Following the tragic death of a 28 year old Breslov Chassid this past Friday in Uman (seemingly from Carbon Monoxide poisoning) Rabbi Yaakov Jan, the official Rav of Uman, Ukraine has released a letter. Here is a translation of the letter (original is posted below):

B”H (With the Help of God)

To the members of our community (Anash) everywhere, may God grant you life

Although there is no greater thing than visiting our Rebbe [Rabbi Nachman of Breslov] (may his merit protect us) and pouring out prayer before him at any time and in any season.

However, right now it seems preferable to postpone the trip to another time, in the spirit of “Hide yourself for a little moment until the indignation passes” (Isaiah 26:20), because the weather is very bad. The temperatures are extremely low—degrees below zero that have not been seen in many years.

Additionally, for most hours of the day there are power outages. The streets are unlit and very slippery, it is cold in the houses, and so on. Therefore, it is a real danger to arrive at these times, and as mentioned, it is better to wait a little until the storm passes!

And to the members of our community who are already in Uman:

I request most urgently: Do not use gas heaters in the houses, and do not be tempted to use them due to the lack of electricity, because they are very dangerous!

As is known regarding the tragic event that occurred because of these heaters this past Friday night (Eve of Shabbat)—may the Merciful One save us, and no further elaboration is needed!

And anyone who nevertheless decides on their own accord to arrive at any time, and specifically at this time, must certainly come with effective medical insurance!

With blessings for a healthy winter,

Rabbi Yaakov Jan