Regular readers may recall my admiration of the NaNachs, the fun-filled followers of the teachings of Rabbi Nachman who dance to techno music on the streets of Israel and elsewhere. Their uplifting energy is so inspiring, as is the wisdom of Nachman himself.
I only learnt this week that Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston is also a NaNach fan. She is often seen wearing the NaNach Kumaya amulet and even once paid for a NaNach Hasid’s plane ticket so he could join the group’s customary Rosh Hashanah visit to Nachman’s resting place in Uman.
Here is the Friends legend Aniston, on the cover of this week’s Grazia magazine, wearing a NaNach amulet. Much respect is due. I hope she keeps plugging into Rabbi Nachman’s wisdom. There are few better ways of being uplifted when it hasn’t been your day, your week, your month, or even your year…
Read more about the NaNachs here.
so how are things on the Brangelina side?
Good question! And what better way to find out, than here!
Go Jen Go. where can i get one?
I’ll wear mine next time I see you, and find out the best way for you to get one. I got mine sent by a friend in Jerusalem.
Hello Chas,
If you really did know these guys you wouldn’t be so enchanted by them.
They are far far away from Rabi Nachman’s teachings.
This is not what he taught (or at least not ALL he taught).
One of Judaism no-no’s is all this grave worshiping. There is a very beautiful explanation as for the missing burial place of Moses: it is said God did not want the people of Israel worshiping this place and thus committing “avoda zarah” (foreign worshiping).
I do not find this so beautiful considering thousand of family guys go AWOL every year on Rosh Hashana (they spend it in Uman instead of with their wife and children) or spend thousands of dollars they don’t have to do Avoda Zarah.
Apparently they did not really read Rabi Nachman’s books.
I do really know them, thanks, but I hear you when you say you’re not keen on them.
Eyal, apparently you are the one who hasn’t read Rabbi Nachman’s books, where he does in fact strongly encourage visiting and praying at the graves of the tzaddikim (not worshipping them, as you put it). One classic example is Lesson 109 from the second part of his magnum opus Likutey Moharan devoted entirely to this topic, where he speaks of the importance in visiting his great-grandfather the Baal Shem Tov’s grave and how the graves of tzadikim has literally the same holiness as the Land of Israel and provides a soul rectification. THAT is what he actually taught! Then there is his famous promise transcribed in Chayei Moharan that he made before witnesses about visiting his own grave and saying Tikkun HaKlali. Those are just a few examples. I could happily provide more if you’d like, but please don’t suggest Rabbi Nachman did not encourage the graves of tzadikim! It’s simply not true.