Brooklyn, NY – A video of a Brooklyn Rabbi throwing apples into an anxious crowd of Hasidic Jews has gone viral, introducing many newcomers to the tradition held annually at the conclusion of the Jewish holiday season.
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The video clip, which reached more then 40,000 hits titled “Apple Tish in Sanz Klausenburg Neelas Hachag 5774” features the rabbi from the Sanz Klausenburg sect in Borough Park, Brooklyn seated in front of a tray of apples at the end of long table, waiting patiently while instructions are given to a rather eager crowd awaiting the beginning of the apple-toss.
A mad scramble ensues within seconds of the rabbi starting to toss the apples, with a couple men actually jumping onto the table to gain better access to the prized fruits.
i am not a chassid at all, but i know that my aunts husband one went to one of those, and that year they had twins and won a lot of money……there might be something to it…
Those who jumped on the table saddened me. The lack of derech eretz exhibited is disturbing. How can they behave like that in front of their Rebbe.
The apples signify the movement of Torah to the smaller regions of China. And if you like to dance on tables, this is a good day. I do think however that it is easier to go to the store and for only a few dollars buy a dozen apples yourself. No table jumping on very nice table cloths! Thanks.
In many cultures it is considered bad manners to throw food or to walk on tables with shoes on. Are you allowed to walk on tables that have seforim on them?
Some chasidus have the minhag to throw apples on simchas torah. I have once been privileged to see this, but it was not so chaotic as in the above clip.
It seems that is the Sanzer community only a few apples are thrown and it looks like pandemonium broke out. What a shame.
Not so sure, that this puts us in a very favorable light among the nations of the world.
One has to understand that catching one of these apples is a very big thing. If you have been childless for 10 years or are already 30 and haven’t gotten married yet you are so totally desperate that you will go to any lengths to obtain one. This does nor mean I approve of their behaviour and I suspect that apples obtained in this manner may well be worthless……
In Targum Sheini on Megilas Esther. Haman complained the yidden have strange minhagim they throw apples from the roof of the shul .
The reason it went viral is because if u will look closely, u will see that someone near the Rebbe overturned the box. That caused the “behula”…
Hate to break it to everyone but halachik Judaism does not attribute special powers to apples thrown by rabbis. It is unfortunate that people mistakingly believe that the catching of such an apple could merit them the answer to their prayers (i.e. Finding a shidduch, curing infertility, winning the lottery…). It is non-sensical and any rabbi that promotes or stays silent and does not explicitly condone such beliefs is defrauding heir congregation.
Nobody threw an apple to the Rebbe?
He also is childless!
May he merit a miracle himself.
Can any of these apples be procured on ebay?
If u believe in brochos from a rebba then ull believe in this minhag of throwing/catching the apple. Growing up in a klausenberg home I’ve witnessed this tish many times, and I’ve also seen the brochos that come along with it! absolutely amazing!!! And unfortunately every year this speach gets made & still someone jumps on the table. It’s all part of it.
Can anyone explain the origin of this apple throwing minhag and the purpose?
I am much more concerned to watching the video and seeing the Rabbis Gabbai smacking two teenage kids for trying to catch an apple
It got me so outraged I should really be reported to the police department and have him arrested.. what a moron what an animal
Who needs Barnum and Bailey?
The video shows some bad apples.
An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but stay away from bad ones.
Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the….
I’ve watched this video several times and come away with the belief that anyone with zero derech eretz that will run around on a table like an animal and step on sifrei kodesh in front of the heilege rebbe in the belief that grabbing an apple will yield them a child probably shouldn’t be having children and certainly is not zocheh of any other barocha.
…. but i cant believe how many hating misnagdim there are here who thin they know what they are talking about when they dont have a ki hu zeh idea!
Please tell me the apple sauce – I mean source.
Hey brilliant commenters. Any one of you ready to dispute the Baal Divrei Chaim from Sanz? The holy minhag comes from him.. And the yeshuas seen from those apples are real and awe-inspiring. Every year the rebbe begs the crowd not to get onto the table..and even threatens to stop throwing the apples if anyone goes wild. One year the Rebbe stopped after throwing 3.. If u don’t believe in this custom..just be quiet and don’t run to condemn if u have no clue about this. And p.s., the gabbai was targeting the silly yungerman who turned over the tray of apples, which was the initial reason this video went viral. He was not hitting any teenagers…
Reply to 17
Hilarious and mature comment. I hope you’re fully aware of your sheer brilliance.
This is America, and we are guaranteed freedom of religion, not only by the U.S. Constitution, but also by the Constitution of the State of New York. Hence, if the Klausenberg Chassidim wish to observe the religious practice of throwing apples, that is their right. They are not harming anyone, or breaking the law. Unfortunately, there are many narrow minded individuals, both within the gentile community, and even within the secular and frum communities who can’t seem to understand or accept certain religious practices, such as the above. This isn’t a case, whereby someone was on a commercial flight, and upset the flight crew and the passengers. It occurred totally within a Shul in Borough Park. Therefore, come off your high horses, and respect freedom of religion. Case closed!
Wouldn’t it be more appropriate to throw pomegranates or fish. After all, those are supposed to be the simanim (symbolic foods) for fertility and abundance. Why specifically apples?
Throw apples, don’t throw apples, who cares? Every chasidus has it’s own odd customs. The only problem I see on this video is that people are walking on a table that has seforim on it.
In all seriousness, Does anyone know the real source for this custom – if there is one? A sefer? Was it just based on brocha from the Rebbe with shiriyim of an apple that came true? Or does it have a deeper reason/source for an apple, thrown by the rebbe, at the end of succos?
Obviously, the idea is not to have people clamoring over the tables, but if they believe in it so much they would do anything they could to get their hands on one.