Lubavitch III
It was clearly the Rebbe who led his chasidim into oblivion. He said that the Bais Hamikdash will not be built in Jerusalem but rather in 770 - NOT in "chutz laaretz", NOT in the sky but specifically in 770 Eastern Parkway, he said, since Moshiach will build the Bais Hamikdash "in his - moshiach's place" - and Moshiach's place, he said, is 770. He also said that to prepare for the Geulah, people should learn Likutei Sichos - his sefer - which is the Moshiach's Torah. And other things like that.
Yes, it is the Lubavitcher Rebbe's teachings that his chasidim are following. They didn’t make it up.
He also abolished Halachos in the Torah based on Rebbe-worship, or rather, Rebbe-mimicking. He said that Lubavitchers - and only Lubavitchers - do not have to sleep in a Sukkah because they feel bad that they are not on the level of their Rebbe who felt pain in the sukkah because it was so holy so he couldn’t sleep there. He also said that Lubavitchers do not have to wash for shalosh seudos because since one of the Lubavitcher Rebbes couldn’t bear to eat during such a holy time (he had the status of a choleh, I suppose) therefore, the Lubav chasdidim, even though they do not have that status, should imitate their rebbe and not eat either.
Note: The problem with the above "halachic" (sic) decisions is not that they don't sleep in a sukkah - there are heterim for that sometimes - nor is it that they don't wash for 3rd seudah - but rather the reasoning that he gives, namely, that the need to imitate the behavior of a rebbe is sufficient reason to supercede the halachah. And in the case of sukkah, the obviously absurd notion that the imaginary pain of not having pain which you should have (why????) if you are a lubavitcher chosid because you are not like your rebbe exempts you from the mitzvah.
It was the Lubavitcher Rebbe who said that the Alter Rebbe (or was it the Tzemach Tzedek?) was on a higher level than the Tana Rav Yochanan ben Zakai in "pnimiyus hatorah".
There is more, lots more - this is but a drop in the bucket. But there is no question that the chasidim are only taking their rebbe's teachings to their logical conclusion. You can’t blame them - they are tinokos shenishbu.
And so, no, just as we do not recognize him as an authority when he was alive, his status does not change posthumously.
---
From "Kuntres b'inyan mikdash n'at zeh bais rabeinu shbabavel", 5752, p.465. If you prefer, you can also see it in "B'suras Hageulah", p.174:
"We may say that the future Bais Hamikdash, which will be built and complete and come from heaven, will first be revealed in the place of Bais Rabeinu Shebebavel during the Golus and from there it will be moved to its place in Jerusalem. And it is possible to say that this idea is hinted in the Rambam in the laws of Melech Hamachiach: "And he will build the Bais Hamikdash in its place[/I". -- We may ask, why did the Rambam need to tell us that the building of the Bais Hamikdash will be "in its place"? And, why didn't the Rambam say explicitly the location of that place, [like so]: "And he will build the Bais Hamikdash in Jerusalem"? -- but "its place" alludes [not to the place of the Bais Hamikdash but rather] to the place of the King Moshiach while he is still in Golus!, That is, before the time period of when he is "moshiach vadai", that is, while Moshiach is still in Golus, for there he sits, and waits and yearns to redeem klall yisrael and the shechinah that is in exile with them - [during this time] Moshiach builds a miniature Bais Hamikdash, which is a reflection and a model of the Bais Hamikdash in Jerusalem ... as a preparation for the future Bais Hamikdash, which will be revealed first over there, and from there it will return, with G-d and the Jews, to Yerushalayim...and we can possibly say that the medrash that says "Moshiach will stand on the roof of the Bais Hamikdash and announce to the Jews that 'The time of your redemption has arrived!' " is referring [not to the Bais Hamikdash in Jerusalem but rather] to the roof of the Bais Hamikdash M'at in Chutz Laaretz,... for after the Bais Hamikdash will be revealed and will be lowered to the ground there wont be any need to tell Klall Yisroel "Your redemption has come." ... and we may explain, according the above, that as regards Bais Rabeinu shBeBavel in this generation - it means the house - the Bais Makneses and Bais Hamedrash - of my holy father-in-law, the Nasi of our generation. In this generation, the last generation of golus and the first generation of geulah ... through the lowest place on earth we will elevate together with it all other places in the world - this will happen through the "Bais Rabeinu" ... from which light emanates to the entire world, making the entire world into Eretz Yisroel ... where all the Shuls and Yeshivos in the entire world will be connected to the Bais Hamikdosh, in the true and complete redemption through Moshaich Tzidkeinu, the Nasi Hador, who is also the Moshiach - the redeemer of Yisroel -of the generation - and also, and this is key, he is also the Nasi of Chasidus, through the dissemination of whose wellsprings accomplished the coming of King Moshiach ... and with this we can understand the magnitude of the loftiness of Bais Rabeinu - the primary Mikdash M'at in this last golus ... which is "the place of the future bais hamikdash itself", and not only that, but there will be revealed the future Bais Hamikdash, and from there is will go to Jerusalem, as we stated. And we may add, that this idea is suggested in the name of "The House of Rabbeinu" in our generation: ... for the "house" of Rabbeinu - its number is 770, and this number is the established way that the house is referred to in the mouths of all of Klall Yisroel, for they refer to Bais Rabeinu as "770", which is Gematria "foratztah", as in "uforatzta yama v'kedmah etc." ... and according to all we have said about the loftiness of the House of our Teacher in Bavel, that it is the place of the Bais Hamikdash in the future, and that in it will be revealed the Bais Hamikdash and from there it will return to Yerushalayim -- we understand what a great merit it would be for each and every member of Klall Yisroel to give of his energy and money - and whoever gives more, is all the more so praised - as a preparation for the coming down if the revelation of the future Bais Hamikdash immediately and right away, mamesh!"
