As in all the "shtetlakh"
or little towns of Eastern Europe so in Zambrów, too, it was
customary for the "maggid",
or "wandering orator"
to preach in the
Beth Hamidrash.
The
Rabbi was accustomed to deliver a sermon only twice in the year,
namely on
Shabbath Haggadol
(before
Passover) and on
Shabbath Shuva
(before the Day of
Atonement). All the other Sabbaths as well as ordinary weekdays
(especially the afternoon or evening hours between
Minha
and
Maariv)
were
utilized by the Itinerant maggidim
winding and plodding along from
shtetl
to
shtetl,
where they ascended the bimah
(pulpit)
of the
Beth Hamidrash
and started their homilies and
exhortations. They used to place a plate at the door of the
Beth
Hamidrash,
and everybody put some money for the maggid.
This was the only means of sustenance and the livelibod source of
the maggidim, who were also
termed
Piekhotne Maggidim.
We shall talk about five such preachers here: I.R. Eliyakim Getzl,
R. Akivah Poltaver Rabinovitch, Alter the Maggid (Roeb Moshe
Zalman Horovitch), Shammai-Leiser, and Haim Velvel Pav...
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