Hasidic Rebbes Issue Unusual Instruction: "Return to Israel Before Shabbos"

Security tensions and talk of possible escalation in Israel are reaching the halls of Hasidic courts. In the past 24 hours, Hasidic communities are abuzz over unusual instructions from leading rebbes to their followers, raising many questions among the public about the "vision of the righteous" regarding the coming days.

A real drama unfolded this week in the Skverer community in the United States. A groom from the court's Hasidim, scheduled to marry soon in Israel, flew to New York to celebrate the "Aufruf" Shabbat (Shabbat Torah reading before the wedding) in the presence of the Skverer Rebbe. To everyone's surprise, the Rebbe unusually instructed the groom to shorten his stay and return to Israel before the upcoming Shabbat Shira, to celebrate the Shabbat in Israel among his family members.

At the same time, it became known that several Skverer Hasidim living in the United States who had been visiting Israel recently were also asked to return to their homes in America as soon as possible. In the Hasidic community, these instructions are being linked to growing security tensions and fears of possible military developments.

The instructions from Skverer join an equally intriguing directive that came from the residence of the Amshinov Rebbe. It became known that last week, the Rebbe instructed one of his Hasidim who had flown abroad for his needs to return to Israel before Shabbat Shira.

The parallel instructions from both sides of the ocean are generating a wave of rumors among Hasidim, who wonder whether this is a sign of things to come.

We all hope to sing "Shirat HaYam" (Song of the Sea) this Shabbos in gratitude for past miracles and prayer for revealed miracles in these days.