End quote.
That was, it seems, an appeal for funds to expand his house. This is merely a sampling of the stuff that was fed to mostly fledgling Baalei Teshuva for a half a century.
The mess that Chabad has become is NOT the fault of the Chasidim. They are only taking their rebbe's "teachings" to their logical - if you can call it that - conclusion.
---
The Moshiach beliefs in Lubavitch began with the Lubavitcher Rebbe's first Drasha that he gave at the beginning of his career, which they call in Chabad "Basi L'gani achosi kalah." There he says quite clearly that in our generation Moshiach will come for sure, since our generation is the seventh in the Lubavitcher dynasty, and it is clear that that is the generation that the final geulah will come. "And this is our generation - the seventh generation since the Admor Hazakan, has been chosen through Divine Providence to complete the bringing down of the shechinah to the world in an established and permanent way via the Final Redemption.
How he decided this is a long story, and it doesn't really matter much. Suffice it to say that this has been the Chabad shita for the past 50 years.
He also mentioned, not surprisingly, the Moshe Rabbeinu's prominence is that he was the "seventh". And we all know that the Moshiach of the generation is the Moshe of the generation, and that Moshe - the seventh - will be the final redeemer of Klall Yisroel.
Of course, he said this at the commencement of his own stepping up to be the seventh Rebbe since the Alter Rebbe.
Do the math.
When the Brisker Rav ZTL saw this speech, he commented "this lunatic is convincing himself that he is moshiach!"
That's a quote.
And it got worse as the years went by.
5751: The Lubavitcher Rebbe interprets the following Medrash:
"The year that Moshiach will be revealed, all the goyishe kings will fight with each other ... the king of persia will fight with the king of the arabs, and the arab king will run to the King of Aram to seek advice ... all the nations will be in an uproar and a panic ... and the Jews will be in an uproar and panic saying 'Where will we escape to?' and then G-d will tell the Jews: 'My children do not be afraid, for your redemption has arrived' ... When Moshiach comes, he will stand on the roof of the Bais Hamikdash and announce 'The Time of your redemption has arrived.'!"
The Lubavitcher Rebbe interpreted that to mean not the Bais Hamikdash, but 770 Eastern Parkway is the place from where Moshiach will announce the final Geulah has arrived. Why 770? Because that is "Moshiach's house".
During the first Gulf War, the Lubavitcher Rebbe tried to fit the words of that Medrash into current events ("Aram" becomes America somehow - and Persia becomes Iraq!), and guess how the Lubavitcher Rebbe used his interpretation:
"It is obvious that these events do not affect Bnei Yisroel at all ... what the Jews ... have to know now is: Your time of redemption has arrived!" (Sichos 5751 p.284)
Yes, that's what Moshiach (or G-d) is going to announce precisely at the time when that Medrash is fulfilled. According to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Medrash was fulfilled, and guess who made the announcement?
And guess from where? 770 - the place Moshiach will announce it from.
So we have the right time - as described in the Medrash - the right place - 770 - and guess who's the right "person" in this equation?
More: The Medrash of course says that all this is going to happen "B'shah shemelech hamashiach bah" - when the King Moshiach comes. The Lubavitcher Rebbe stated then, "Hinei zeh Moshiach bah!" - Behold! Moshiach comes!
Uhuh.
More quotes:
"Nowadays we have not only the existence of Moshiach but also the revelation of Moshiach. All that we need to do is accept him."
Who exactly did he mean? How can we accept the revelation of Moshiach if we don’t know who he is?
Obviously we do know.
It is the one, according to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who announces from 770, during the first Gulf War, that "The time of your redemption has arrived."
Guess who?
Of course, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because the Lubavitcher Rebbe himself pointed out: "Many signs of the Geulah have already transpired, beginning with the sign in the Medrash of [the announcement of] "Your time of redemption has arrived." (Sichos 5752 p.98)
Guess who was the one who made that announcement?
And to him that proves that "signs of the redemption" have occurred.
By "coincidence" that same person also happens to be the seventh Rebbe - Nasi, they call them in Chabad - Nasi HaDor - in the Lubavitch dynasty.
