Tashlich - Part I

00:01 As we find ourselves after Rosh Hashanah, and during Rosh Hashanah, it is a custom in many circles to visit the Tashlich, which is a water body where we say a specific prayer. We'll therefore discuss some aspects beneath the Tashlich. First point will be from an article in the newspaper National Jewish Post from October 11th, 1946, the 16th of Tishrei Tov Shin Zayin. And the second aspect will be from a Yuman, a diary that was written in Tov Shin Yud Beis, late 1951, 70 years ago. This was written then by Rabbi Eli Gross, Alav HaShalom, describing the Tashlich by the Rebbe in Botanical Gardens of that year. And the third topic will be a sicha of the Rebbe in Tov Tishrei Tov Shin Lamed. That's late 1969, where the Rebbe discusses Rosh Hashanah when it falls out on Shabbos. What is the story with Tashlich? First beneath here to the newspaper, as mentioned, within an article comes in a few paragraphs referring to Tashlich. It begins as follows. Ever see a Hasidic rabbi directing traffic? It happened on Rosh Hashanah. There were 300 long-coated Hasidim in a tremendous parade all the way down the quiet aristocratic Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn to the Botanical Gardens, as is traditional on the New Year. There they cast their sins from breadcrumbs to shaking out their clothes. The line was black, a black long double file. Startled, the residents looked out and listened to ancient melodies. Running up and down was Rabbi Chodakov Marshal, who was complimented on his military discipline.

02:16 With him around, they had a march straight. At intersections, somewhat like Joshua, he stopped autos and trucks without the sun or the moon. At the lake, a small statue of George Washington gazed on the doings. I am told that many whispered that Washington had done well to found a country that this Tashlich could be observed without fear. Now we go on to the Yeman, to the diary of Rabbi Eli Gross, where Rabbi Gross writes that after Mincha we went with the Rebbe to Tashlich, as every year a big crowd attended. And the Rebbe requested that it should be organized. And there was some of the Bochrim who were appointed to make sure that everything is running smoothly. The crowd extended over a block. And while we were walking, my partner says to Buddy, it was a double file line, Rabbi Yurokrinsky and myself and everyone else walking, saying famous nigunim. With us also participated people who were not Hasidim. In the park itself, there was a very big crowd of Yidden who went to Tashlich. Just to mention on a side note that in those years, in the 1950s and early 60s, there were many Yidden who lived in Crown Heights and around Crown Heights. All the streets to Atlantic Avenue and also in the other direction and from one end of Eastern Parkway to the other were all Yidden. And they were all waiting, these people, till the Lubavitcher will arrive, means the Rebbe. After the Rebbe recited the Thrilla by Tashlich, the Rebbe

04:23 instructed that they should dance there and then we returned to 770. While walking, the Rebbe instructed that we should sing the nigun of If I Would Be and the Rebbe cried. When we returned back to 770, we went through Eastern Parkway and then we turned to President Street and to Brooklyn Avenue and then we made a left to 770. When we reached 770, the Rebbe opened up the window of his room and the Rebbe instructed that we should make a rikud, a dance. And the Rebbe was encouraging the singing that it should be livelier. We will im yirtzeh Hashem continue in the next installment.