Poughkeepsie, NY – Rabbi Hanoch Hecht and members of the Jewish community of Rhinebeck, New York will ascend in hot air balloons to Rabbi Takes Congregation in Hot Air Ballons.
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Birkat HaChama (the blessing of the sun) is a ceremony in which Jews recite a blessing on the Sun as it returns to the place it was appointed during Creation. It occurs every 28 years and always on a Wednesday.
The congregation will set out to perform the cermony from James Beard Park in Rhinbeck at 6:00 AM, Wednesday April 8th.
PLEASE NOTE: A previous advisory mistakenly placed the launch site in Rhinebeck. The correct location is James Baird State Park in Pleasant Valley, NY as noted below.
This Rabbi is full of Hot air. I guess this will realy bring him closer to the sun. Proportionally it will bring him closer like 2-1/2 centimeters.
awesome! is it open to the public?
These people are really full of hot air
Very nice idea, but if the weather , especially winds are not just right they should cancel- These contraptions can be dangerous, and even turn deadly (C’V”)
why not !!!!!!!! ONLY CHABAD
keep all your stupid comments to yourselves! Its a wonderful thing this rabbi is doing and he is also being mekarev the people and teaching them more about judiasm. good job Rabbi Hanoch Hecht!!
Jewish people everywhere are busy getting ready for Pesach.
I think its a sholeh if its ok to make the bruchu like this….even from a air plane its not 100 percent good
Chabad can make any mitzvah into an event one to remember for at least the next 28 yrs. If this works for you, go for it and enjoy…
He should just go to the moon much more fun.
Whatever works! even if one single soul, is prompted to do a double take about judaism, its all worth it (according to their philosophy)
As someone who spent a great deal of time involved in kiruv, and even some with Chabad programs, this is totally cool! Sorry if I sound like a 12 year old, but I just wish I would have thought of it first! What an incredible way to publicize the mitzvoh and get people involved!
Well since this happens only every 28 years and this is the last time that it will ever fall out on the 14 of nissan every body everywhere should Find at least 2-3 people anywhere who would not normally say this blessing and explane it to them so they can recite it I mean come on were not even allowed to say it only every 28years could you imagine the joy in shamayim when a frum jew says and he helps someone say it who’s not? I think all jews accross the world have to realize that we are all responsible for each other it makes hakodesh barachu proud . Try and get up early everyone . Oh and my hat goes off to the chabad rabbi!
Very cute publicity stunt, but nu, does it not say, “Lo bashamayim hee….”
Does this “Rabbi” have a right to get people to risk their lives to perform a mitzvah (?) which can easily be performed in the safety of their backyard?
Whatever happed to Yaakov Bornstein of Chabad of the Mid-Hudson Valley/Poughkeepsie, Is he still there?
All you out there stop cursing out Chabad they are the ONLY real kiruv that goes to EVERY corner of the world (including india) why dont you pick yourself up and go to some hick town and try living like a Jew, never mind doing “kiruv” just keep in mind that when YOU get stuck in some hick town YOU WILL turn to Chabad for help and they WILL help you despite the fact that you are cursing them out in whatever they do.
and if they will make it in a backyard as you call it and invite some high official(in order to bring more traffic) you will also have some problem.
Amazing !!! Big Kidush Hashem !!! Rabbi Hecht keep up your heilige avoda
Oh, I am so proud of the Hechts, They have such energy and they use it for the right purposes! Hatzlocho Rabbo! They do it entirely leshem shomayim and kiruv targets secular Jews!
Going on top of the clouds is to make sure you see the sun while otherwise you cannot say the brocho! Kol Hakovod!
I am not anyone official, just someone who is zoiche to be one Shliach in a tiny outpost. We are not a kiruv organization, never were and never will be. We are working on as the Rebbe’s (and all the Rebbeim preceeding him till the heilige Baal Shem Tov) hands and feet to bring Moshiach through hafotzas maayonos haChassidus.