And we know that the Nasi HaDor is the Moshiach of the Dor, and that the seventh generation - during the seventh Nasi - the FINAL Moshiach will arrive.
And that Moshiach is the Nasi Hador -- meaning the Rebbe of Chabad.
Also, the Lubavitcher Rebbe added - the Nasi of Chasidus in the generation, since the Baal Shem Tov was told that Moshiach will come when Chasidus is disseminated in the world (Note: The Baal Shem Tov was never told that -- the story meant something totally different, but in Chabad they make this claim anyway).
And guess who just happened to embark on a campaign of disseminating Chasidus because doing so means Moshiach will come?
Yup. Same person.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe told the Dinever Rebbe that the main reason for his Kiruv campaign was due to that story where the Baal Shem Tov was told that by spreading Chasidus, Moshiach will come - Kuntres Hachai yiten el libo.)
And guess whose Torah are being disseminated?
That's right -- the Tanya. The Torahs of Lubavitch.
And the Lubavitcher Rebbe was careful to explain: "we should learn .... especially the Toras HaChasidus, for through it Moshiach will come as per the story of yefutzu mayanasechah [i.e. - the story of the Baal Shem Tov cited above - MOD] of our Nesisim, and especially the Torah - speeches and Likutei Sichos - of the Nasi of our Dor - a reflection and example and preparation for learning the Torah of Moshiach ... (Sichos 6 Iyar 5751)
So there you have it -- his Torahs - Likutei Sichos - are the Torahs of the Nasi Hador; learning them (i.e. especially them) - fulfills the spreading of Moshiach's Torah in the story of the Baal Shem Tov.
You don’t need a rocket scientist to see who he clearly believes to be Moshiach.
Moshiach is here he said; he is revealed. All we need is to "accept him in actuality." (Sichos 5752 p.97)
More:
"We see that many of the signs of the redemption have occurred ... and we see in actuality fulfillment of "and he will fight Hashem's battles [i.e. one of the signs the Rambam gives for being able to identify the person who is Moshiach ---- if he fulfills this, among other signs, you can safely assume the person who did this is Moshiach. We are not talking here about signs of the Geulah but rather signs of the Goel himself! - MOD] ... it is understood that the shluchim are already established a long time after the beginning of the shlichus of ... 'hafotzas mayanos chutzah' [i.e. the story of the baal shem tov again --- moshiach's torahs have to be spread throughout the world according to chabad and then moshiach will come. He is saying that this spreading of moshiach’s wellsprings has been happening through his shluchim] ... yet moshiach hasn’t come yet. Obviously, there is something more we must do. And it is: As per the well known fact that there is someone in each generation form the seed of Yehuda who is worthy of being moshiach - one who is worthy by way of his righteousness to be the redeemer, and when the time comes g-d will reveal Himself to him and send him ... and according to the announcement of my father-in-law, the Nasi of our generation ... the only moshicah of our generation that everything is already prepared, an ... it is understood from that, that the only thing we have left to do is: to accept Moshiach in actuality, literally. (same sichah as above)
There is no question that the Lubavitcher Rebbe believed himself to be Moshiach. He also believed himself to be something else as well. Here’s a quote:
"This that a prophet has to have another prophet testify to his authenticity as a prophet does not apply to the Nasi HaDor, and to the extension of [the Nesius] in the next Dor through his talmidim - for he is assumed to be a prophet and does not need any authentication, rather, we must obey him immediately and right away, even before he proves himself, and "it is forbidden to have doubts about his prophecy that perhaps it is not true... rather, since it is know that this person is a prophet they should believe in him and know that G-d is in their midst and they may not doubt him - because they believe in the worlds of the prophet not because they are the words of the prophet but rather they are the worlds of G-d through this prophet ... there is a [halachic] ruling as per the above, that we must publicize to every person in this generation: that we have had the merit that G-d chose and designated a being with free-will, who by his own right is infinitely greater than the people of his generation, that he should be 'your judges' and 'your instructors', and the prophet of the generation, who will give rulings and instructions relevant to the avodah of all Jews, and all people in this generation, in all issues of Torah and Mitzvos, and also about general day to day living, and also about "all your actions" (being lshem shamayim)" (Sichos Shoftim 7 Elul 5751)
Nuff said.
---
He was the one that said that WE have, today, merited someone infinitely greater than everyone else that guides and advises the entire generation in ruchniyus and gashmiyus; that Likutei Sichos (his sefer - not his father in law's) needs to be learned as a preparation for Toras Moshiach; that the Neshama of his father in law is "in him: (and incidentally, he is fully aware that his chasidim are familiar of the statement in the seforim, the physical Moshiach will have the neshoma of previous moshiachs "in him"!).
Don't forget - he didn't write this stuff in his diary that people can say perhaps he wasn't being clear. He said them to his people, they were broadcast on radio, printed up, and stated as public service announcements to all his baalei teshuva and those aspiring thereto. It's funny how everything else he said is understood simply, and only this has to be twisted and turned like a difficult Rambam that contradicts a Gemora. And even then, there is no other explanation.
