The Vizhnitzer kehillah in Bnei Brak reached an emotional crescendo on Thursday night, as thousands of chassidim gathered in the main Vizhnitzer bais medrash to witness the return of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, Rav Yisroel Hager, and take part in the Lag Ba’omer hadlakah ceremony. The crowd erupted in joyous song, and many tearfully recited the berachah of Shehecheyanu as they beheld their Rebbe once again.
The Rebbe had been absent for three months, during which he was receiving medical treatment in Los Angeles followed by a period of rest in Switzerland.
His return electrified the chassidim, some of whom had traveled from across Eretz Yisroel and even from abroad for the chance to see him and participate in the Lag Ba’omer event.
The moment the Rebbe entered the grand bais medrash, the entire crowd burst into a spontaneous Shehecheyanu. Encouraged by the Rebbe’s visible emotion and participation, many in the crowd said the berachah with Shem UMalchus.
For Sefiras HaOmer, the Rebbe recited the count aloud in the distinct Vizhnitzer nusach, his voice quivering with emotion. The atmosphere was charged with spiritual elevation as soulful niggunim of longing and thanksgiving filled the air.
Before the lighting, the Rosh Yeshiva of Vizhnitz, Rav Menachem Ernster, conducted a siyum on the Zohar, learned by the chassidim as part of the Ohr HaRashbi initiative.
Then came the long-awaited moment. The Rebbe lit the madurah, raising the torch high as the crowd sang with fervor. As the flames rose, the Rebbe encouraged the singing, visibly moved by the scene before him.
In the midst of the celebration, the Rebbe paused to share a personal story. He recalled how his grandfather, the Imrei Chaim of Vizhnitz zt”l, once suffered a medical incident while vacationing in Tiveria. En route to the hospital, the Imrei Chaim asked the driver to take him home to the Vizhnitzer neighborhood instead, saying, “The chassidim will be happier to see me at home than in a hospital. I want to be among the chassidim.”
As the event drew to a close, the Rebbe performed the traditional shooting of a bow and arrow, and then bestowed his berachah upon the assembled crowd.
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