feels like his child?
First of all, we have very
strong bond with him.
He prays for us
and cares about every one of us.
Every Hassid feels like,
whatever he needs.
he can phone and be heard.
And when you can't phone the Rebbe
you go to a Mezuzah and pray there.
Yaakov Yitzhak has
a very touching story.
11 years ago
when he was half a year old
it was Succot Eve
and he put something plastic
in his mouth.
After being treated
for almost half an hour
he was taken to the hospital
by ambulance.
took my phone out of my pocket,
phoned the Rebbe
and left a message:
I'm on the way to the hospital
with my son Yaakov Yitzhak
and I need a blessing
for his health.
Luckily, with God's help,
two members of Hatzalah
also got into the ambulance
and initiated CPR
and, thank God, when they reached
the hospital he was fine
and we have the privilege
to celebrate every year.
You think it was because
of the phone call?
I'm sure it was!
The Rebbe remembered me.
Even though he didn't answer?
He didn't have to answer.
If his assistant picks up
I know he'll get the message.
and if he doesn't, I can leave
a message and he'll hear it.
he doesn't have to..
It's a higher connection.
So your call saved his life.
Absolutely.
Does the Rebbe know the story?
I didn't tell him. I don't have to.
He doesn't know?
Of course he knows.
Where are the boys?
When your soul is hurt.
and we all have psychological torments.
I don't call them mental issues,
I call them spiritual issues.
which are a constant struggle
for all Jews,
you go to the living doctor,
and that's the Rebbe.
He treats you.
We consult the Rebbe
like secular people
consult a therapist.
A practitioner.
But the difference is.
we believe that this therapist
was appointed
as a therapist by God.
He appointed him as a therapist.
And he appointed him
as the leader who teaches us
the ways of the Torah
and God gives him the strength
to give sound advice.
Firstly, there's God's help, which is where
it all begins and ends.
Two, he has experience.
Three, he only does it
for God's sake,
four, whatever the matter is,
he prays: Master of the world.
give me...
You grant man knowledge
and wisdom.
He prays: Master of the world, give me
the wisdom, understanding and knowledge
to give Your children sound advice.
So when he gives advice
it's divine advice.
Kvitel
The Hassidim believe that the Rebbe
can read in the Kvitel (note)
the material and spiritual needs
of the people mentioned in it
The Lelov Rebbe
When someone is ill
he goes to the Zaddik
and writes his name.
The letters of his name
are the conduits through which
we receive blessings from God.
When someone
wrongs
God,
or other people,
when he misbehaves,
he damages those conduits.
He damages the letters.
The Zaddik looks at
the person's name.
If he's great enough
he gets a sense.
a sense of the person.
and he looks at the letters
of his name
and blesses him. What do I mean
by "blessing"? Prayer.
He blesses him that
these conduits be fixed.
that all the conduits
that were damaged
be able to receive the flow of divine
abundance through the letters of his name.
So the most important aspect
of the Kvitel, the note.
is the name itself.
The name is the most important thing
on the Kvitel.
The most important,
so the Zaddik knows
what to bless him.
But the important thing is the name.
Some people write
nothing but their name.
The Belzer Rebbetzin
receives an audience in Montreal
The Rebbetzin (Rebbe's wife)
is a very spiritual and holy woman.
Her prayers and her blessings
are special-special.
It's a gift, they're gifts.
And when she blesses us we feel very calm
and satisfied and...
people see a lot of miracles
when the Rebbetzin blesses them.
When you go in to see him
with a Kvitel
and you ask a question,
is it he who answers,
or the Divine Spirit?
It's God's help.
Is it his answer
or is just the conduit?
It's his answer, but since he serves
God's will, his answer
is God's answer.
What he says
is what God wants him to say
because he only works
to serve God's will.
Can a human being err? Yes.
Yes.
Anyone who disagrees...
I don't know what to say.
Humans err.
But can the Rebbe tell me something
that's bad for me
That's another question.
The Hassid turns to the Rebbe.
What does this do?
It makes him...
calmer. -More relaxed.
-Yes, more relaxed.
But afterwards
he doesn't say:
"The Rebbe said this, so...
"I trust him." Why?
Because he's a great real estate agent
or even because he's a great sage
or even because
he's a great Zaddik?
No.
It's because he's instructed by God.
The previous Rebbe of blessed memory
once said:
"My first answer is from God.
"If you start to argue with me
"I'll answer what I think to be true."
That says it all.
Kiryat Belz, Jerusalem
How's it going? Rivkie...
They're already going in.
Good luck.
Today we're going to do
a Halake (haircut)
to my son Bentzy.
Bentzy, look this way.
He was born after 18 years
of trying, thank God.
The Rebbe told us to come to Israel
and in the merit of Israel's sanctity
we're blessed with sons.
Good luck.
-Only good news.
No, you mustn't do that.
God forbid.
We lived overseas.
What's that?
-A helicopter.
And he told us
to move to Israel,
and in the merit of Israel's sanctity
we'd be blessed with a child.
We said: If that's what he said.
that's what we should do.
It wasn't easy but I just packed myself up
and I left.
I had a beautiful new house.
We just moved two months before.
And we had a beautiful house.
I just gave everything up.
I said: I don't care.
I'm coming to Israel.
Make a blessing.
Oops. See? You have to make blessing.
So we moved here.
We're going through very hard times.
Very hard weeks.
I can't even count... I forgot already
how many treatments.
You know, it's all the treatments
and miscarriages and everything.
it's something that I..
All the years, we knew that
it's gonna happen. We didn't know...
The faith in the Zaddikim,
in the Belzer Rebbe,
always I went in,
and always when he wished us
"a living seed,"
we knew that it's gonna happen,
but we always say...