And if he didn’t mean what he said, and his words are some kind of cryptic code that do not say what they mean, then that's agreeing with the Satmar Rebbe ZTL who called the Lubavitcher Rebbe an "idiot" (shotah) for disseminating Torahs - from the Tanya and down - to the uneducated masses who are not capable of understanding it properly. If he really did what you said he did - provided garbled teachings with esoteric meanings that nobody has yet figured out but seem to say to the normal human mind that he is the Messiah, then he is - although the Satmar Rebbe's assessment does not need our approbation - a shoteh.
---
What the Lubavitcher Rebbe said about the essence of G-d being placed in a body has no parallel anywhere. And the fact that Lubavitcher Chasidim think that all those statements is the same, in the same way that someone who is tone deaf thinks all the Nigunim are the same, is the result of them learning things that are deeper than they are ready for. When you do that, you tend to misunderstand the nuances of what you learn, and, when dealing with topics such as these, get very messed up.
First, whenever it says in a sefer that Hashem is "meluvash" in anything, it does not mean that Hashem has become that thing, or "goes into" that thing, or anything close. A levush is your outside appearance, and when you "clothe" yourself in something in that sense, what it means is that you are represented by that thing. As in "girds himself with strength", or when we say Hashem is "lovesh tzedakos". When we say that Hashem is clothed in a Tzadik it means the same as when we say Hashem is clothed in righteousness or strength, that is, that Hashem is doing His work through the Tzadik, or, is using the Tzadik to do His work. And that is why you will find the Kedushas Levi saying that when Hashem does this - when He does His work through the acts and behavior of a Tzadik, Hashem can be referred to as "ish", even though He is not at all an ish, or in an ish. It is the same as when they say "The President is bombing Iraq", even though it is not the President in the plane doing the bombing. But when you do your work through someone - or something, we express it as if it is the shliach would be the meshaleach.
But it is only a figure of speech. "Vinikra ish" does not mean "becomes like a person" but rather "is referred to as a 'person'" - but it is only a reference, only a figure of speech, not a description of Hashem in any way whatsoever.
And that is why you will find the world mislavesh in many places in this context. That too is a figure of speech. It means "appears as", not "goes into".
All such statements mean either something in that direction, or refer to a specific part of a Tzadik, which is connected to Hashem, is "part" of Hashem, or some such loshon, and that, of course is the Neshoma which is a chelek elokah mimaal. And although this applies to all Jews on some level, the Neshoma of a Tzadik is complete, undiminished by sin (the seforim explain that the word "chet", which literally means to "lose" or "miss" something, refers to sin since you lose a bit of your Neshoma by sinning). And therefore, the Noam Elimelech explains that the Tzadik can give you things, through blessing or prayer, from his own life that a human being would normally not be able to give, because the life of a Tzadik (NOT the tzadik Himself) comes from the life, kivyachol of Hashem, and the tzadik is merely the middle-man. The idea is nothing more that what the posuk and Chazal say:
"And Hashem blew into his nostrils the breath of life. And He Who blows, blows from within Himself."
So the notion that the "life" of a person - Nishmas Chayim - "the "soul of life" - is a part of Hashem is not new. The Noam Elimelech does not say more than that.
But that is not what the Lubavitcher Rebbe said. Again - for the 100th time - the Lubavitcher Rebbe's statement that a Rebbe is "The essence and self of G-d placed in a body" does not refer to the Neshoma, because he says in the next line that the same refers to a Malach, and a Malach has no Neshoma; he also does not mean a mere figure of speech because he says that this "G-d in a person" idea causes a person to be able to bring requests to the Tzadik to relay them to Hashem, even though we do NOT use go-betweens between our requests and Hashem, but since a Rebbe is "the essence of G-d clothed in a body", the Rebbe is not considered a go-between, at all. It is directly to G-d. Feh.
Nobody ever said such a thing.
And if you want to see the extent that Lubavitcher teachers mislead and brainwash their youth, just look at what they told a Lubavitcher on this forum. I quote:
//1. On Beshalach, Tes Vav, Posuk Gimmel,
- "Elokim mislabesh bioso tzaddik, kaviyochul vinikra ish".
- "Moshe Rabbeinu’s called Ish Haelokim means Hashem goes into a Tzaddik and becomes like a person kaviyochul."\\
Instead of translating vinikra "and He is referred to as" they taught her it meant "He becomes". Big difference. And it's not a hard word - most 8th graders can translate it. But they twisted the words of the Chasidishe seforim in order to make them agree with the outlandish things that the Lubavitcher rebbe said.
The thing that is the saddest about what has happened in Lubavitch for the past 50 years is the brainwashing of innocent teenagers by twisting Torah teachings, and mistranslating concepts that are above their head, making them think that Chasidus resembles what the Lubavitcher Rebbe taught his chasidim.
Then they go out and tell them that they are chasidim, and whoever is against them are misnagdim.
