To: @Toi
So there are several issues with Lubavitch that people bring up. I’ll try answering them in several posts split up:
1. Your issue with Hashkafa:
We don’t believe that the Rebbe’s a deity. We don’t worship him. We don’t pray to him. We don’t say “Baruch Atah Rebbe”, we don’t say “Bereishis Barrah Rebbe”, Ch”vsh. Not me, and no one I’ve ever seen. I’ve never seen an Elokist in my life, and they were put in Cherem by all Lubavitch Rabbonim, including the Meshichistim anyways.
The phrase “the Rebbe runs the world” is a simple translation of “Tzaddik Gozer VeHakadosh Baruch Hum Mekayem”. No more and no less. At least that’s how we take it to mean.
The Atzmus Umahus sicha[1]? We take it to mean that the Rebbe’s so nullified to Hashem that he does what Hashem wants. That’s it. No, we don’t put Rebbe pictures in Shuls (at least in any I’ve seen), and most Yeshivos don’t have them either. I’ve never ever seen in my life any Shul or Beis Medrash with a Rebbe picture in the front. I’ve heard rumors of a shul of crazies in Tzfas, but again, if I could, I would take it down. And I don’t doubt that the head Shliach of Tzfas would take it down in a moment if he had the legal power. And so would the rest of Lubavitch.
Speaking of Meshichism. A large amount of Lubavitch is anti. In terms of “official Chabad,” it’s probably around 99% of Shulchim are anti. And they’re not “hidden meshichist”. If you don’t believe me, dress up as a Lubavitcher and go to the following institutions:
1. Morristown
2. Detroit
3. (The official Chabad community of) Chicago. The head shliach, the Rov, etc.
4. Any Shemtov
5. Tomchei Tmimim Kiryat Gat
6. Tomchei Tmimim Kfar Chabad.
7. The Ohel
8. The Rosh Yeshiva of LA.
9. Rabbi Heller (the Rosh Kollel of Crown Heights).
And tell them Yechi (in secret, even without cameras). I’m not responsible for your hospital bills after this.
These people don’t say Yechi secretly. They hate Meshichstim. If they had the legal power, they would shut down the Meshichist institutions overnight. And Agu”ch (the official overarching group of older Chassidim, who, if anyone is, the governing group of Chabad) is officially anti, and so is Merkos (the official organization that sends on Shlichus). They’re involved in lawsuit after lawsuit trying to shut down Meshichistim. Just try going to Krinsky and Kotlarsky and try saying Yechi. And the younger generation is getting more and more anti over time.
Oh, and PS. Rabbi Wolf is not an official Shliach.
And as far as Meshichistim are concerned, I talked to a few of them. Pretty much 100% of them believe that the Rebbe’s literally alive beguf Gashmi, in a physical body. They don’t do anything special on Gimmel Tammuz. No Neshama candle, no Mishnayos. So yes, they’re absolutely nuts and retarded.
[1]. I want to point out, that the Rebbe said this Sicha even before he became Rebbe, and it was edited and published right away. It was never kept hidden. I have no doubt that the sicha made the rounds within a few weeks after it was said. And yet, the Rebbe was still on decent relations with the Satmar Rov and Reb Yitzchak Hutner for a while after [2], and with Reb Moshe until Reb Moshe’s passing, and I’m almost positive I’ve seen Likkutei Sichos quoted in the Rivevos Ephrayim (he had a phenomenal bekiyus and library, quoting random and rare Seforim all the time).
This is, in addition to a few Chossidisher Poskim (the Mishneh Halachos was famous for being on close terms with the Rebbe, and even in his last Teshuva where he said that Meshichistim were Kofrim and called on Lubavitchers to appoint a new Rebbe, he still called the Rebbe with all the proper titles. How did he explain the sicha? And of course Rabbi Pinchas Hirshprung, who was on good terms with the Rebbe despite not being an official Lubavitcher. How did he explain the sicha? So sure, other Poskim are Barei Plugta. But here there’s a Machlokes BeMitzzyus (what did the Rebbe mean), and after 60 years, the amount of Elokistim in Lubavitch can probably be counted on one hand. So what do you think is more likely: Lubavitch has no idea what the Rebbe meant (If they felt that the Rebbe was proclaiming himself G-d (Ch v”sh) they should either follow him there or leave Lubavitch) or that we do understand what the Rebbe meant, and that he meant simply meant that the Rebbe’s nullified to Hashem. Oh, and this Sicha was officially said about the Previous Rebbe. And yet, for the next 42 years after the Sicha, the Rebbe didn’t do any actions which would show that he should be deified or that he deified someone else. When people started looking at him during davening (not Ch V”sh to deify him, but to watch him Daven), he threatened to stop davening in public.) But after all is said and done, we definitely and unconditionally don’t believe that he’s a G-d.
[2]. The Rebbe was Menachem Ovel the Satmar Rov in Yud Daled after the passing of his daughter (after that Sicha was said, and likely after it was edited) and they had a conversed, and I’ve heard that the Satmar Rov was Menachem Avel the Rebbe after the Rebbe’s mother passed away in Chof Vov. Do you know if the Satmar Rov was ever Menachem Ovel the head of the Reform movement, and if the head of the reform movement would come to the Satmar Rov, would they have a congenial chat? I was under the impression that they broke up over Tzionus (Shleimus HaAretz specifically) and Shlichus, not this Sicha.
The Rebbe still was on decent terms with Reb Yitzchok Hutner for a while. To the best of my knowledge, the relationship ended when the Moshiach campaign started, decades after the Atzmus Umahus sicha came out. If the Rebbe meant it literally, why did it take so long for Reb Yitzchok Hutner so long to break up?