What is the correct way to celebrate a simcha? The Rebbe had some pointed positions on the matter, which he relayed to a number of renowned chassidim.
“In America, people make weddings in a big hall, necessitating huge loans to pay for them, making people work hard for long periods of time afterwards to pay up the loans,” the Rebbe said in a yechidus with Reb Nissan Nemanov.
“In previous generations, a Chassidishe simcha would naturally turn into a meaningful Chassidishe farbrengen, inspiring all the participants in the spirit of Chassidus. The atmosphere at a simcha, when everyone was happy and in good spirits, was a most opportune time for a good Chassidishe farbrengen. But with all the petty issues at the weddings nowadays, no Chassidishe farbrengen will be happening at all!”
In yechidus with Reb Pinye Korf before his wedding, the Rebbe mentioned with regret that “with the money spent on pictures at one wedding, we could support a full cheder in Morocco!” “Instead of being preoccupied with all the externalities of the wedding, worrying about the flowers and the pictures— nowadays people don’t suffice with black and white photos, they must have colored pictures only, Rachmana litzlan—it would be a better use of the time to do teshuvah over all of one’s past deeds and increase in Torah and mitzvos.”
What is the correct way to celebrate a Simcha?
The new Derher unpacks this issue in great detail. From how to deal with wedding costs to how public a bar mitzvah should be. This article will give you a clarity on the Rebbe’s view on these matters.
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