Lubavitch nowadays is not chasidus at all, not chabad chasidus and not any other chasidus under the sun, and anybody who is familiar with the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and his holy talmidim have no choice but to oppose them.
---
Yes, it is the Lubavitcher Rebbe's teachings that his chasidim are following. They didn’t make it up.
He also abolished Halachos in the Torah based on Rebbe-worship, or rather, Rebbe-mimicking. He said that Lubavitchers - and only Lubavitchers - do not have to sleep in a Sukkah because they feel bad that they are not on the level of their Rebbe who felt pain in the sukkah because it was so holy so he couldn’t sleep there. He also said that Lubavitchers do not have to wash for shalosh seudos because since one of the Lubavitcher Rebbes couldn’t bear to eat during such a holy time (he had the status of a choleh, I suppose) therefore, the Lubav chasdidim, even though they do not have that status, should imitate their rebbe and not eat either.
Note: The problem with the above "halachic" (sic) decisions is not that they don't sleep in a sukkah - there are heterim for that sometimes - nor is it that they don't wash for 3rd seudah - but rather the reasoning that he gives, namely, that the need to imitate the behavior of a rebbe is sufficient reason to supercede the halachah. And in the case of sukkah, the obviously absurd notion that the imaginary pain of not having pain which you should have (why????) if you are a lubavitcher chosid because you are not like your rebbe exempts you from the mitzvah.
It was the Lubavitcher Rebbe who said that the Alter Rebbe (or was it the Tzemach Tzedek?) was on a higher level than the Tana Rav Yochanan ben Zakai in "pnimiyus hatorah".
There is more, lots more - this is but a drop in the bucket. But there is no question that the chasidim are only taking their rebbe's teachings to their logical conclusion. You can’t blame them - they are tinokos shenishbu.
And so, no, just as we do not recognize him as an authority when he was alive, his status does not change posthumously.
---
From "Kuntres b'inyan mikdash n'at zeh bais rabeinu shbabavel", 5752, p.465. If you prefer, you can also see it in "B'suras Hageulah", p.174:
"We may say that the future Bais Hamikdash, which will be built and complete and come from heaven, will first be revealed in the place of Bais Rabeinu Shebebavel during the Golus and from there it will be moved to its place in Jerusalem. And it is possible to say that this idea is hinted in the Rambam in the laws of Melech Hamachiach: "And he will build the Bais Hamikdash in its place[/I". -- We may ask, why did the Rambam need to tell us that the building of the Bais Hamikdash will be "in its place"? And, why didn't the Rambam say explicitly the location of that place, [like so]: "And he will build the Bais Hamikdash in Jerusalem"? -- but "its place" alludes [not to the place of the Bais Hamikdash but rather] to the place of the King Moshiach while he is still in Golus!, That is, before the time period of when he is "moshiach vadai", that is, while Moshiach is still in Golus, for there he sits, and waits and yearns to redeem klall yisrael and the shechinah that is in exile with them - [during this time] Moshiach builds a miniature Bais Hamikdash, which is a reflection and a model of the Bais Hamikdash in Jerusalem ... as a preparation for the future Bais Hamikdash, which will be revealed first over there, and from there it will return, with G-d and the Jews, to Yerushalayim...and we can possibly say that the medrash that says "Moshiach will stand on the roof of the Bais Hamikdash and announce to the Jews that 'The time of your redemption has arrived!' " is referring [not to the Bais Hamikdash in Jerusalem but rather] to the roof of the Bais Hamikdash M'at in Chutz Laaretz,... for after the Bais Hamikdash will be revealed and will be lowered to the ground there wont be any need to tell Klall Yisroel "Your redemption has come." ... and we may explain, according the above, that as regards Bais Rabeinu shBeBavel in this generation - it means the house - the Bais Makneses and Bais Hamedrash - of my holy father-in-law, the Nasi of our generation. In this generation, the last generation of golus and the first generation of geulah ... through the lowest place on earth we will elevate together with it all other places in the world - this will happen through the "Bais Rabeinu" ... from which light emanates to the entire world, making the entire world into Eretz Yisroel ... where all the Shuls and Yeshivos in the entire world will be connected to the Bais Hamikdosh, in the true and complete redemption through Moshaich Tzidkeinu, the Nasi Hador, who is also the Moshiach - the redeemer of Yisroel -of the generation - and also, and this is key, he is also the Nasi of Chasidus, through the dissemination of whose wellsprings accomplished the coming of King Moshiach ... and with this we can understand the magnitude of the loftiness of Bais Rabeinu - the primary Mikdash M'at in this last golus ... which is "the place of the future bais hamikdash itself", and not only that, but there will be revealed the future Bais Hamikdash, and from there is will go to Jerusalem, as we stated. And we may add, that this idea is suggested in the name of "The House of Rabbeinu" in our generation: ... for the "house" of Rabbeinu - its number is 770, and this number is the established way that the house is referred to in the mouths of all of Klall Yisroel, for they refer to Bais Rabeinu as "770", which is Gematria "foratztah", as in "uforatzta yama v'kedmah etc." ... and according to all we have said about the loftiness of the House of our Teacher in Bavel, that it is the place of the Bais Hamikdash in the future, and that in it will be revealed the Bais Hamikdash and from there it will return to Yerushalayim -- we understand what a great merit it would be for each and every member of Klall Yisroel to give of his energy and money - and whoever gives more, is all the more so praised - as a preparation for the coming down if the revelation of the future Bais Hamikdash immediately and right away, mamesh!"
