Ben Zur reveals the price of success: "It's not simple to contain"

Singer Ben Zur held a Q&A session with his followers online on Tuesday, during which he addressed his great success, his trips to Uman for Rosh Hashanah, and the special friendship that formed between him and Thai boxer Ahavat Hashem Gordon. When asked what made him become a singer, he said unequivocally:

"You. I realized I have nothing else in life but this; I became a kind of messenger. There is nothing I love more than music and bringing hearts together. I did not give up; I continued for years and years."

He further shared that the biggest thing he learned about himself in the past year was that he could simply be who he is: "No matter what happens to me, I am always the same Ben from Safed. I still speak to everyone at eye level, trying to maintain humility, modesty, and simplicity. I learned to remain true to myself, I wish for myself to continue staying this way," he said.

According to him, amidst the whirlwind of performances and the love from the audience, sometimes "it is not simple to contain." Immediately after, he emphasized that despite the workload, he is grateful every day for the privilege of doing what he loves: "It was my dream all my life." Ahead of the approaching Rosh Hashanah, he was asked if he plans to fly to the tomb of Rabbi Nachman in Uman. The singer replied immediately: "Certainly, do you think I'm not coming? For 3 years in a row, I have been privileged to fly to Rabbi Nachman for Rosh Hashanah."

Ben Zur also recommended his followers to fly themselves: "Whoever wants a pure and clean year internally. With a guarantee that everyone receives their gifts from our Rabbi. Uman on Rosh Hashanah surpasses everything." When asked which of his songs is his favorite, he noted that it is a difficult dilemma: "All the songs are parts of my soul, I put my truth inside. I really love 'Nishamot Tzemeot' ('Thirsty Souls'), 'Kol Ikuv LeTova' ('Every Delay is for the Best'), 'Aba' ('Father') — these are songs that made my path and caused you to fall in love with me."

Among the questions, one user wondered how the special friendship between him and Thai boxer Ahavat Hashem Gordon began: "We both love the Name (God), we have a lot in common. I felt that there is something in his mission — the fact that he sanctifies the Name of Heaven in public in the world and fights for the people, although I am not a boxer, but it felt a bit similar to what I do."

According to him, the goal of both of them in the end is "to bring hearts together, to maintain this unity through faith." The singer also shared that in a meeting between the two, Gordon told him that he listens to his songs before the fights: "I told him 'Remember, I'm going to make a song about you', he thought I was joking. After a week, I sent him the song. We listened to it with innocence at first. It created an incredible sanctification of the Name, and we understood the power of this thing."