Messianism among Lubavitch

[Achas Veachas]

I know it is unfortunate. Just have to know the right people A book like that I wish he just allowed someone to scan it and put it online.

You're right but it's definitely NOT an easy read. It's not a book I can give to a friend and ask him to read it Shabbos after his Cholent nap...

[churnbabychurn]

I do have a serious question, I wonder if anyone can provide a reasonable response.
Why does chabad currently not have a rebbe? I understand that the last rebbe didnt have children, but isnt Chasidus all about having a rebbe? Why cant they appoint a rebbe? You want to bring up your children as chassidim, but of whom? Something is wrong with the relationship of the chabad chasidim to the late rebbe if they cannot or will not find and appoint a replacement.

[jj1000]

I do have a serious question, I wonder if anyone can provide a reasonable response.
Why does chabad currently not have a rebbe? I understand that the last rebbe didnt have children, but isnt Chasidus all about having a rebbe? Why cant they appoint a rebbe? You want to bring up your children as chassidim, but of whom? Something is wrong with the relationship of the chabad chasidim to the late rebbe if they cannot or will not find and appoint a replacement.

http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/172,1285/Why-doesnt-Chabad-select-a-new-Rebbe.html

[ganizzy]

i hate to break it to you, but theres plenty of hate.
during ww11, one of the litvisher rabbonim in america that was in charge of getting food and supplies to europe, refused to send stuff to lubavitcher bochrim.

heard firsthand from someone that worked in the office


this discussion reminds me of something that happened in elementary - about 5th or 6th grade
my school was lubavitch, but was the only frum seperated schhol in the city so everyone went there

the daughter of the litvish rav was in my class and always had a snide comment about chabad (mostly from her father)
after one comment too many, one of the girls (a baal tshuva family, at that point i dont know how strongly her family identified with chabad) said - your father is a rav and yet he cant even fulfill the one basic mitzvah of ahavas yisrael. the girl had a flip attack and couldnt believe people were attacking her father, so unfounded, not fair....
she couldnt see that constantly bashing chabad (even jokingly) is the opposite of ahavas yisrael

[yare]

No I do not think I can judge people who lived 200 years ago (i can't even judge people who are around today properly) Everything i said was based on letters the Alter Rebbe sent to Reb Mendel Horodoker and R' Avraham Kalisker A"H in Eretz Yisroel. As well as other sources from that time

did you read the letters yourself?  are you familiar with the context of the letters and exactly who and what situations they're referring to?  are you translating exactly what the baal hatanyah said, or giving a loose translation based on your/others interpretation of it?      "other sources" is vague and meaningless                     

[Achas Veachas]

did you read the letters yourself?  are you familiar with the context of the letters and exactly who and what situations they're referring to?  are you translating exactly what the baal hatanyah said, or giving a loose translation based on your/others interpretation of it?      "other sources" is vague and meaningless                     

yes I did, in the letter The Alter Rebbe says that he went to Vilna to try and talk with the Gaon but those around the Gaon would not allow the meeting to happen. There are many more letters who anyone who deals with the history of that time is familiar with. These things aren't secrets they are out in the open and anyone can access them.
To say that there was no Hisnagdus in the days of the GR'A is laughable at least. I'm surprised we are arguing about it.

[churnbabychurn]

http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/172,1285/Why-doesnt-Chabad-select-a-new-Rebbe.html

I couldn't get past the first paragraph.
The Rebbe accepted the leadership of Chabad (and world Jewry) in 1951 and became the seventh Chabad Rebbe.
Can you explain?

[Lamdan]

There is a torah journal called Yeshurun, in a few of their volumes they have extensive research into the veracity of the alter rebbe's letters. I never read them, but IIRC the conclusion is that rubam sheker. I'm not saying they're right, just giving a mareh makom to the intellectually honest. 

[Dan]

I couldn't get past the first paragraph.
The Rebbe accepted the leadership of Chabad (and world Jewry) in 1951 and became the seventh Chabad Rebbe.
Can you explain?

You consider R' Shach to be "gadol hador?"
We consider the Rebbe to be nosi hador and is evidenced in his impact on the world, the diversity of people who came for yechidus and dollars and were impacted through millions of correspondence letters, and through his shluchim and chassidim.  The same as Moshe Rabbeinu was nosi of his generation.

[Achas Veachas]

There is a torah journal called Yeshurun, in a few of their volumes they have extensive research into the veracity of the alter rebbe's letters. I never read them, but IIRC the conclusion is that rubam sheker. I'm not saying they're right, just giving a mareh makom to the intellectually honest. 

Are you talking about the Alter Rebbe's letter or about the Charson Genizah (A collection of letters of the ba'al Shem Tov and his students over which there is a controversy)?

[jj1000]

I couldn't get past the first paragraph.
The Rebbe accepted the leadership of Chabad (and world Jewry) in 1951 and became the seventh Chabad Rebbe.
Can you explain?

"The leadership of world Jewry was given to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and he fulfilled that mission to the maximum. The entire people of Israel were his concern, and a deep concern. Jews in every corner of the world, no matter how forsaken and no matter how small in number, were on his mind and in his heart and soul." -Rabbi Zev Segal, currently with the Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture in New York City, is a former President of the Rabbinical Council of America and spiritual leader of the Young Israel of Newark.

A leader leads whether people follow or not. And he definitely was requested to lead by Jews around the world so I don't see a problem with that statement.

ETA- Reference to Rabbi Segal's letter. http://m.chabad.org/m/article_cdo/aid/395797 It is a beautiful read, and from a non-lubab, so you don't have to throw it out after the first paragraph.

[Dan]

"Throughout Jewish history there were great leaders, but I know of no precedent, for one who transformed, visibly and substantively every single Jewish community in the world – including many parts of the world that never had a Jewish community before."
- Rabbi Jonathan Sacks
http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/1691120/jewish/Transcript-Chief-Rabbi-Sacks-Highlights-Rebbes-Inspiring-Charge.htm

[churnbabychurn]

You consider R' Shach to be "gadol hador?"
We consider the Rebbe to be nosi hador and is evidenced in his impact on the world, the diversity of people who came for yechidus and dollars and were impacted through millions of correspondence letters, and through his shluchim and chassidim.  The same as Moshe Rabbeinu was nosi of his generation.

wtvr, but moshe rabeinu? cmon

[yare]

yes I did, in the letter The Alter Rebbe says that he went to Vilna to try and talk with the Gaon but those around the Gaon would not allow the meeting to happen. There are many more letters who anyone who deals with the history of that time is familiar with. These things aren't secrets they are out in the open and anyone can access them.
To say that there was no Hisnagdus in the days of the GR'A is laughable at least. I'm surprised we are arguing about it.

it's well known and documented that the alter rebbe came to see the gaon to have the chairem taken off but was not received.   we were not arguing about that.     you claimed that the alter rebbe writes that the gaon was supposedly lacking in his duty regarding his thoughts on chassidus or some such.        i find it hard to believe that someone as big as the baal hatanya would say anything negative about the gaon.    i would think it's from later followers and zealots who have some major lackings that put words in his mouth, so to speak.       so again, do you have a verified letter of the baal hatanyah where he makes such statements?   if so, please quote. 

[Dan]

wtvr, but moshe rabeinu? cmon

In every generation there is a nosi, someone who would qualify to be moshiach should the generation merit it.
I'm not saying the Rebbe was Moshe Rabbeinu as I'm not saying our generation was the one that left Mitzrayim. 
I'm saying he is a nosi in our generation as was Moshe in his generation.

Feel free to disagree with this aspect of chabad ideology, but that's the answer to your question.