There's a saying, every day we say it,
"And our eyes will see."
You know, that we should see Messiah
already, but "And our eyes will see,"
we want to see it,
so I always begged Hashem (God),
"We want to see it,
let me see it."
And it took us 18 years to see.
But I never doubted a second
that I will be helped.
that we will have children one day.
But you came here nine years ago.
-Yes,
nine years after we came here.
And you don't think it would've
happened in Canada?
I can't say.
I'm a Belzer Hassid,
I'm a Hassid of the Rebbe.
What the Rebbe says
is holy and pure.
We've always done as he says.
And now
that he told us to move
to the Holy Land, to Israel,
and in the merit of Israel's sanctity
we'll be blessed, God willing,
so we waited and waited
until it happened.
It was a miracle,
a revealed miracle.
It's like driving in a car.
You know, you're sitting in a car.
I'm in the back seat,
the Rebbe of Belz is my GPS
and Hashem is my driver.
The Rebbe of Belz is like a GPS for us.
He tells us where to go,
what to go, what to do.
That's what it is. For life.
And, God willing, for his life
and his children's life...
God willing.
With Hashem, with Hashem,
but we have somebody who shows us the way.
That's all it is.
We came to the Halake
with 20 other boys.
we were among all the other boys.
he did (the Halake
as he does for all the boys.
he blessed us as he does
for all the parents, all the boys.
and I didn't expect...
We wanted so badly
to be like everyone else,
why would hex poet him
to talk to me?
I want to be like everyone else.
I want my son Ben Zion,
Bentzy, to be like everyone else.
so it was a real...
a real experience like everyone else has.
It seems incredible
that so many miracles happen.
That's a shame.
No, maybe what we call a miracle
I call probability
or luck or...
Being born into the right family.
What do you call a miracle?
It's impossible,
it's impossible
for something to happen
and for everyone to see
that God's hand made it happen.
So God makes it so the Zaddikim
can only perform
the type of miracle
such that other people
or the human mind
can deny the miracle
and say: I was wrong.
And say: It's probability.
And say: It would have
happened anyway.
And so on.
A Zaddik never errs.
Sometimes God makes it
seem like he made a mistake.
but we believe it's all for the best.
it must have averted
something else.
We don't always know
how God figures things,
what might've happened otherwise.
But if the Zaddik said something
and something bad resulted from it,
then obviously God had something in mind
as we sometimes see
with God Himself.
Sometimes one gets something
and doesn't know why.
a reward for his behavior.
God wants to reward him,
he wants to avert
a different problem.
Tisch (Table)
A Tisch is an event held among Hassidic sects,
mainly on Shabbat and holidays
In every person there's
"God saves both man and beast,”
we're complex creatures.
Part of us is human.
ethical,
and part of us is worse than beasts.
Serving God means sacrificing
your animal soul
to God.
So when one sins,
he brings an offering to the Temple,
he sacrifices a beast,
which symbolizes...
he sacrifices the beast within him.
Today, since there is no altar.
where do I sacrifice my animalism?
At the table.
At the Tisch.
The Mozhitz Rebbe
When one eats
there are two possibilities,
one either descends
to the level of the food.
there are five levels: inanimate, plant,
animal, human, Jew.
So when one eats
meat or a plant,
either the meat ascends to the level
of animal or human.
or, if the person eats improperly.
the opposite happens,
he becomes a beast
and descends to the level of a plant.
When the Zaddik eats
he ascends through the levels,
Even when you're doing material things.
even when you eat,
yew ran foe serving God
because when one eats
for the sake of Heaven
it's a fixing, it contains sparks
of holiness. How?
God created it.
Why did He create it?
He created it so we can eat.
so we can live.
By using the food
in the service of God,
you fix
the sparks of holiness
found in the food
and send them back up
because you use them
to get closer to God.
The Pittsburgh Rebbe
The goal of the Hassidim
who sit around him
and sing and meditate
on his service
is to learn his ways
and adhere to his ways
and earn the merit of being worthy.
if we ourselves aren't on the level.
at least of seeing what it looks like
to perform the service
of lifting up the sparks by eating.
Shiraim (Leftovers)
The Rebbe's leftovers
are supposed to have special powers
When you sit at a Tisch
you see how...
you see how...
As with a big orchestra
everything is channeled
to one place.
Spirituality and physicality.
it may be demands
for the community
or crucial questions concerning
Jews the world over.
And the Rebbe remembers everyone.
You have to see him
when he raises a toast at the Tisch,
he doesn't skip anyone.
"L'chaim," and if someone...
is looking the other way,
he'll wait until he looks at him.
He toasts everyone, one by one.
The Sadigora Rebbe
He'll send something to someone,
or some challah to someone else.
or wine, then he'll call on him
and he'll say something.
you see the personal interaction
with every single one
although there are so many.
The Rebbe carries everyone along,
everyone's attached to him.
When everyone sees the Rebbe up close
it gives them a "wow" feeling,
me too.
I want to join in,
me and the Rebbe, together.
It's okay to be pushed at a Tisch,
but don’t push,
be pushed.
There are people who are always...
pushing someone else.
Then there are those who get pushed.
which is totally different.
You just prayed next to him.
you spent hours with him.
Then he leaves the synagogue
and everyone follows
as if they'd never seen him.
How can that be?
simple.
Anyone who's ever stood next to
the Rebbe has felt it.
Have you stood next to the Rebbe?
Did you feel the ambience?
You feel this...
I've never been to Paradise
but I know how it feels.
and I hope I always feel like I do
when I'm next to the Rebbe.
You don't need anything more.
Especially if the Rebbe looks at me
or touches me.
even without a word.
It's a different atmosphere.
