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Rav Mazuz: People Travel To Uman And Fall To Aveiros


1HaGaon HaRav Meir Mazuz Shlita, Rosh Yeshivas Kisei Rachamim is opposed to travel to Uman to be mispallel at the tziyun of Rav Nachman ZT”L on Rosh Hashanah as tens of thousands of Jews from around the world do. The rav adds that if a wife and older children are agreeable, such travel is permissible.

The rav made his comments during a shiur, explaining “There are Breslov Chassidim who travel to Uman and “and go completely mad”. He tells of a chossid who was ill and traveled there a year or two ago for Rosh Hashanah, and after a number of days he died. “Why does a sick person travel there” the rav asked.

The rabbi added “There are some who leave their wives and children for Rosh Hashanah. The sons do not go to shul for their father is at the tziyun of Rav Nachman. This is what they mean when they say ‘אני לאומן ואשתי לחמותי’ (I travel to Uman and my wife to the in-laws – a play on the first letter of the words which spell out Elul). What is this madness? Don’t go if you do not have permission from the wife and older children. First worry about your wife and buy her new clothes for Yomtov and make her happy”.

The rabbi then commented on an approbation he gave for a sefer written by a Breslov rav, explaining “What did they do with my approbation – they displayed it at a place selling tickets to Uman. I addressed a sefer, I did not endorse a business”.

The rabbi emphasized “People travel to Uman and fall to aveiros. People travel to Uman and drown during Tashlich. They travel to Uman and die there. Why go?”

The rav did emphasize that he is not in any way opposed to Breslov Chassidus.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)



7 Responses

  1. Why is travelling to Uman and leaving wives and daughters worse than chassidim who travel to their Rebbes in different countries leaving their wives and daughters behind? Is it because this Rav and many other such Ravs hate Breslov so much that they consider anything involving with Breslov a sin? No, I’m not Breslov.

  2. There are a lot of these weirdos where live.

    When they leave for Uman, we have a relatively quiet RH.

    The problem is—THEY COME BACK!!

  3. Arye: Maybe the main difference is that when a Chossid goes to a Rebbe, there is an actual Rebbe. Here its pretty much “Ish Kol Hayashar Be’Einav Yaaseh”

    I myself dont understand the rush to Uman. Which Roshei Yeshiva are going? Condone it? Dont we or shouldnt we ask our rabeeim if we should leave families and go?

    As Rabbi Elazar says in Mesechtas Sukka…I praise the Lazy People who (even though its because of laziness) stay home with their wife on the Holidays…

  4. YJF,

    I think the Rebbe that approved Uman-going was R’ Nachman from Bratzlav. Quite a controversial figure, but he has a big following, as you can see.

  5. The difference is life and death. Literally. You can speak with a dead Rebbe. You can’t gain Hadracha from a dead Rebbe.
    Many Gedolim of Ukraine warned off to stay way from Breslov.

  6. Z,

    I think that the Broslevers have an understanding of leadership that is different from yours.

    There definitely is, or was, hitnagdut to Broslev. They seem to be weathering it well, though.

    By the way, I think that the idea of keeping Rabbi Nachman as the Tzadik of Broslev even after he passed on comes from Rabbi Natan of Nemirov. He was a great scholar. He wrote many volumes on Broslev thought. His teachings are very persuasive to Broslev Hassidim.

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