End quote.
That was, it seems, an appeal for funds to expand his house. This is merely a sampling of the stuff that was fed to mostly fledgling Baalei Teshuva for a half a century.
The mess that Chabad has become is NOT the fault of the Chasidim. They are only taking their rebbe's "teachings" to their logical - if you can call it that - conclusion.
---
The Moshiach beliefs in Lubavitch began with the Lubavitcher Rebbe's first Drasha that he gave at the beginning of his career, which they call in Chabad "Basi L'gani achosi kalah." There he says quite clearly that in our generation Moshiach will come for sure, since our generation is the seventh in the Lubavitcher dynasty, and it is clear that that is the generation that the final geulah will come. "And this is our generation - the seventh generation since the Admor Hazakan, has been chosen through Divine Providence to complete the bringing down of the shechinah to the world in an established and permanent way via the Final Redemption.
How he decided this is a long story, and it doesn't really matter much. Suffice it to say that this has been the Chabad shita for the past 50 years.
He also mentioned, not surprisingly, the Moshe Rabbeinu's prominence is that he was the "seventh". And we all know that the Moshiach of the generation is the Moshe of the generation, and that Moshe - the seventh - will be the final redeemer of Klall Yisroel.
Of course, he said this at the commencement of his own stepping up to be the seventh Rebbe since the Alter Rebbe.
Do the math.
When the Brisker Rav ZTL saw this speech, he commented "this lunatic is convincing himself that he is moshiach!"
That's a quote.
And it got worse as the years went by.
5751: The Lubavitcher Rebbe interprets the following Medrash:
"The year that Moshiach will be revealed, all the goyishe kings will fight with each other ... the king of persia will fight with the king of the arabs, and the arab king will run to the King of Aram to seek advice ... all the nations will be in an uproar and a panic ... and the Jews will be in an uproar and panic saying 'Where will we escape to?' and then G-d will tell the Jews: 'My children do not be afraid, for your redemption has arrived' ... When Moshiach comes, he will stand on the roof of the Bais Hamikdash and announce 'The Time of your redemption has arrived.'!"
The Lubavitcher Rebbe interpreted that to mean not the Bais Hamikdash, but 770 Eastern Parkway is the place from where Moshiach will announce the final Geulah has arrived. Why 770? Because that is "Moshiach's house".
During the first Gulf War, the Lubavitcher Rebbe tried to fit the words of that Medrash into current events ("Aram" becomes America somehow - and Persia becomes Iraq!), and guess how the Lubavitcher Rebbe used his interpretation:
"It is obvious that these events do not affect Bnei Yisroel at all ... what the Jews ... have to know now is: Your time of redemption has arrived!" (Sichos 5751 p.284)
Yes, that's what Moshiach (or G-d) is going to announce precisely at the time when that Medrash is fulfilled. According to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the Medrash was fulfilled, and guess who made the announcement?
And guess from where? 770 - the place Moshiach will announce it from.
So we have the right time - as described in the Medrash - the right place - 770 - and guess who's the right "person" in this equation?
More: The Medrash of course says that all this is going to happen "B'shah shemelech hamashiach bah" - when the King Moshiach comes. The Lubavitcher Rebbe stated then, "Hinei zeh Moshiach bah!" - Behold! Moshiach comes!
Uhuh.
More quotes:
"Nowadays we have not only the existence of Moshiach but also the revelation of Moshiach. All that we need to do is accept him."
Who exactly did he mean? How can we accept the revelation of Moshiach if we don’t know who he is?
Obviously we do know.
It is the one, according to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, who announces from 770, during the first Gulf War, that "The time of your redemption has arrived."
Guess who?
Of course, it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. Because the Lubavitcher Rebbe himself pointed out: "Many signs of the Geulah have already transpired, beginning with the sign in the Medrash of [the announcement of] "Your time of redemption has arrived." (Sichos 5752 p.98)
Guess who was the one who made that announcement?
And to him that proves that "signs of the redemption" have occurred.
By "coincidence" that same person also happens to be the seventh Rebbe - Nasi, they call them in Chabad - Nasi HaDor - in the Lubavitch dynasty.
And we know that the Nasi HaDor is the Moshiach of the Dor, and that the seventh generation - during the seventh Nasi - the FINAL Moshiach will arrive.
And that Moshiach is the Nasi Hador -- meaning the Rebbe of Chabad.