Dance
Sweet Father, only you, endlessly
May your mercy be on us, O Lord...
When you dance you ascend and fall.
You ascend to God and bring down
holiness, then again,
up and down, up and down.
You connect.
Traditionally the Hassidim
have always sung
and danced at the Tisch.
The Torah doesn't command us
to dance or sing on Shabbat,
but you know what?
The Rebbe gave us an opportunity.
especially when we're at a Tisch,
we all sing and dance
it's good for the body and...
Does the soul enjoy it?
Does the body enjoy it?
What does it do?
It's a toolbox, am auxiliary tool
that helps you imagine Shabbat
as something sweet,
something nice.
something fun, a boost.
Doesn't it make you less free?
Oh...
Why
is a non-religious person
who consults
all the TV presenters
who decide what he should wear
and even if he's poor
his son has to wear Nikes
because they said so on TV,
is he a free man?
You have nothing to eat
but you take out a loan
because someone decided
my car is an old jalopy...
Edit that out if you have to.
Then okay. I'm a free man.
And if I'm a free man
who delights in Torah study
and when I have a problem
I go to God's representative.
my leader, a man
who studies Torah all day
and is unbiased
and sees the big picture,
and ask him.
Isn't that being free?
That's my freedom, my choice.
consulting my psychologist,
my therapist,
a divine therapist
who was appointed by God
as my shepherd.
The Pittsburgh Hassidic sect - Ashdod
The sect, which numbers some 200 families,
loved from Pittsburgh, USA to Ashdod 50 years ago
The sound of song and salvation
from the tents of the righteous...
Wow, this is amazing.
Wow, this is great, Moshik.
Tell us what's going on here.
This is the tribune.
This is the table of honor.
Where does the Rebbe sit?
The Rebbe sits here.
And the groom sits here.
Very nice, Moshik. Well done.
That's a lot of work.
I like this sort of thing.
Really? -Yes.
It's genuine, from the heart.
Well done.
The Pittsburgh Rebbe receives an audience
Can he perform miracles?
Absolutely. Of course.
People have seen them.
More than miracles.
My wife had a baby
four months ago
and before the birth the doctor said
the baby has three problems,
he has Down syndrome.
his heart doesn't work, half his brain
is gone, and his kidneys don't work.
That's what he said.
And the doctor asked me
if we want to abort.
We said that we Jews
don't do that.
If God gives a Jew something.
even if it isn't understood,
he accepts it joyfully.
No such thing.
I remember I called the Rebbe
and I told him the doctor said
we have to go to the hospital
and remove the baby.
The Rebbe said:
Do as the doctor says.
you'll come home
with a healthy baby.
And so it happened.
We went to the hospital.
we were there on a Thursday,
on Sunday they operated
and removed the baby.
And two days later
the doctor came from Ashdod
to see the baby.
He said to me:
Mr. Weber,
they exchanged your baby.
This isn't the baby I saw.
I said: My Rebbe told me
I'd go home with a healthy baby.
He healed this baby.
The Rebbe blessed us
and we saw a miracle.
Niggun (Melody)
O dweller in glory
Melodies play an important role
in worshiping God among Hassidic sects
The Rebbe often composes
the melodies himself
Hear the song and prayer...
Hear the song and prayer...
When the Rebbe sings...
We sing it together,
then someone has to remember it.
What do you mean?
He composes it during...
The Rebbe often composes a song
at the Shabbat table.
During the meal? -Yes. And sometimes
during a Tisch. -He gets inspired.
He suddenly gets inspired with a melody
in honor of Shabbat or whatever
and then..
-So you're at the Shabbat table
and suddenly you see that he's...
-Pensive.
The Rebbe is thinking.
Then suddenly...
Sometimes the Rebbe asks
for a Shabbat songbook or prayer-book.
Psalms. -Psalms.
A melody comes to him
and he puts the words to it.
The Pittsburgh Rebbe composes
during the Hallel service
He sings it and teaches everyone.
Is this something divine?
What else?
I'm asking, I don't know.
It's a melody.
-Put it this way,
a song isn't...
isn't something tangible, right?
It isn't like water or food.
It's spiritual.
You sit next to him and...
-I stand on the tribune at the Tisch
and after we sing a song
I'm in charge of remembering it
and recording it on Saturday night.
How do you do it?
It's a gift from God.
"Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says...'
For the uplifting of the soul of Avraham Abba
son of Yaakov Israel
Born 13 Sivan 5778
Died on Hoshana Rabba
My baby died on Hoshana Raba morning.
He'd fulfilled his purpose
and we had the privilege
of raising that soul
There are times when we miss him..
We remember...
It's hard. -Very.
But there's a divine strength
that God grants us
to cope with it.
When a child dies
and ascends to the World of Truth,
every soul that goes to the World of Truth,
his parents await him there.
When a soul like his ascends,
no father or mother awaits...
it runs to the Throne of Glory
and says: Where are my parents?
And God takes it
to Paradise and says:
"This is where you belong.
"You see these empty chairs
on either side?
"They're waiting for your parents."
And it's comforting to know
that I have a place in the World of Truth.
He's cared for.
-He's cared for and we're happy, too.
I believe
that the Rebbe saw everything,
and he knew that the baby wouldn't...
Wouldn't live?
-Wouldn't survive. For sure.
The thing is,
our role...
The baby dying is one thing,
but the faith and encouragement
he should have given me,
he gave me 100%.
That's the Rebbe's power.
I believe that he knew.
and in order to encourage me
and give us strength
to carry on
he said: He'll live, he's a healthy baby.
And he was healthy
when we brought him home.
No question.
The concept of miracles
is sometimes taken
out of proportion
because the Talmud says we mustn't
pray for miracles or for nature to change.
These miracles take place within nature.
