They watched their Rebbe dance with the sefer Torah of the Baal Shem Tov
This past week, New Square, the shtetl-like town situated on the outskirts of Monsey, New York, reverberated with a roar impossible to describe in words. Thousands from around the world converged on this humble locale for a hachnassas sefer Torah that lasted two full days. But as all Skverer chassidim recognized, this was actually the culmination of a seven-year project.
For years, the Skverer Rebbe has stood at the forefront in the battle against misuse of technology. Seven years ago, he conceived Kadsheini, an organization that encourages participants to accept various restrictions on Internet usage. The Rebbe later announced that a sefer Torah would be written in honor of this program, and participants could purchase either a letter or a word, based on what they had accepted.
Various impediments delayed the dream from reaching a reality — until this past Simchas Torah, when the gabbai formally announced that a date had been set for the grand event. The Rebbe extended his personal invitation to all chassidim, and expressed how meaningful to him their attendance would be.
Chassidim poured in from across the country and well beyond, with hundreds coming from Europe and Eretz Yisrael. The Machnovka Rebbe, who has a very close relationship with the Skverer Rebbe, contributed a particularly beautiful element by sending his most treasured heirloom to grace the event: the Baal Shem Tov’s sefer Torah. This Torah never leaves the Machnovka Rebbe’s side, but he made an exception for this occasion. The roads were so congested that the procession could not get through. The crowds merely danced in place. And when the procession finally reached the shul, the Rebbe alighted and began to dance. Holding the Torah next to his heart, he danced for two hours with thousands of voices rising in a crescendo around him.
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