Also, the Lubavitcher Rebbe added - the Nasi of Chasidus in the generation, since the Baal Shem Tov was told that Moshiach will come when Chasidus is disseminated in the world (Note: The Baal Shem Tov was never told that -- the story meant something totally different, but in Chabad they make this claim anyway).
And guess who just happened to embark on a campaign of disseminating Chasidus because doing so means Moshiach will come?
Yup. Same person.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe told the Dinever Rebbe that the main reason for his Kiruv campaign was due to that story where the Baal Shem Tov was told that by spreading Chasidus, Moshiach will come - Kuntres Hachai yiten el libo.)
And guess whose Torah are being disseminated?
That's right -- the Tanya. The Torahs of Lubavitch.
And the Lubavitcher Rebbe was careful to explain: "we should learn .... especially the Toras HaChasidus, for through it Moshiach will come as per the story of yefutzu mayanasechah [i.e. - the story of the Baal Shem Tov cited above - MOD] of our Nesisim, and especially the Torah - speeches and Likutei Sichos - of the Nasi of our Dor - a reflection and example and preparation for learning the Torah of Moshiach ... (Sichos 6 Iyar 5751)
So there you have it -- his Torahs - Likutei Sichos - are the Torahs of the Nasi Hador; learning them (i.e. especially them) - fulfills the spreading of Moshiach's Torah in the story of the Baal Shem Tov.
You don’t need a rocket scientist to see who he clearly believes to be Moshiach.
Moshiach is here he said; he is revealed. All we need is to "accept him in actuality." (Sichos 5752 p.97)
More:
"We see that many of the signs of the redemption have occurred ... and we see in actuality fulfillment of "and he will fight Hashem's battles [i.e. one of the signs the Rambam gives for being able to identify the person who is Moshiach ---- if he fulfills this, among other signs, you can safely assume the person who did this is Moshiach. We are not talking here about signs of the Geulah but rather signs of the Goel himself! - MOD] ... it is understood that the shluchim are already established a long time after the beginning of the shlichus of ... 'hafotzas mayanos chutzah' [i.e. the story of the baal shem tov again --- moshiach's torahs have to be spread throughout the world according to chabad and then moshiach will come. He is saying that this spreading of moshiach’s wellsprings has been happening through his shluchim] ... yet moshiach hasn’t come yet. Obviously, there is something more we must do. And it is: As per the well known fact that there is someone in each generation form the seed of Yehuda who is worthy of being moshiach - one who is worthy by way of his righteousness to be the redeemer, and when the time comes g-d will reveal Himself to him and send him ... and according to the announcement of my father-in-law, the Nasi of our generation ... the only moshicah of our generation that everything is already prepared, an ... it is understood from that, that the only thing we have left to do is: to accept Moshiach in actuality, literally. (same sichah as above)
There is no question that the Lubavitcher Rebbe believed himself to be Moshiach. He also believed himself to be something else as well. Here’s a quote:
"This that a prophet has to have another prophet testify to his authenticity as a prophet does not apply to the Nasi HaDor, and to the extension of [the Nesius] in the next Dor through his talmidim - for he is assumed to be a prophet and does not need any authentication, rather, we must obey him immediately and right away, even before he proves himself, and "it is forbidden to have doubts about his prophecy that perhaps it is not true... rather, since it is know that this person is a prophet they should believe in him and know that G-d is in their midst and they may not doubt him - because they believe in the worlds of the prophet not because they are the words of the prophet but rather they are the worlds of G-d through this prophet ... there is a [halachic] ruling as per the above, that we must publicize to every person in this generation: that we have had the merit that G-d chose and designated a being with free-will, who by his own right is infinitely greater than the people of his generation, that he should be 'your judges' and 'your instructors', and the prophet of the generation, who will give rulings and instructions relevant to the avodah of all Jews, and all people in this generation, in all issues of Torah and Mitzvos, and also about general day to day living, and also about "all your actions" (being lshem shamayim)" (Sichos Shoftim 7 Elul 5751)
Nuff said.
---
He was the one that said that WE have, today, merited someone infinitely greater than everyone else that guides and advises the entire generation in ruchniyus and gashmiyus; that Likutei Sichos (his sefer - not his father in law's) needs to be learned as a preparation for Toras Moshiach; that the Neshama of his father in law is "in him: (and incidentally, he is fully aware that his chasidim are familiar of the statement in the seforim, the physical Moshiach will have the neshoma of previous moshiachs "in him"!).
Don't forget - he didn't write this stuff in his diary that people can say perhaps he wasn't being clear. He said them to his people, they were broadcast on radio, printed up, and stated as public service announcements to all his baalei teshuva and those aspiring thereto. It's funny how everything else he said is understood simply, and only this has to be twisted and turned like a difficult Rambam that contradicts a Gemora. And even then, there is no other explanation.