That is, within nature
things take place,
here, I found the right doctor
and it worked.
Why did it work?
It's within nature.
Because you prayed,
because the Zaddik blessed you.
so the miracle took place
within nature.
That's the idea.
Are there miracles? Yes.
Yes, God performs miracles.
Does He also performs miracles
through His emissaries,
the Zaddikim?
Yes.
Only the Belzer Rebbe? No.
We called them "government ministers."
But this brings us back to the question.
it's like having your cake
and eating it too.
Because if someone's sick
and the Rebbe blesses him
he survived because
the Rebbe blessed him.
And if he dies, that's for the best, too.
So no matter
how you look at it, you win.
That's right.
Is that a problem?
No, but...
Look, if you base your faith
on miracles, then you're right.
If I tell you: Believe in the Rebbe,
he's a miracle-maker,
then you'll say:
You have a book of miracles?
I have a book of miracles
that didn't happen.
That's no reason to believe.
But if I tell you: Believe in the Rebbe
because he's God's envoy.
he represents the Divine Presence
in this world.
a microcosm of the Temple
and I give you a bonus:
He can also help you
by performing miracles.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
He went through a rough period.
Very, very hard.
Yes, what's the question
What does it mean by "here" and "here"?
The Mishnah says
that you have to announce
and find the person who lost it.
What does it mean by "here" and "here"?
There's a contradiction,
in one place it talks about
someone who found barrels of wine
and oil and grain,
they belong to him,
and here it says "wine and oil
must be announced."
But eventually he felt so strong
that last week
he came home
and asked me to help.
to call relatives to help him
collect money
to start a charity fund at school
for school supplies
to loan to the kids.
all sorts of school supplies,
erasers, pencils, paper.
in his brother's memory.
He approached it...
looking forward.
he's moving forward
in his brother's memory.
In Tractate Avot it's written:
"The world subsists on three things.
"Torah, worship and charity."
Studying Torah
isn't enough.
Because there's always
someone else studying Torah.
The idea is that if one studies Torah
and also does acts of charity.
and here we have a charity fund
to help the whole class
so the kids can make nice things
and do drawings
without having to rummage
through their backpacks.
this shows that the Torah
really is sweet.
The Weber family's housewarming
If you give up (waiting for the Rebbe)
he must declare 'these are his...'
Good idea.
Mezuzah..
"Bless You, O Lord our God,
King of the universe.
"who sanctified us and commanded us
to affix the Mezuzah." -Amen.
It's late. You're still awake?
It's so late.
Shouldn't you be in bed?
I won't tell your teacher
you stayed up late.
Don't worry, I won't tell.
I won't tell your teacher...
Who's your teacher?
Mr. Fogel.
Thank God you've made it this far.
I haven't really seen the whole
apartment
but I imagine it's
consciousness-expanding.
It's written: "A desirable, good,
expansive land."
To a good, long life,
to joy and peace.
may God fulfill all your wishes
and grant you success in everything.
You waited a long time for something nice
and now you're going to sleep.
Recite "Hear, O Israel,"
prepare for washing tomorrow
and go to sleep. It's 12:40.
You don't want to go to sleep
Maybe in 100 hours.
No, you're going to bed now.
It's very late.
Come, bedtime.
I lay down in the armchair
and it all came back to me.
I lay here for two hours and cried.
I cried like a little boy.
The door was locked.
I cried and cried. I couldn't stop.
It was a Friday. Saturday night,
after prayers, I went to see him
and he took my arm
and embraced me.
He said: Yankel,
I'm with you no matter what.
I felt he was there with me,
that he felt everything I went through
during those two hours.
He feels everything
his Hassidim feel.
those who are attached to him
The Lord is God, there is no other
The Lord is God, there is no other...
The Admor (Rebbe) serves as the master
and spiritual leader of a Hassidic sect
The title of Admor is usually passed down
from father to son
Since the dawn of Hassidism,
since the Baal Shem Tov - faith in the Zaddik.
Faith in the Zaddik.
I sincerely believe
to that these special, unique leaders
there aren't many,
but they exist.
were born on a higher plane.
They were born differently,
they grew up differently.
their parentage and birth are holy.
And this holiness is often
passed down through the generations.
One Zaddik said:
Why do you go to the Zaddik
that he will pray?
If someone's in distress,
he goes to a good friend
to pour his heart out.
What friend is better than the Rebbe?
He's the community leader.
He teaches them how to live.
A Jew goes to him and says:
I'm in trouble,
my son or daughter, God help me.
is sick.
That's the relationship.
It isn't just hocus-pocus.
It's a deep relationship
rooted in the idea
that the Zaddik influences
his community
and they influence him.
They go to him.
They support him
so he can be their envoy
as people once sent
a special envoy
to lobby with the king.
He's the Jewish people's envoy
and lobbyist
because he studies all day
and he's surrounded by the people
and he's more pious
than anyone else in the world
so he goes to God and says,
as we say in the prayer:
I'm only the Jews' representative.
the Jews came to me
and asked me to be their envoy.
So, God, you burdened me
with such a difficult job.
please help me.
And God helps him
Episode 2
Microcosm of the Temple
Montreal, Canada
Preparing for the arrival of the Belzer Rebbe
The Rebbe will stop here.
He'll go in there.
We’re very excited.
We are?
-Very excited for the Rabbi to come here.
What does it say on your hat?
"Welcome, Belzer Rabbe."
Welcome in God's name.
Are you excited?
-Very. Extremely.
Why? Because of this visit?
Because this is the first time in the past
21 years that the Belzer Rebtoe came
and everything is ready.
-Hi.
It's so much fun here,
there's so much going on.
Are you from here?
-Yeah.
Why? What's going on?
