Hello people,
I’m seeing a lot of important questions here, and if it’s ok with ChabadShlucha I’d like to address a few topics. Unfortunately, there are too many specific comments for me to comment on, but I’ll try my best to discuss what I’ve seen to be the main questions/concerns from non-lubavitchers.
1. “How many Lubavitchers do u believe to be meshichistim?” First I want to define the term “meshichist” as there tends to be a mixture of definitions. For many, meshichist just means believing the Rebbe is Moshiach. For others, and this tends to be the more politicized definition, it means believing the Rebbe is alive, waving flags, perhaps thinking the Rebbe is g-d in a body, etc. Since those additional points are rather complicated and misunderstood, I think it best to stick with the former definition. When phrased the first way, I tend to think most lubavitchers believe this.
2. “If most Lubavitchers believe the Rebbe is moshiach why aren’t they running around with flags and pins? And why do most lubavtichers condemn them?” What I’ve found to be the case is that chabadniks generally don’t discount that the Rebbe is moshiach. The question instead is “should it be publicized?”. As I once humorously heard it: Some Lubavitchers wear their pins on the outside.
—Others where them on the inside. As it is, many lubavitchers u tend to meet disagree harshly/softly with the methods of the, let’s call them, “public Meshichists”. Although, there are many that—when alone— tend to party with the meshichistim if they aren’t worried about chilul Lubavitch.
3. “Let’s say it’s possible the Rebbe could still be moshiach—why should be entertain an idea made up by the chassidim against the Rebbe’s wishes?”. I cannot stress this enough, but the idea that this belief was not encouraged by the Rebbe or that he gave no positive answers to this effect is a utter falsehood. It’s simply not true. And no matter how many times books or articles about the Rebbe print the same 2-3 stories, there are still dozens of stories and/or sichas which remain inexplicable and allowing these few stories to shape the image of that time is deception at best. They will have u believe that the Rebbe was disgusted with any prospect his being moshiach, and that the radical chassidim took advantage of him when he was sick—seeing what was never there. This is a horrible distortion of the facts. An attempt, perhaps, of saving a certain image but which ended up doing more harm than good. The most obvious failure of this historical revisionism is that it simply doesnt explain the facts. If it’s so out of the question and so against everything the Rebbe ever said, then why is it still persisting. Non-lubavitchers have been trying to understand for decades and it seems more and more mystifying every year. In my opinion, it will remain mystifying if we don’t dispose of this nonsense “radical Lubavitch” theory and start approaching this from a different perspective. Perhaps it’s time to ask “did the Rebbe encourage this? What did he teach? What arent we seeing?”.
4. “What are some of these encouraging answers?” I’ll link them on next message.
5. “What are some things from his edited talks that people think indicate that he thought he was moshiach?” He said Moshiach was revealed in 770 in 1991 and annouced that the time of the Jewish people’s redemption has arrived, he said 770 in crown heights is Gematria “Beis Moshiach” just for kicks in a footnote, he said moshiach is a nasi of chassidus, he said moshiachs name is Menachem Mendel, he said this is the last generation of exile AND the first generation of redemption, he said moshiach WAS moshiach of the generation but was revealed “bChol haTokef”, he quoted the chosom Sofer that Moshiach now knows he’s moshiach, he said with nevuah that “henei zeh moshiach bo”, he said we are the reincarnation of the generation which left mitzrayim, he said the chabad Rebbes correspond to the sefiros which would make the Rebbe the Sefira of Malchus, the Rebbe said we completed all the divine service and all that’s left to do is to receive moshiach, he said moshiach was appointed and we need to accept his malchus in a revealed way, he said moshiach is active in the world now, and he said he is the nasi hador which he connects to moshiach hador which means this would all refer to himself.
6. “Moshiach hador isn’t a halachic concept”. Moshiach hador is a halachic concept. It is brought down in many halachic works and is a very established idea. Nasi hador isn’t necessarily Moshiach hador, but the Rebbe says there is a svara to say this. Most importantly tho, we are chabad. We obviously go with what our Rebbe said. Whether someone wants to say something else isn’t much concern to us. To add tho, the Rebbe had unmatched Gaoness. I’m not saying this cause he’s my Rebbe, it’s just pretty darn obvious. It’s established for all to see. Anyone who is familiar with the gedolim who visited the Rebbe or who wrote him know this. This is a dvar pushut. And as Moshe Feinstein said when he wrote to the Rebbe, it’s not needed to detail his gaoness because the whole world knows already(altho he then goes on to list a few amazing compliments). I only say this because some people need to hear it. Enough mocking Lubavitch.
7. “The Rebbe didn’t do what was needed to be moshiach”. The Rebbe has a lot of chiddushim on the Rambam and one cannot honestly say it is not the case without lookin at the Rebbes Torah on the issue. That is the fair thing to do imo. It’s surprising how many comments are made on chats like these which were already delt with by the Rebbe or where someone took one thing of the Rebbe to make a case against him but ignored another part which addressed it. I’ve seen people try to “outsmart” the Rebbe and, excuse me, but it’s just laughable. Nobody on this website knows more than the Rebbe. That is just a fact. Not David Berger, not Gil student, and not any other person on here who may be harboring feelings of grandeur somehow hoping he will be an Achron one day. Anyone who thinks otherwise has no idea what he’s dealing with. Between Mordechai Eliyahu calling him an Angel of G-d with unmatched gaoness, Moshe Feinstein saying moshiach should come so the Rebbe can teach Torah forever, Joseph Soloveichik saying he is a hidden tzaddik whose holiness we can’t begin to fathom, and the Baba Sali saying he’s fitting to be moshiach and begged to live by the Rebbe, just who is anyone else to demean his opinions with a #DasYachid hashtag? Safe bet: if u find urself correcting the Rebbe—u didn’t understand it. I’m sorry to get so snappy but I don’t know my audience and I know how intense these things can get, and I wanna make sure we are clear on this for those who insist on making machlokes.
8. “Do people think the Rebbe is alive?” There are many lubavitchers who do, yes. This is not to be taken as Elvis under the stairs, but something a lot more complex. Sources in Kabbalah, Gemara, mefarshim, and the Rebbe himself.