Hasidic Rabbis Gather in New Jersey Wheat Fields Ahead of Passover

Two Hasidic rebbe brothers, the Sadigura rebbe and the Vienna rebbe, were seen this week in New Jersey, where they went together to harvest wheat for matzah ahead of Passover 5787. The wheat was cut in specially designated areas of New Jersey, chosen because summer rain is not common there, unlike in the Holy Land where crops can be affected by seasonal weather. The article notes that extra care is needed abroad when harvesting wheat for shmura matzah.

The older brother, the Sadigura rebbe, described as one of the leading Hasidic halachic authorities in the United States, spent a full two hours sitting in the field under the blazing sun and personally inspecting the grain in great detail. Observers said he wore a special dark garment that was not black, a type of clothing he has used for years in hot weather because black fabric absorbs sunlight and increases heat.

Near the end of the harvest, his brother, the Vienna rebbe, arrived and joined him in the field. Witnesses and attendants saw the two rebbeim standing together and discussing Torah, halacha, and aggadah, as well as the customs of harvesting and the commandments connected to it. The gathering was described as an impressive scene of learned conversation in the wheat fields.