What do you feel
We feel like we're inspired.
he came all the way to us,
to Montreal.
And it’s a lot of fun, a lot of people,
a lot of guests.
Have you ever seen him before?
-Yeah, I was in Israel three times already.
What's so special about this visit?
We feel so touched that he came
from Israel to visit us.
All the best.
Could you try and explain me...
explain to me the connection
of you, a Hassid,
It's a very good question.
And I don't think I can
explain it 100 percent
because you have to be in it,
like..
for example.
God forbid there's a person
who..
who's blind.
Can you explain to him the difference
between red and green?
No way. There's no way
you can explain it.
You have to live with it,
you have to see it.
But we believe.,
the Hassidism...
First you have to know
what Hassidism is all about. -Yeah.
The connection between the Rebbe
and the Hassid is very, very deep.
It's... believing; we believe,
Hassidim, that we all...
He's more than a father for us.
We don't do any move
without him.
"Welcome to the Rabbi
on his holy journey.
"Mattes and the whole family."
Kids, how many guests
came to Montreal?
Ten? -Don't be silly.
Thousands...
Shmuel, have you ever seen the Rebbe?
Have you ever really seen the Rebbe?
Never?
This boy has never seen
the Rebbe with his own eyes.
Yaakov Yitzhak,
who are all these people?
The Belzer Rebbes.
What do you see here?
This is the Rebbe,
this is the Rebbe of Bulgoraj,
his father.
this is the previous Rebbe
of blessed memory.
and this is their father,
the third Rebbe.
Put some tape on it.
We ask all the women to move. The area
inside the fence is for children only.
The Rebbe will be here, God willing,
in ten minutes.
The Belz sect numbers about 7,500 households
and its center is in Jerusalem
The Belz community in Montreal
numbers about 250 families
Thousands of Hassidic came from all over
North America in honor of the Rebbe's visit
What's your relationship
with the Rebbe?
Closer than a son.
Really?
-Absolutely.
feel that way?
It's a lot of people. How is it that
everyone feels like his child?
First of all, we have very
strong bond with him.
He prays for us
and cares about every one of us.
Every Hassid feels like,
whatever he needs.
he can phone and be heard.
And when you can't phone the Rebbe
you go to a Mezuzah and pray there.
Yaakov Yitzhak has
a very touching story.
11 years ago
when he was half a year old
it was Succot Eve
and he put something plastic
in his mouth.
After being treated
for almost half an hour
he was taken to the hospital
by ambulance.
took my phone out of my pocket,
phoned the Rebbe
and left a message:
I'm on the way to the hospital
with my son Yaakov Yitzhak
and I need a blessing
for his health.
Luckily, with God's help,
two members of Hatzalah
also got into the ambulance
and initiated CPR
and, thank God, when they reached
the hospital he was fine
and we have the privilege
to celebrate every year.
You think it was because
of the phone call?
I'm sure it was!
The Rebbe remembered me.
Even though he didn't answer?
He didn't have to answer.
If his assistant picks up
I know he'll get the message.
and if he doesn't, I can leave
a message and he'll hear it.
he doesn't have to..
It's a higher connection.
So your call saved his life.
Absolutely.
Does the Rebbe know the story?
I didn't tell him. I don't have to.
He doesn't know?
Of course he knows.
Where are the boys?
When your soul is hurt.
and we all have psychological torments.
I don't call them mental issues,
I call them spiritual issues.
which are a constant struggle
for all Jews,
you go to the living doctor,
and that's the Rebbe.
He treats you.
We consult the Rebbe
like secular people
consult a therapist.
A practitioner.
But the difference is.
we believe that this therapist
was appointed
as a therapist by God.
He appointed him as a therapist.
And he appointed him
as the leader who teaches us
the ways of the Torah
and God gives him the strength
to give sound advice.
Firstly, there's God's help, which is where
it all begins and ends.
Two, he has experience.
Three, he only does it
for God's sake,
four, whatever the matter is,
he prays: Master of the world.
give me...
You grant man knowledge
and wisdom.
He prays: Master of the world, give me
the wisdom, understanding and knowledge
to give Your children sound advice.
So when he gives advice
it's divine advice.
Kvitel
The Hassidim believe that the Rebbe
can read in the Kvitel (note)
the material and spiritual needs
of the people mentioned in it
The Lelov Rebbe
When someone is ill
he goes to the Zaddik
and writes his name.
The letters of his name
are the conduits through which
we receive blessings from God.
When someone
wrongs
God,
or other people,
when he misbehaves,
he damages those conduits.
He damages the letters.
The Zaddik looks at
the person's name.
If he's great enough
he gets a sense.
a sense of the person.
and he looks at the letters
of his name
and blesses him. What do I mean
by "blessing"? Prayer.
He blesses him that
these conduits be fixed.
that all the conduits
that were damaged
be able to receive the flow of divine
abundance through the letters of his name.
So the most important aspect
of the Kvitel, the note.
is the name itself.
The name is the most important thing
on the Kvitel.
The most important,
so the Zaddik knows
what to bless him.
But the important thing is the name.
Some people write
nothing but their name.
The Belzer Rebbetzin
receives an audience in Montreal
The Rebbetzin (Rebbe's wife)
is a very spiritual and holy woman.
Her prayers and her blessings
are special-special.
It's a gift, they're gifts.
And when she blesses us we feel very calm
and satisfied and...
people see a lot of miracles
when the Rebbetzin blesses them.
When you go in to see him
with a Kvitel
and you ask a question,
is it he who answers,
or the Divine Spirit?
It's God's help.
Is it his answer
or is just the conduit?
It's his answer, but since he serves
God's will, his answer
is God's answer.
What he says
is what God wants him to say
because he only works
to serve God's will.
