hilaThis video presents the Rebbe of the Bobov Hasidic group performing a “mitzvah tantz” (literally, mitzvah dance), a Hasidic custom where men dance before the bride at her wedding. In most cases, the bride stands still, holding one end of a long sash called a “gartel,” while one of the leading rabbis, usually the bride’s father or grandfather, holds the other end. Throughout this highly charged emotional dance honoring the bride, the dancer silently prays for the couple and recognizes the deep mystical significance of their union. While this custom is often performed after the guests have already left, at the wedding of a child or grandchild of a prominent Hasidic Rebbe, the entire community often watch and rejoice in the dance, as seen in the featured video.