Thousands gather at the ohel of the Bobover Rebbe, R’ Naftali Tzvi Halberstam, zt’l
Thousands gather at the ohel of the Bobover Rebbe,
R’ Naftali Tzvi Halberstam, zt’l

Thousands flocked to the Bobover ohel in Floral Park Cemetery, located in Monmouth Junction (Deans), New Jersey. They came to ask, plead, and thank. They came to cry, share, and unburden. They came to the Bobover Rav, HaRav Naftali Tzvi Halberstam, zt’l, who had once enigmatically revealed, “R’ Shimon bar Yochai will be with me on Lag BaOmer.”

Motzaei Shabbos saw an ongoing stream of visitors braving the steady rain throughout all hours of the night. Their passionate tefillos sliced through the darkness, borne aloft on the wings of one who had dedicated his life to the welfare of others. The entire Sefer Tehillim was recited in unison, culminating in an uplifting Shacharis at daybreak.

Sunday’s sunny skies smiled down with hope and promise at the thousands of visitors arriving at the tziyun. Every square inch in the spacious ohel was taken, but the buses kept rolling in, bringing Yidden from every segment of society from the tri-state area and beyond.

Food and drinks were made available around the clock in a tent that had been set up to accommodate the crowds. Cars were parked bumper to bumper alongside rows of buses–a silent testimonial to this day of inspiration.

Murmured whispers of tefillah were interwoven with bouts of joyous singing, as hope and reassurance partnered in New Jersey. There were desperate pleas for salvation, intertwined with bursts of gratitude from those who had returned to thank.

Most potent of all was the silence. It was a promising silence, a mystical silence. It embraced every visitor with the knowledge that this moment in time was gilded in greatness.

May Hashem accept our tefillos and transform every supplication into a song of joy. 

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