Can a human being err? Yes.
Yes.
Anyone who disagrees...
I don't know what to say.
Humans err.
But can the Rebbe tell me something
that's bad for me
That's another question.
The Hassid turns to the Rebbe.
What does this do?
It makes him...
calmer. -More relaxed.
-Yes, more relaxed.
But afterwards
he doesn't say:
"The Rebbe said this, so...
"I trust him." Why?
Because he's a great real estate agent
or even because he's a great sage
or even because
he's a great Zaddik?
No.
It's because he's instructed by God.
The previous Rebbe of blessed memory
once said:
"My first answer is from God.
"If you start to argue with me
"I'll answer what I think to be true."
That says it all.
Kiryat Belz, Jerusalem
How's it going? Rivkie...
They're already going in.
Good luck.
Today we're going to do
a Halake (haircut)
to my son Bentzy.
Bentzy, look this way.
He was born after 18 years
of trying, thank God.
The Rebbe told us to come to Israel
and in the merit of Israel's sanctity
we're blessed with sons.
Good luck.
-Only good news.
No, you mustn't do that.
God forbid.
We lived overseas.
What's that?
-A helicopter.
And he told us
to move to Israel,
and in the merit of Israel's sanctity
we'd be blessed with a child.
We said: If that's what he said.
that's what we should do.
It wasn't easy but I just packed myself up
and I left.
I had a beautiful new house.
We just moved two months before.
And we had a beautiful house.
I just gave everything up.
I said: I don't care.
I'm coming to Israel.
Make a blessing.
Oops. See? You have to make blessing.
So we moved here.
We're going through very hard times.
Very hard weeks.
I can't even count... I forgot already
how many treatments.
You know, it's all the treatments
and miscarriages and everything.
it's something that I..
All the years, we knew that
it's gonna happen. We didn't know...
The faith in the Zaddikim,
in the Belzer Rebbe,
always I went in,
and always when he wished us
"a living seed,"
we knew that it's gonna happen,
but we always say...
There's a saying, every day we say it,
"And our eyes will see."
You know, that we should see Messiah
already, but "And our eyes will see,"
we want to see it,
so I always begged Hashem (God),
"We want to see it,
let me see it."
And it took us 18 years to see.
But I never doubted a second
that I will be helped.
that we will have children one day.
But you came here nine years ago.
-Yes,
nine years after we came here.
And you don't think it would've
happened in Canada?
I can't say.
I'm a Belzer Hassid,
I'm a Hassid of the Rebbe.
What the Rebbe says
is holy and pure.
We've always done as he says.
And now
that he told us to move
to the Holy Land, to Israel,
and in the merit of Israel's sanctity
we'll be blessed, God willing,
so we waited and waited
until it happened.
It was a miracle,
a revealed miracle.
It's like driving in a car.
You know, you're sitting in a car.
I'm in the back seat,
the Rebbe of Belz is my GPS
and Hashem is my driver.
The Rebbe of Belz is like a GPS for us.
He tells us where to go,
what to go, what to do.
That's what it is. For life.
And, God willing, for his life
and his children's life...
God willing.
With Hashem, with Hashem,
but we have somebody who shows us the way.
That's all it is.
We came to the Halake
with 20 other boys.
we were among all the other boys.
he did (the Halake
as he does for all the boys.
he blessed us as he does
for all the parents, all the boys.
and I didn't expect...
We wanted so badly
to be like everyone else,
why would hex poet him
to talk to me?
I want to be like everyone else.
I want my son Ben Zion,
Bentzy, to be like everyone else.
so it was a real...
a real experience like everyone else has.
It seems incredible
that so many miracles happen.
That's a shame.
No, maybe what we call a miracle
I call probability
or luck or...
Being born into the right family.
What do you call a miracle?
It's impossible,
it's impossible
for something to happen
and for everyone to see
that God's hand made it happen.
So God makes it so the Zaddikim
can only perform
the type of miracle
such that other people
or the human mind
can deny the miracle
and say: I was wrong.
And say: It's probability.
And say: It would have
happened anyway.
And so on.
A Zaddik never errs.
Sometimes God makes it
seem like he made a mistake.
but we believe it's all for the best.
it must have averted
something else.
We don't always know
how God figures things,
what might've happened otherwise.
But if the Zaddik said something
and something bad resulted from it,
then obviously God had something in mind
as we sometimes see
with God Himself.
Sometimes one gets something
and doesn't know why.
a reward for his behavior.
God wants to reward him,
he wants to avert
a different problem.
Tisch (Table)
A Tisch is an event held among Hassidic sects,
mainly on Shabbat and holidays
In every person there's
"God saves both man and beast,”
we're complex creatures.
Part of us is human.
ethical,
and part of us is worse than beasts.
Serving God means sacrificing
your animal soul
to God.
So when one sins,
he brings an offering to the Temple,
he sacrifices a beast,
which symbolizes...
he sacrifices the beast within him.
Today, since there is no altar.
where do I sacrifice my animalism?
At the table.
At the Tisch.
The Mozhitz Rebbe
When one eats
there are two possibilities,
one either descends
to the level of the food.
there are five levels: inanimate, plant,
animal, human, Jew.
So when one eats
meat or a plant,
either the meat ascends to the level
of animal or human.
or, if the person eats improperly.
the opposite happens,
he becomes a beast
and descends to the level of a plant.
When the Zaddik eats
he ascends through the levels,
Even when you're doing material things.
even when you eat,
yew ran foe serving God
because when one eats
for the sake of Heaven
it's a fixing, it contains sparks
of holiness. How?
God created it.
Why did He create it?
He created it so we can eat.
so we can live.
