Lubavitch: The Problem and the Solution. Below is Harry's punchline.
What is needed is more than just a statement by Lubavitch that the Rebbe is no longer alive and that we need to move on. While that is true, it is not enough. They have to say the following: The Rebbe, ZTL, died (or was Nifter - if you prefer) and is not Moshiach - Period. I’m sure there are more than a few Lubavitchers who would say this. But I believe they are a very small minority. The key is for the leadership to say it. To the best of my knowledge, no Lubavitch leader has ever said those words.Here is my response:
Ok, if a Lubavitch leader made such a statement... then what? This won't change the minds of the thousands of mishachists. I think these people are going to believe what they believe no matter what (I wrote a post about this subject: http://lubabnomore.blogspot
On the flip side Chabad has everything to lose by making such a proclamation. If "Chabad leadership" (another issue I'll get to in a minute) were to release a statement saying "The Rebbe died and is not Moshiach" they would risk irrevocably splitting the movement. My impression is Chabad is more than happy to fight this battle within the movement and is willing to let the rest of the world think whatever they want to think.
The issue of Lubavitch leadership is another question entirely. There is no one leader or group of leaders that can speak for all of Chabad so any statement made simply won't be authoritative. (I fault The Rebbe for this. See this post: http://lubabnomore.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-blame-rebbe.html) Further, there are many non-mishichist who don't see the mishichits as outside of halacha and therefore see no reason to draw a distinction with them.
The Rebbe built Chabad into an organization based on one leader who made authoritative decisions for the whole group. That leader is gone and there is no replacement. What Chabad is doing now is reinventing how they operate as a group. Without one person, or group, to make a ruling on this issue I think it will be a long time before this issue is resolved. Perhaps the next generation of Chabad, which will not have grown up knowing The Rebbe, will resolve this issue.
UPDATE:
I wrote the following follow up post at HM's blog.
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There seems to be a misunderstanding about Rabbi Weinberg's suggestion. Some here think that what R' Weinberg said leaves room for interpretation or that it falls short of declaring The Rebbe not-Moshiach. However, to a Lubavitcher his call to find an 8th Rebbe is _by definition_ a declaration that The 7th Rebbe is not Moshiach. I often heard Lubavitchers cite Sanhedrin as a source that you should believe your Rebbe to be Moshiach.
"If Moshiach will come from the living, it will be Rabeinu HaKadosh (i.e.Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi), if he comes from the dead, it will be Daniel (the Prophet)..."Suggesting Lubavitch should find a new leader is equivalent to saying The Rebbe is not Moshiach. Within the Chabad community Rabbi Weinberg's position leaves no room for interpretation.
Sanhedrin 98:B
9 comments:
sadly too many people who grew up in a rebbe/moshiach centered yiddishkeit are feeling or are burnt out in their religiousity. due to this void.
sadly parts of lubavitch will probably within a generation identify themselves as lubavitch rather then jewish, and will be so.
the rest will quietly merge back into mainstream judaism and remain a community within judaism like breslov etc.
p.s.
identifyingchabad.org
is a good resource. check it out.
how sad. i dont think that lubavitch is like christianity, its just that i think that they do go a little too far with the rebbe is mashiach thing,seeing as the rebbe has been niftar for yrs. i dont see this issue as being resolved any time soon. however, i do believe that this issue if not resolved soon will spell the beginning of the end of lubavitch.
Once you brought up the topic, I was wondering:
What is your opinion of the Rebbe? Was he a tzaddik or not?
Anon,
> What is your opinion of the Rebbe? Was he a tzaddik or not?
Interesting question. I guess that depends on how you define tzaddik. I'm not just saying that to be elusive. By Orthodox Jewish standards I would say yes. By atheist LubabNoMore standards I would say he did some good but also wasted a lot of time and effort on things that don't matter. I'll think more about this question. Thanks for asking it.
hello
lubab no more
your blog and posts are very interesting,
i don't understand how you can say "but also wasted a lot of time and effort on things that don't matter."
even if you don't believe in torah from sinai the rebbe stood for helping other people through goodness and kindness, spent hours giving charity and giving blessing to needy people, and teaching his chasidim
and he DID DO open miracles
and he did reach out to out groups of all sects of yiddishkite
I'd say he was a tzaddik. Do I think he had special powers? None other than what results from being good. Was he the messiah? No. Should those who subtly believe it be eschewed? How then would you convince them he wasn't?
>>By Orthodox Jewish standards I would say yes.
This is a controversial opinion. He is regarded by many orthodox Jews anywhere from eccentric to misguided.
My father loves Chabad. I have been led to feel otherwise by viewing posts on antitzemach.com (the man HATES those who are not from Chabad, and I see the Rebbe did not care for those who were non-Chabad, either) and viewing the rants of mishichistin.
Anon,
> My father loves Chabad. I have been led to feel otherwise by viewing posts on antitzemach.com (the man HATES those who are not from Chabad,
You don't have to love Chabad (or even like them) but don't base your opinion of the whole sect on one person (or even one website). That's just foolish.
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