Yes, it takes us to hot air baloons and whatever else we may need to do on the way, but this is our agenda, not “kiruv” or adding another Jew to vote yahadut haTorah or Shas. The agenda is to get that one extra mitzvah that will tip the scales as the Rambam says. All of the gimmicks are to get the unafilliated Yidden to be a part of the grand scheme of the Aibishter since “v’Ruach Elokim merachefes- ze rucho shekl Moshiach- and bring the tachlis of brias hoilom to fruition.
Please don’t compare us to anyone else, its a completely different inyan. For those wanting to learn more, see your local Shliach or Mashpia or any available Tomim who will tip you off as to what makes us tick and devote our entire lives to Shlichus.
Chag haPesach Kosher v’sameach with Moshiach NOW!
In these very trying times this is a complete waste of money. Give the money for the needy not attention seeking people.
that’s what he is! the mitzva isn’t bigger for getting closer or for the publicity stunt he trying to pull off.
Sorry to say, but the first story of birkas hachama I remember is of some rebbe / rav who couldent make the bracha due to clouds and hired a plane to take him up (this was I believe before ww2 where planes were risky and expensive)
Where does it say it must be on the ground ? its not a PR stunt, its one way to get jews more involved with mitzvos.. excuse me but the seder consists of doing “weird things” ki yishalach bincha so that your children will ask!
Here we go again…… all of you hater’s, kep your two cents to yourself. If the rabbi wants to go on a hot air balloon why does it bother you? When you’re dealing with secular jews, even some orthodox, getting people to show up at 6 am is a big challenge. so if gettig a balloon brings more jews to do such a rare mitzvah whats the problem.
While the next “Birchat Hachama” will occur in 28 years, the one that that will take place this Wednesday 5769 is unique in the fact that it also falls out “Erev Pesach”. There will NOT be another “Birchas Hacahma” falling out “Erev Pesach” within the Jewish calendar which is supposed to end in year 6000.
The sinah to Lubavitch by the Litvishe community is identical to the sinah the brothers had to Yosef Hatzadik, and for similar reason.
#1 i think you should call him and mention yor concerns, by posting it here he wont know it
It does not say how high they will ascend. If they don’t go too high, as I suspect, they may not be above the clouds anyway, so what was gained?
It is a creative idea on his part, but not every stunt is in order. They could do it in a park or another way, I think he made a good try, but seems like too much of a gimmick, which brings questions in its wake.
And how many people can one of those balloons hold, also I think they cost a pretty penny, then there is also a potential sheila of taaruvos.
#32please dont make up such stories. if true where can we verify. i know of one rebbe in the sixties dd this for kiddush levana so maybe your mixing up. but before WW2 was a fortune and money was scarce so…your comparison to the seder that beats them all
No time to read all comments but first few question time logic and pesach schedule…just understand its being done for those that obviously don’t clean or prepare for pesach let alone understand nuances of some of these comments. It is Chabad at its best simply thinking and doing anything possible to mekarev our brethern. Feel better mrs hot air ?
For the record these comments are like so predictable already. LOL soon someone will say Chabad made the sun lower so the balloons don’t have to travel too much and that’s not kosher.
Kulanu bnei ish echad anachnu. My precious family – all of you – please don’t fight. Disagree all you want – but beAhava and leshem Shamayim. Even Yom Kippur is not mechaper for aveirot bein adam lechavero. Tayara kinderlech… no Abba wants to see his kinderlech fighting… We must all focus on being belev echad keish echad – and to even do that leShem Avinu SheBashamayim.
Chag Kasher VeSameach!
Skydiving is much more fun
#42 ..if cant take the haet get out of the kitchen. this is nit a kindergarten, we dont need a referee. thisis forum for free exchnce of opinions, as long its not against. torah.
Birchat Hachama i snot a blessing on the Sun. It is a blessing of the Ribbono Shel Olam. It is the sam eblessing recited over various natural phenomena. There is no “mitzva” of Birkat Hachama per se. There is a mitzva to recite a blessing over many things.