By using the food
in the service of God,
you fix
the sparks of holiness
found in the food
and send them back up
because you use them
to get closer to God.
The Pittsburgh Rebbe
The goal of the Hassidim
who sit around him
and sing and meditate
on his service
is to learn his ways
and adhere to his ways
and earn the merit of being worthy.
if we ourselves aren't on the level.
at least of seeing what it looks like
to perform the service
of lifting up the sparks by eating.
Shiraim (Leftovers)
The Rebbe's leftovers
are supposed to have special powers
When you sit at a Tisch
you see how...
you see how...
As with a big orchestra
everything is channeled
to one place.
Spirituality and physicality.
it may be demands
for the community
or crucial questions concerning
Jews the world over.
And the Rebbe remembers everyone.
You have to see him
when he raises a toast at the Tisch,
he doesn't skip anyone.
"L'chaim," and if someone...
is looking the other way,
he'll wait until he looks at him.
He toasts everyone, one by one.
The Sadigora Rebbe
He'll send something to someone,
or some challah to someone else.
or wine, then he'll call on him
and he'll say something.
you see the personal interaction
with every single one
although there are so many.
The Rebbe carries everyone along,
everyone's attached to him.
When everyone sees the Rebbe up close
it gives them a "wow" feeling,
me too.
I want to join in,
me and the Rebbe, together.
It's okay to be pushed at a Tisch,
but don’t push,
be pushed.
There are people who are always...
pushing someone else.
Then there are those who get pushed.
which is totally different.
You just prayed next to him.
you spent hours with him.
Then he leaves the synagogue
and everyone follows
as if they'd never seen him.
How can that be?
simple.
Anyone who's ever stood next to
the Rebbe has felt it.
Have you stood next to the Rebbe?
Did you feel the ambience?
You feel this...
I've never been to Paradise
but I know how it feels.
and I hope I always feel like I do
when I'm next to the Rebbe.
You don't need anything more.
Especially if the Rebbe looks at me
or touches me.
even without a word.
It's a different atmosphere.
Dance
Sweet Father, only you, endlessly
May your mercy be on us, O Lord...
When you dance you ascend and fall.
You ascend to God and bring down
holiness, then again,
up and down, up and down.
You connect.
Traditionally the Hassidim
have always sung
and danced at the Tisch.
The Torah doesn't command us
to dance or sing on Shabbat,
but you know what?
The Rebbe gave us an opportunity.
especially when we're at a Tisch,
we all sing and dance
it's good for the body and...
Does the soul enjoy it?
Does the body enjoy it?
What does it do?
It's a toolbox, am auxiliary tool
that helps you imagine Shabbat
as something sweet,
something nice.
something fun, a boost.
Doesn't it make you less free?
Oh...
Why
is a non-religious person
who consults
all the TV presenters
who decide what he should wear
and even if he's poor
his son has to wear Nikes
because they said so on TV,
is he a free man?
You have nothing to eat
but you take out a loan
because someone decided
my car is an old jalopy...
Edit that out if you have to.
Then okay. I'm a free man.
And if I'm a free man
who delights in Torah study
and when I have a problem
I go to God's representative.
my leader, a man
who studies Torah all day
and is unbiased
and sees the big picture,
and ask him.
Isn't that being free?
That's my freedom, my choice.
consulting my psychologist,
my therapist,
a divine therapist
who was appointed by God
as my shepherd.
The Pittsburgh Hassidic sect - Ashdod
The sect, which numbers some 200 families,
loved from Pittsburgh, USA to Ashdod 50 years ago
The sound of song and salvation
from the tents of the righteous...
Wow, this is amazing.
Wow, this is great, Moshik.
Tell us what's going on here.
This is the tribune.
This is the table of honor.
Where does the Rebbe sit?
The Rebbe sits here.
And the groom sits here.
Very nice, Moshik. Well done.
That's a lot of work.
I like this sort of thing.
Really? -Yes.
It's genuine, from the heart.
Well done.
The Pittsburgh Rebbe receives an audience
Can he perform miracles?
Absolutely. Of course.
People have seen them.
More than miracles.
My wife had a baby
four months ago
and before the birth the doctor said
the baby has three problems,
he has Down syndrome.
his heart doesn't work, half his brain
is gone, and his kidneys don't work.
That's what he said.
And the doctor asked me
if we want to abort.
We said that we Jews
don't do that.
If God gives a Jew something.
even if it isn't understood,
he accepts it joyfully.
No such thing.
I remember I called the Rebbe
and I told him the doctor said
we have to go to the hospital
and remove the baby.
The Rebbe said:
Do as the doctor says.
you'll come home
with a healthy baby.
And so it happened.
We went to the hospital.
we were there on a Thursday,
on Sunday they operated
and removed the baby.
And two days later
the doctor came from Ashdod
to see the baby.
He said to me:
Mr. Weber,
they exchanged your baby.
This isn't the baby I saw.
I said: My Rebbe told me
I'd go home with a healthy baby.
He healed this baby.
The Rebbe blessed us
and we saw a miracle.
Niggun (Melody)
O dweller in glory
Melodies play an important role
in worshiping God among Hassidic sects
The Rebbe often composes
the melodies himself
Hear the song and prayer...
Hear the song and prayer...
When the Rebbe sings...
We sing it together,
then someone has to remember it.
What do you mean?
He composes it during...
The Rebbe often composes a song
at the Shabbat table.
During the meal? -Yes. And sometimes
during a Tisch. -He gets inspired.
He suddenly gets inspired with a melody
in honor of Shabbat or whatever
and then..
-So you're at the Shabbat table
and suddenly you see that he's...
-Pensive.
The Rebbe is thinking.
Then suddenly...
Sometimes the Rebbe asks
for a Shabbat songbook or prayer-book.
