Nightly battle: Breslov vs. IDF

VIDEO - At around 2:30 a.m., Naftali Reicher, a young Breslov hassid from Jerusalem, already reported the infiltration of approximately nine vehicles into the Joseph's Tomb gravesite. Simultaneously, in order to check the awareness of soldiers at the lookout post at Grizim Mount, overlooking Nablus, he turns to one of the lookouts and asks him if he saw anything. The soldier in question responds that he did not. Perhaps because he was busy looking at the crowd of dozens of Breslov hassidim gathered at "Joseph's Lookout" (a summit overlooking Joseph's Tomb), as it's called in Breslov lingo, to honor the passing of the righteous Joseph. When asked later that what he thought about the Breslov's visit to Joseph's tomb, the lookout replies: "I don't even know where Joseph's Tomb is." In a conversation with Ynet, Natan, another Breslov hassid, describes his nighttime visit to the 'Zion' of Joseph the righteous: "The entry was very simple. We entered quickly in only one car, via one of the more isolated barriers. We got out of the car, went inside, read the "Tikun Klali" (a compilation of prayers written by the Breslov rabbi for general redemption), and prayed for the kidnapped soldier and for the redemption of the grave. The whole thing took about five minutes." A few hours earlier, half an hour before his entrance to the gravesite, Nahman Weiss detailed his plans for the upcoming night: "Our plan is to go to the grave with total dedication, we don't care how. We have already overcome face-to-face conflicts with terrorists, we've had to deal with very difficult things and we're not dissuaded by the Israel Defence Forces, who try to stop us. We can even be arrested, but our total dedication to Joseph the righteous defers everything. If they won't allow us entrance, on a weekly basis, with protection, the folks here will simply keep endangering their lives and this story could end very badly. We want there to be protected visits to the gravesite and we are appealing to everyone we can." The Battle on the Grave Ever since it was decided that the IDF would leave Nablus in October 2000, the Breslovs are leading a stubborn fight against the IDF for their right to visit Joseph's tomb. During the period directly following the IDF's exit from the area, they were restrained and agreed to view the gravesite from afar, from the summit of Grizim Mount. Two years later, when their patience ran out, some of them infiltrated the area, against IDF orders, and the phenomenon quickly picked up speed. After Fatah shot at 17 Breslov hassidim who entered the gravesite independently, the IDF decided that they had no choice but to take charge. Since then, with occasional variables and according to season, there have been secured entries of the Breslovs into Nablus to visit the gravesite. The agreement between the Breslovs and the IDF was reached with the mediation of local settlers, primarily from Itzhar. But in the past year, everything changed. No more visits "The last time we were allowed to visit the tomb was the night of Disengagement," tells Yehuda Liebman from Itzhar and a member of the "Od Yosef Hai" (as long as Joseph lives) yeshiva, which was located at the gravesite from the years 1982-2000. According to Liebman, in recent years, the Breslovs utilized the relationship between nearby settlers with IDF forces in the area, in order to assist in gaining secured access to the gravesite. However in the past year, there was no one to help because of two processes that occurred simultaneously. "Firstly, visits to the gravesite have been less frequent following a decision by the regional division commander, who has allowed only one visit since he started his position. Secondly, because of the Disengagement, the ties between the settlers and the regional division and the IDF in general have all but severed. This has led to the situation today, where the IDF prevents visits to Joseph's Tomb," blames Liebman. "In the past, the IDF, for the most part, took the heavy responsibility upon itself and the settlers knew to appreciate that. Today, there is almost no contact between the IDF and the settlers and the command and division commanders are very distant from us." 'Total dedication' (Photo: Neta Sela) This week, after a year of absence and in honor of Joseph the righteous, the Breslovs announced that they would not accept any more refusals by the IDF to approve visits to the gravesite and that they would begin creeping into the area illegally once more. "They held us off for an entire year. They promised that any minute now they would approve visits to the gravesite," claims Natan. He explains that "there are hundreds of young hassidim whom it is difficult to restrain and a year is a very long time to hold them back with only promises. We told the IDF that if they don't renew our secured access to the area, they are abandoning us." "And as to their threats to treat severely anyone caught infiltrating," adds Natan, "it has already been proven that they have been able to catch and prevent fewer than one percent of the visits…We do not go there for political or ideological reasons – only for religious ones, which are justified by the freedom of religion. It's too bad the IDF doesn't understand this. Our feeling is that their motivations are political, rather than security-based." Aware of the Danger Most of the hassidim who arrived at Joseph's tomb this week are well aware of the danger inherent in their actions. Their faith in Joseph the righteous and his ability to protect them, as well as their faith in Rabbi Nahman, triumphs over almost every feeling of fear and even encourages them to continue. "Breslov hassidim have always had total dedication," Weiss explains. "Even Rabbi Nahman was the one person who told his students, there is no such thing as nature. There is nothing that can prevent a man from doing something for his sanctification." Along the way leading to Nablus and the surrounding settlements, Haim Reiner, a Breslov hassid from Jerusalem from the Shuvu Banim (Return, Boys) yeshiva, explains his interpretation of the passage "and you safeguarded your souls": "We are not talking about the body, but rather the soul. It means not to sin," he says. "The fact that people utilize this passage is very nice," he continues. "It's important for a person to protect his body. It is a vessel of the Almighty and we need to take care of it. But, given the situation today is Israel, we are trying somehow to fix things and we need to pray for this at Jospeh's tomb. We believe that Joseph is the protector of the nation– and he protects those who come to him."

Nightly battle: Breslov vs. IDF

(VIDEO) Quiet battle resumed: Breslov hassidim, who claim IDF is blocking access to Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, creep to gravesite at night, without IDF accompaniment, at serious risk to their lives