Chabad is an organization which has earned a great deal of emnity amongst Jews. Aside from the Messianic heresy preached by some (but not all) of Chabad, the organization has made itself irrelevant to already frum people. To wit, the organization in Rhinebeck, aside from the obvious PR stunt of the balloon, is running two sedarim. Both are scheduled for 7:00 PM (their calendar shows that). I can understand starting the first seder at 7, although the time is not quite late enough, because that may prevent som epeople from driving to the seder (but not back home) on Yom Tov. What is worse, is the second seder at 7. That will cause people to travel on the FIRST DAY of Pesach, a d’oraysa, rather than on the second, which is d’rabbonon. Those who don’t travel, will still be making kiddush for the second day, when it’s still the first day. Most real Orthodox shuls specifically wait longer for Ma’ariv, so that s’fira is done on time, and that the two days of Yom Tov aren’t conflicting with each other.
I think this is a terrific idea. Bringing joy to performing mitzvos is great. However, going up in a hot air balloon is very expensive and is not for everyone. Depending where you live, there are lots of other ways to make the event extra special, such as going to a lake or beach to watch sunrise over the water, going to a mountain top or the top of a tall building, etc.
can he burn chametz up there too?
As some who know rabbi hect i cant understand what the comotion is about just because it happens to be a chabadnik who comes up with the hot air ballon idea does he desrve to be bashed #2 every seder for not frum people in the whole world had a set time when in begeins and yes people will drive to the seder the same way they drive to shull on yom kipur but at least they are getting a tast of yidishkeit
chabad in bournemouth england is doing the same,
How can I make a reservation to go up on the balloon. I am willing to sponsor the full cost of this trip but need to take my family of 5. Any idea on contact information
#52 You haven’t answered why they are scheduling the sedarim the way they did.
How many young men and women who are students of higher Jewish learning, whether it be former Lakewood students, Brisk, Mir, Telz, Sanz, Satmar, Tora Vodaath, Chaim Berlin, Yeshiva University, Ner Israel, the full spectrum of Orthodox learning, get turned on to Chabad?
How many communities have picked up a daf yomi shiur through Chabad?
If I go to shul every morning, have a seder (in learning) every night, already keep kashrut and Taharat Hamishpacha, what does Chabad have to offer? A Shacharit after the z’man kriat shma, a mincha after Sh’kia, a class in Tanya, and a prayer for the continued life of a dead”messiah”!
I once fell in to a Chabad “beth Hamidrash”. The Rav asked me ,”What do you think of my Bais Medrash”? I told him, “not much”. “And why not?”, he asked. “You don’t have a set of Shas, no full Shulchan Aruch, no Tur, no Oruch Hashulchan, not even a Rav’s Shulchan Aruch!”
As far as you r comment about kiruv being a universal resposnsibility for the frum world, you are right. I am involved in kiruv, and have been for a generation. Without hype, without a funny shaped menorah, without a false Messiah, without liquor, and without watering down halacha.
#53 : So it’s not so bad that people will drive to a seder, at least they will get a taste of yiddishkeit!
Have you lost your mind? The Conservative movement issued it’s famous (or infamous) “t’shuva” on driving to shul on Shabbat, for the very same purpose. Yet, you laud Chabad, though I am sure you would condemn Conservative Judaism. I can have a seder at home, with an English Hagada supermarket bought matza, and a jar of Manishewitz grape juice. It won’t be a “mehudardikke” seder, but it’s a seder nevertheless. Driving a car is a definite issur. In the Rhinebeck case, if they scheduled the second seder AFTER tzeis hacochavim on Thursday night, at least the driving would “only” violate Rabbinic law, not Torah Law.
Even if you don’t have a seder at all, at worst, you are nor performing a postive mitzva, by driving you are over a “lav”
sure, just check their site http://www.chabaddutchess.com/ and search for their phone number and give them a call.