Psalms. -Psalms.
A melody comes to him
and he puts the words to it.
The Pittsburgh Rebbe composes
during the Hallel service
He sings it and teaches everyone.
Is this something divine?
What else?
I'm asking, I don't know.
It's a melody.
-Put it this way,
a song isn't...
isn't something tangible, right?
It isn't like water or food.
It's spiritual.
You sit next to him and...
-I stand on the tribune at the Tisch
and after we sing a song
I'm in charge of remembering it
and recording it on Saturday night.
How do you do it?
It's a gift from God.
"Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says...'
For the uplifting of the soul of Avraham Abba
son of Yaakov Israel
Born 13 Sivan 5778
Died on Hoshana Rabba
My baby died on Hoshana Raba morning.
He'd fulfilled his purpose
and we had the privilege
of raising that soul
There are times when we miss him..
We remember...
It's hard. -Very.
But there's a divine strength
that God grants us
to cope with it.
When a child dies
and ascends to the World of Truth,
every soul that goes to the World of Truth,
his parents await him there.
When a soul like his ascends,
no father or mother awaits...
it runs to the Throne of Glory
and says: Where are my parents?
And God takes it
to Paradise and says:
"This is where you belong.
"You see these empty chairs
on either side?
"They're waiting for your parents."
And it's comforting to know
that I have a place in the World of Truth.
He's cared for.
-He's cared for and we're happy, too.
I believe
that the Rebbe saw everything,
and he knew that the baby wouldn't...
Wouldn't live?
-Wouldn't survive. For sure.
The thing is,
our role...
The baby dying is one thing,
but the faith and encouragement
he should have given me,
he gave me 100%.
That's the Rebbe's power.
I believe that he knew.
and in order to encourage me
and give us strength
to carry on
he said: He'll live, he's a healthy baby.
And he was healthy
when we brought him home.
No question.
The concept of miracles
is sometimes taken
out of proportion
because the Talmud says we mustn't
pray for miracles or for nature to change.
These miracles take place within nature.
That is, within nature
things take place,
here, I found the right doctor
and it worked.
Why did it work?
It's within nature.
Because you prayed,
because the Zaddik blessed you.
so the miracle took place
within nature.
That's the idea.
Are there miracles? Yes.
Yes, God performs miracles.
Does He also performs miracles
through His emissaries,
the Zaddikim?
Yes.
Only the Belzer Rebbe? No.
We called them "government ministers."
But this brings us back to the question.
it's like having your cake
and eating it too.
Because if someone's sick
and the Rebbe blesses him
he survived because
the Rebbe blessed him.
And if he dies, that's for the best, too.
So no matter
how you look at it, you win.
That's right.
Is that a problem?
No, but...
Look, if you base your faith
on miracles, then you're right.
If I tell you: Believe in the Rebbe,
he's a miracle-maker,
then you'll say:
You have a book of miracles?
I have a book of miracles
that didn't happen.
That's no reason to believe.
But if I tell you: Believe in the Rebbe
because he's God's envoy.
he represents the Divine Presence
in this world.
a microcosm of the Temple
and I give you a bonus:
He can also help you
by performing miracles.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
He went through a rough period.
Very, very hard.
Yes, what's the question
What does it mean by "here" and "here"?
The Mishnah says
that you have to announce
and find the person who lost it.
What does it mean by "here" and "here"?
There's a contradiction,
in one place it talks about
someone who found barrels of wine
and oil and grain,
they belong to him,
and here it says "wine and oil
must be announced."
But eventually he felt so strong
that last week
he came home
and asked me to help.
to call relatives to help him
collect money
to start a charity fund at school
for school supplies
to loan to the kids.
all sorts of school supplies,
erasers, pencils, paper.
in his brother's memory.
He approached it...
looking forward.
he's moving forward
in his brother's memory.
In Tractate Avot it's written:
"The world subsists on three things.
"Torah, worship and charity."
Studying Torah
isn't enough.
Because there's always
someone else studying Torah.
The idea is that if one studies Torah
and also does acts of charity.
and here we have a charity fund
to help the whole class
so the kids can make nice things
and do drawings
without having to rummage
through their backpacks.
this shows that the Torah
really is sweet.
The Weber family's housewarming
If you give up (waiting for the Rebbe)
he must declare 'these are his...'
Good idea.
Mezuzah..
"Bless You, O Lord our God,
King of the universe.
"who sanctified us and commanded us
to affix the Mezuzah." -Amen.
It's late. You're still awake?
It's so late.
Shouldn't you be in bed?
I won't tell your teacher
you stayed up late.
Don't worry, I won't tell.
I won't tell your teacher...
Who's your teacher?
Mr. Fogel.
Thank God you've made it this far.
I haven't really seen the whole
apartment
but I imagine it's
consciousness-expanding.
It's written: "A desirable, good,
expansive land."
To a good, long life,
to joy and peace.
may God fulfill all your wishes
and grant you success in everything.
You waited a long time for something nice
and now you're going to sleep.
Recite "Hear, O Israel,"
prepare for washing tomorrow
and go to sleep. It's 12:40.
You don't want to go to sleep
Maybe in 100 hours.
No, you're going to bed now.
It's very late.
Come, bedtime.
I lay down in the armchair
and it all came back to me.
I lay here for two hours and cried.
I cried like a little boy.
The door was locked.
I cried and cried. I couldn't stop.
It was a Friday. Saturday night,
after prayers, I went to see him
and he took my arm
and embraced me.
He said: Yankel,
I'm with you no matter what.
I felt he was there with me,
that he felt everything I went through
during those two hours.
He feels everything
his Hassidim feel.
those who are attached to him
The Lord is God, there is no other
The Lord is God, there is no other...