כ״ב תשרי ה׳תשפ״ו | October 13, 2025
Listen: Rare Half Hour Recording of the Rebbe’s Hakafos
50 years ago, a visitor keeping only one day of Yom Tov recorded the Rebbe’s Simchas Torah hakafos. Listen to the half-hour recording.
The Rebbe’s Hakafos were known to be the highlight of the year for thousands of chassidim.
Listen to a half-hour recording of the Hakafos in 5736, recorded by a visitor who was only keeping one day of Yom Tov.
0:00 – The Rebbe recites the possuk of Ata Horeisa
0:16 – Congregation reciting the possuk of ki Mitziyon
0:25 – Singing Hoshia Es Amecha
2:25 – The Rebbe recites the possuk of Ata Horeisa
2:53 – The Rebbe recites the possuk of Ki Mitziyon
3:05 – Congregation reciting the possuk of Vhaya Zaracha
3:19 – The Rebbe recites the possuk of Vhaya Zaracha (second time)
3:50 – The Rebbe recites the possuk of Vhaya Zaracha (third time)
4:22 – Singing Ufaratzta
6:13 – Singing Hakofos niggun
10:35 – Singing Utzu Eitza
19:39 – Sining Al Hasela
20:22 – Singing B’cha Hashem
23:04 – Singing Vchal Karnei
23:47 – Singing Velokim Malki
26:00 – Singing Hakofos niggun
COMMENTS
I know the person was only keeping one day of shemini atzeres, but isn’t it still a bit halachically questionable? i.e. shouldn’t one not do melocho b’rabbim?
It is Asur to do Melacha even privately – Sh”A Admur Hazaken Siman 496:7.
The recording was taken surreptitiously which means that it was taken in public but hidden from view. The real question is whether it is K’dai to record the Rebbe against his will, when the Rebbe didn’t want to be recorded until after the Rebbe was Mavdil between Kodesh and Chol. Although some may claim that L’Achar Hama’aseh it is permitted, along the lines of Chassidishe Geneiva.
And to finish off with one question:
If there is a recording of Hakofos, are you NOT gonna listen to it?
The Rebbe certainly knew what was happening. To say otherwise is absurd.
Letzareinu there where many things that happened against his will. The Rebbe said so himself, e.g. the Seforim, chayolei adoneinu (Parshas Bereishis, Mem Hei). What are you trying to prove?
While we generally assume that a Rebbe does know what is happening especially in matters that pertain to him (there is a story of the Baal Shem Tov that the Frierdiker Rebbe relates along these lines), yet there are many times when the Rebbeim made it clear that things were unknown to them.
Likewise there is a maineh to R’ Zalman Gurary about Sara Imeinu not knowing about the akeida despite being a great nevi’ah that Hashem chooses what to reveal to them and what not. See Bchol Beisi Neeman Hu page 343 and on.