username: “While Meshichistim aren’t making a mistake. They’re in denial, and using crooked logic to justify denial. But would that be Kefira?”
On its own maybe not, but when they then say (and I have personally heard this more than once from meshichisten), “The gemoro says that Mashiach can be from a dead man [Btw this is a distortion of the gemara – see Rashi there], so I can say it’s the rebbe,” that is apikorsus! It’s like saying, “The gemara says you can’t cook on Shabbos so I say you can’t cook on Wednesdays.” Or, “The Torah says לא תבערו אש, so we can’t have hot food on Shabbos” (recognize the last view?).
“They oppose Meshichistim. They condemn meshichistim. And yes, even in private. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if they rant against Meshichistim more in private than in public.”
They do, and I’ve heard it. But 99% of the time it’s not because they don’t believe the lubavicher rebbe is Mashiach. It’s because it repels people and makes it difficult for the chabad institutions to attract new faces.
“I have quite a few friends who learned in Detroit. If I’d even get close to mentioning something about Yechi, I’d get a tongue lashing.”
Detroit is the epitome of the “antis” and they are hated by most of the mainstream lubavicher yeshivos, so don’t bring them as a proof to the standard lubavich view.