Posted to Chabad News on
Israel Hayom

Lubavitcher Refuses to Give Up Seat Next to Spinka Rebbe

How much would you be willing to pay to sit next to a Hasidic rebbe on a long flight?  Apparently some are willing to shell out $18,000 for the honor. But the Lubavitcher in that seat refused to give it up.

On Thursday, the Spinka Rebbe Naftali Tzvi Weisz, a respected religious leader in the Hasidic Spinka dynasty, boarded a return flight to New York.

On the flight back to the U.S., seated next to the rabbi was a lucky Chabad Chassid from southern Israel.

Within minutes of getting on the plane, numerous Chassidim walked up to the Rebbe and asked to speak with him or to receive a blessing. Some even asked the Lubavitcher sitting next to the Rebbe if he would be willing to switch seats.

The Lubavitcher thought to auction his seat, and purportedly received offers of up to $18,000, but in the end the man decided to keep his seat next to the renowned Hasidic figure.

Journalist Eli Jan, an associate of the Lubavitcher, told Israel Hayom that “in the haredi public, being close to the Rebbe is considered a great privilege, and some are willing to pay hundreds of thousands of shekels to be close to or get a blessing from him. For example when the Satmar Rebbe arrives in Israel, Hasidim are offered to be his driver for a donation. It is considered a great honor for the average Hasidic Jew.”

Israel Hayom previously reported that 18 lucky, and affluent, haredim paid the astronomical sum of $250,000 for the honor of staying with the Gerrer Rebbe in Safed over a weekend. One Gerrer Hasid explained, “One must understand that for a Gerrer Hasid this is his rabbi, and in general for any haredi Jew, it is considered a once in a lifetime or even multiple lifetimes event. It is a story that is passed on from generation to generation; it is priceless.”

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21 Comments

  • coach or business?

    I can’t believe the Rebbe was in coach. Maybe biz, probably first class. So the Chasid didn’t need the money.

  • Honor? Ha!

    It is only priceless if you believe it to be. For NO money, you can get closer to G-d.

    Treating leaders with such reverence (paying to be near them) is dangerous to faith.

    • Milhouse

      Excuse me? This is a chassidisher site. The whole premise of chassidus is that a rebbe is an intermediary who joins a person to G-d. If you don’t believe that then what are you doing here?

  • Interesting

    In other website the say, he refused the money, and asked that rebbe to choose a chossid to sit in his seat…

  • very nice

    this is a lovely story about the deep and precious chossid-rebbe relationship

  • Observer

    There are maybe like twenty Spinka Rebbes now in various places. Eretz Yisroel, America….BP, W’burg, Monsey…

    It is not like within Lubavitch, where there was just one Rebbe. These days there are various Hassidic groups that have multiple Rebbes. Some other examples like that are Vizhnitz, Satmar, Boston, Bobov, Nadvorna, Biala….

  • DD Fan

    Perhaps the Lubavitcher was a dansdeals fan and knew how to get coach to first upgrades and therefore and needed the money but passed on the offer anyways. Who knows.

  • Perhaps

    Perhaps the Spinka Rebbe needed a rest from his chassidim for 12 hours and offered the Lubavitcher to match any offer he receives to remain in his seat, so he can have 12 hours of undisturbed peace? :)

    I’m surprised that his chassidim would utilize a flight to disturb their Rebbe’s privacy… I can’t imagine a Lubavitcher who would request a seat next to the Rebbe (the Rebbe never flew in a plane, rather hypothetically….) on a fight.

  • This Rebbe gives shiurim in Derech Mitvoisecho!

    I was once searching online for shiurim in Shoresh Mitzvas Hatfiloh and came across a set of video shiurim given by the Spinka Rebbe who is in the picture at the top of this article!

    They all know where the truth is!!!!

  • kol hakovod

    This is a kiddush Lubavitch, no?
    ,not to care about the money , rather sit near holiness.

  • ..............................

    A real Lubavicher Chosid
    is who I would fight to sit next to!!!

  • ongeshtopt mit gelt

    The eye is the Lamp of the body This is why l choose not to go to shul anymore seems its all about the moola moola

  • Yomin

    Amen to comment #9. The only real comment that makes sense on this thread. Thanks to #8 as well for a good practical idea for all.

  • MENDOZA

    TO # 10 YES THE REBBA DID FLY TO PARIS TO PICK UP HIS MOTHER ON THE WAY BACK THEY TOOK A BOAT

  • Berke

    This Spinka Rebbe is a Tamim. He learned with me in Bedford and Dean in the 50-60’s.