0127 - Hanhagos of the Rebbe by Davening Part 1

00:01 Many years, the Rebbe would daven Mincha-Maariv upstairs in the small shul, till later on when it changed, the Rebbe started daven Mincha-Maariv downstairs. When the Rebbe davened Mincha-Maariv upstairs, there were certain minhagas you were able to see. And I'm gonna mention a few of the minhagas that just come to mind. I'm sure there are more, which I'll remind myself, but in the meantime, just a few minhagas that you were able to see then that comes to my mind. The Rebbe, when he would come in, he would daven Mincha-Maariv in the weekdays standing by the door. That means the door entering into the shul, coming from the, the lobby where you have the elevator, he would walk into that door. And by that door, there was a table, and then, and then there was a bench on both sides of the table, but on the side next to the wall, that's where the Rebbe's place would be to sit. He would walk in. He would walk in with the gartel in his hand, and he would stand there facing the crowd. In other words, he was standing by the front of the table. His back was to the wall where the clock is, and he was facing the crowd. Didn't look at the people, but he was putting on his gartel. He came in without wearing his gartel. He came in holding the gartel in his hand, and he was saying. You could see it seemed like by Mincha he was saying Korbanos. While he was

01:10 putting on the gartel, he was saying Korbanos. And then also by Maariv, he would put on his gartel. And while he's putting on his gartel, that's when he's saying Boracham and Shehecheyanu. And it seems interesting that he started saying whether it's Korbanos or Boracham, it seemed like that's what it was with other gartel. In other words, when he started saying he wasn't wearing the gartel yet. And interesting also, the way he put on his gartel, he would take both hands, the two fingers, and put on his stomach, which was like, seemed like measuring something or feeling something. And then he put-- started wrapping the gartel. And while he was saying, or Korbanos by Mincha, or Boracham and Shehecheyanu by Maariv. And what happened was that the Chazan, since he started Ashrei right away, and the Rebbe by Mincha was not up to Ashrei yet, he would be still saying Korbanos. When the Chazan finished Kadesh, Chotei Kadesh after Ashrei before Shemoneh Esreh, everyone went back and got-- came forth and started Shemoneh Esreh. The Rebbe did the same. The Rebbe was standing on his place, went back when everyone went back to Shemoneh Esreh, came forth, but you could see many times that he did not start Shemoneh Esreh with the minyan when everyone started because you could see that he was not up to Shemoneh Esreh yet. And it took a few moments, and you could see that the Rebbe, after a few moments, started bend his feet and, uh, Mishtacheh by start- beginning

02:27 of Shemoneh Esreh. In other words, you were able to see that even though when everyone went back and came forth, he did the same. Went back, came forth to the wall holding a siddur. There was no shtender then. Holding a siddur, but he didn't start Shemoneh Esreh right away. He started Shemoneh Esreh when he was ready, which was a few minu- few moments later. That's one thing you were able to see. Another thing you were able to see that when it came to Tachnun, like this Rebbe was normally when he stood in his place at Chazarat Hashatz, he sat on the bench. But then when not Chazarat Hashatz, when there was time to stand, he would stand. He would be facing the people. The whole shul, which was in front of the Rebbe, he was facing the people. But when it came to Tachnun, when it came to Ashamnu, he turned around and faced the wall, which is towards Mizrach. Now, there's-- you could think what was the reason why he did it. Maybe there's a inyan that when you say Ashamnu and you say the Vidui, you should face Mizrach. Or maybe it was done for practical reasons. Since the Rebbe was facing the Olam, you should stand facing the Olam saying Ashamnu is not so nice. I don't know. But the Rebbe always he che-- turned around, faced Mizrach when he was saying Ashamnu. He said Ashamnu. He banged by everyone, and we know that there are Ashamnu, the Vidui is broken up

03:46 in a few pieces, so he would say, "Ashamnu bagadnu, gazalnu, banu, defi." Stop for a second, mamash for a second, then start Hevu Nu to fa- till Tefach Nusheker, and then stop for a mamash a second. Then Yoatznu Ro till Keshe Nu Erev, and then Rashainu and till, till Titu Nu. And by each one, he would clap. Then when it came to Sanu, the Rebbe clapped when he said Sanu and kept his hand on his heart while he said the whole line, "Sanu mitzvos echav mishpetecha, atem v'reishovu lanu. V'atah tzadeik al kol vo'aleinu ki emes es esav anachnu hishonu." By the last word, Hishonu, he gave a clap again, and then he took his hands off, and then he continued with the Ki L'olach Apaim.