The influential Rabbi Zvi Meir Zalberberg (Photo: Dov Lantashevsky/ A. Belik, Voice in the Yards)
In recent weeks, as revealed in the Shabbat Square in detail, a new struggle broke out against the ‘Vows Plus’ devices placed in thousands of synagogues. Extremist young people go on a hunting trip to smash the devices and destroy them, very stubbornly in what appears to be a war of attrition against technology and innovation, although in this case it only helps the synagogues, worshipers and thousands of associations that raise funds in this way.
There are those who believe that the person who ignited the main struggle on the subject is one of the famous influential people in the Hasidic community, Rabbi Zvi Meir Zilberberg, who a few weeks ago spoke words of encouragement and awakening in front of thousands at the great Beit Midrash Hall of the Hasidic Vizhnitz, and since then the phenomenon has been expanding.
Rabbi Zvi Meir Zilberberg is wrapped in a tallit at the airport (A sound in the yards)
Meet the Hasidic influencer Rabbi Zvi Meir Zilberberg, rabbi of Beit Midrash ‘Nachlat Ya’akov’, who is considered after the oldest and best-known influencers in Jerusalem, and in recent years also abroad.
Rabbi Zvi Meir, 59 years old, was born in the USA to a family that belongs to the Gur Hasidot, and in his youth he studied and grew up in the Salvodka yeshiva in Bnei Brak, where he became known as one of the great perseverants and hard workers. After his marriage, he became very close to the Amshinov Hasidot, and later founded a small group of avarachs and a midrash called Jacob’s property.
For many years, Beit Midrash was conducted in the building of Talmud Torah Vizhnitz on Hana Street in Jerusalem, when little by little many Hasidim, who belong to other Hasidims, began to come and be strengthened by the influencer. One of the times that have become the most popular is the time of ‘Reva Daravin’, when hundreds of people would flock to hear the words of the Torah and the strengthening of the preacher, who spends the Sabbath about two hours after the end of the Sabbath.
Nachalat Ya’akov Beit Midrash building in Jerusalem (Shabbat Square)
Unlike other influencers, Rabbi Zvi Meir demands from the group of avarachs by his side, to study for hours continuously and to fast speech during the study. There are abrachs who are even required to submit an orderly detail every month about what is happening in their lives in various spiritual fields. This is the way of the influencer who is even received in the homes of many rebbes and rabbis over the years.
In order to understand a little more about the path of the influencer, one of his acquaintances tells the following story: As is well known, in recent years various communities in the USA have begun to invite Rabbi Zvi Meir for a message of strengthening and awakening. Several seats on the plane, so that there is no situation where a woman will sit next to him.
The influencer who boarded the plane noticed that a female passenger was sitting behind him, when his associates tried in every way to find a solution to move to an alternative place, but without success. After what happened and since then, the influencer is careful to make sure before his flights abroad that all the chain of places around him (about ten in number) have been purchased for him and his people, this is so as not to fail in forbidden sightings.
The influential GRC Zalberberg at a rally against technology (Dub Lensevsky / A glance)
In the last month of Elul, a photo was published showing Rabbi Zvi Meir wrapped in a tallit from head to toe, during his landing at the airport in the USA, where he arrived on a special reinforcement trip, a trip that lasted several days.
Recently, the influencer inaugurated his new seminary house on Bruchim Street in Jerusalem, when on the occasion of the dedication of the house, Rabbi Zvi Meir came out with a series of new regulations that were written over a period of over a month.
The regulations target the members of the community, when in addition, everyone who enters the Beit Midrash building is asked to comply with the list of regulations that were printed and hung in the entrance lobby to the Beit Midrash.
(Photography: Moshe Goldstein)
Below are some of the sections:
A. A special spiritual committee will be established that will decide where in the Beit Midrash celebrations such as male peace, covenants, etc. will take place, while in addition there is an absolute prohibition to bring leaflets, donation leaflets or just ads into the building.
B. It is forbidden to talk inside the beit midrash. Everyone who enters the building must commit to being on a speaking fast, but those who nevertheless need to speak something urgent, should do so outside the Beit Midrash building, away from the entrance doors. Regarding congratulatory wishes, the influencer recommends doing this only after the prayers and classes.
third. It is forbidden to bring a computer or a ‘tablet’ into the premises of the building, even if they are not connected to the internet, and likewise it is forbidden for a person entering the premises of the building to have a telephone that is not under the supervision of the Rabbinical Committee for Communications Affairs, even if it is turned off in his pocket. Not to allow cellular reception at all in the building area, but since there are people who need it, it is therefore appropriate to make sure not to talk for more than five minutes inside the building, and that the phone be on silent mode only.
d. The spoken language is only Yiddish, and those who do not know the language can learn Hebrew, but as quietly as possible. In addition, it is forbidden to form groups (Kipkas) of more than three people inside the Beit Midrash, but during simcha, and in a situation where more people gather, it is necessary to make sure that there is a group that observes the fasting of speech at all times.
(Photography: Moshe Goldstein)
It should be noted that Rabbi Zvi Meir emphasizes throughout his years, and even more so now, that he is not a rebbe, and even stays away from all the matters of the ‘Rabistve’ (the rebbe), but despite this, many flock to him and see him as an important rabbinic figure of the first rank.
Last week, in light of the storm that arose due to the smashing of the ‘Vandrim Plus’ devices, one of his students wrote that all the followers of Rabbi Zvi Meir know what the will of God is, and they also know what the will of their influential rabbi is, and that is to fight with all their might against the introduction of the Internet to the synagogues.
The student cites statements made by the influencer at a third meal, saying that “there are people who ask how I gave permission to break the devices in the synagogues. It is worth emphasizing that I did not give such a permission, but I have another question. How is it possible not to break?”, from this sentence and many others explain His disciples because the influencer’s will is clear to everyone.