And if he didn’t mean what he said, and his words are some kind of cryptic code that do not say what they mean, then that's agreeing with the Satmar Rebbe ZTL who called the Lubavitcher Rebbe an "idiot" (shotah) for disseminating Torahs - from the Tanya and down - to the uneducated masses who are not capable of understanding it properly. If he really did what you said he did - provided garbled teachings with esoteric meanings that nobody has yet figured out but seem to say to the normal human mind that he is the Messiah, then he is - although the Satmar Rebbe's assessment does not need our approbation - a shoteh.
---
What the Lubavitcher Rebbe said about the essence of G-d being placed in a body has no parallel anywhere. And the fact that Lubavitcher Chasidim think that all those statements is the same, in the same way that someone who is tone deaf thinks all the Nigunim are the same, is the result of them learning things that are deeper than they are ready for. When you do that, you tend to misunderstand the nuances of what you learn, and, when dealing with topics such as these, get very messed up.
First, whenever it says in a sefer that Hashem is "meluvash" in anything, it does not mean that Hashem has become that thing, or "goes into" that thing, or anything close. A levush is your outside appearance, and when you "clothe" yourself in something in that sense, what it means is that you are represented by that thing. As in "girds himself with strength", or when we say Hashem is "lovesh tzedakos". When we say that Hashem is clothed in a Tzadik it means the same as when we say Hashem is clothed in righteousness or strength, that is, that Hashem is doing His work through the Tzadik, or, is using the Tzadik to do His work. And that is why you will find the Kedushas Levi saying that when Hashem does this - when He does His work through the acts and behavior of a Tzadik, Hashem can be referred to as "ish", even though He is not at all an ish, or in an ish. It is the same as when they say "The President is bombing Iraq", even though it is not the President in the plane doing the bombing. But when you do your work through someone - or something, we express it as if it is the shliach would be the meshaleach.
But it is only a figure of speech. "Vinikra ish" does not mean "becomes like a person" but rather "is referred to as a 'person'" - but it is only a reference, only a figure of speech, not a description of Hashem in any way whatsoever.
And that is why you will find the world mislavesh in many places in this context. That too is a figure of speech. It means "appears as", not "goes into".
All such statements mean either something in that direction, or refer to a specific part of a Tzadik, which is connected to Hashem, is "part" of Hashem, or some such loshon, and that, of course is the Neshoma which is a chelek elokah mimaal. And although this applies to all Jews on some level, the Neshoma of a Tzadik is complete, undiminished by sin (the seforim explain that the word "chet", which literally means to "lose" or "miss" something, refers to sin since you lose a bit of your Neshoma by sinning). And therefore, the Noam Elimelech explains that the Tzadik can give you things, through blessing or prayer, from his own life that a human being would normally not be able to give, because the life of a Tzadik (NOT the tzadik Himself) comes from the life, kivyachol of Hashem, and the tzadik is merely the middle-man. The idea is nothing more that what the posuk and Chazal say:
"And Hashem blew into his nostrils the breath of life. And He Who blows, blows from within Himself."
So the notion that the "life" of a person - Nishmas Chayim - "the "soul of life" - is a part of Hashem is not new. The Noam Elimelech does not say more than that.
But that is not what the Lubavitcher Rebbe said. Again - for the 100th time - the Lubavitcher Rebbe's statement that a Rebbe is "The essence and self of G-d placed in a body" does not refer to the Neshoma, because he says in the next line that the same refers to a Malach, and a Malach has no Neshoma; he also does not mean a mere figure of speech because he says that this "G-d in a person" idea causes a person to be able to bring requests to the Tzadik to relay them to Hashem, even though we do NOT use go-betweens between our requests and Hashem, but since a Rebbe is "the essence of G-d clothed in a body", the Rebbe is not considered a go-between, at all. It is directly to G-d. Feh.
Nobody ever said such a thing.
And if you want to see the extent that Lubavitcher teachers mislead and brainwash their youth, just look at what they told a Lubavitcher on this forum. I quote:
//1. On Beshalach, Tes Vav, Posuk Gimmel,
- "Elokim mislabesh bioso tzaddik, kaviyochul vinikra ish".
- "Moshe Rabbeinu’s called Ish Haelokim means Hashem goes into a Tzaddik and becomes like a person kaviyochul."\\
Instead of translating vinikra "and He is referred to as" they taught her it meant "He becomes". Big difference. And it's not a hard word - most 8th graders can translate it. But they twisted the words of the Chasidishe seforim in order to make them agree with the outlandish things that the Lubavitcher rebbe said.
The thing that is the saddest about what has happened in Lubavitch for the past 50 years is the brainwashing of innocent teenagers by twisting Torah teachings, and mistranslating concepts that are above their head, making them think that Chasidus resembles what the Lubavitcher Rebbe taught his chasidim.
Then they go out and tell them that they are chasidim, and whoever is against them are misnagdim.
Lubavitch nowadays is not chasidus at all, not chabad chasidus and not any other chasidus under the sun, and anybody who is familiar with the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov and his holy talmidim have no choice but to oppose them.
---
Labels: Lubavitch
posted by Moderator at 10:48 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home