Some questions:
1)Do you ask Hashem or The Rebbe when you ask the Igros?2) If it’s the Rebbe, can you use
a)Just the igrois
b)any of The Rebbe’s seforim
c)any sefer in the world
d)any sign in the world (eg, “Rebbe, show me your listening”, and then you see a picture of the Rebbe)3) Can I ask just the Rebbe, or can I ask any of the Chabad rebbeim? For that matter, can I ask Rav Moshe Feinstein in Igros Moshe?
4)Why isn’t the Igros an issur deoiraisa of Lo Senachesh? Your asking for a sign from heaven (even from Hashem that’s assur, and Gorel Hagra was done very rarely and with lots of preperation precisely to avoid this issur)
First of all, there is absolutely no source in the Rebbes teachings to ask Igros. Zero. The Rebbe said that everyone should appoint himself a Mashpiya, and if one doesn’t know what to do (and this, by the way, was already true before 94 – there was never a time in Lubavitch, at least not in the past two generations, that the average Chossid was able to just shmooze with the Rebbe. There just wasn’t enough time for this), he should ask a Rov for Halachic shaylas, a doctor for medical issues, or knowledgeable friends for business questions.
The Hergesh started after the Rebbe’s passing, and I’ve never heard it ever officially encouraged (as it is absolutely sourceless), and I’ve heard a few Rabbonim (including Meshichist ones, by the way) argue against it. It seems to share a common source with the Goral HaGra, but as it’s a Hergesh, there are obviously no rules. I mean, I would definitely feel uncomfortable addressing a Rebbe picture, and I’m almost positive that in all the places that I’ve seen which talks about Rebbe pictures, nowhere did the Rebbe say that they’re to be used for communicating with him.
Note also, that the point of the Hachanos for a Goral HaGra is to get an answer. If it would be Nichush, no amount of preparations would permit it. But if you look at the Poskim who permit the Goral HaGra, they don’t mention anything about being “prepared”. The Hetter is from “Ki Hu Chayeinu”.
But there’s generally no problem asking questions of dead people. Look at the beginning of the third Perek of Berachos. So yes, you can ask Reb Moshe or Avraham Avinu, and there shouldn’t be any Halachic problems.
And the Arizal would talk to the souls of those who passed away, and would learn Torah from them – implying a two way communication:
ועתה אכתוב מקום קברות הצדיקים, כפי אשר קבלתי ממורי זלה”ה, וכבר הודעתיך כי הוא היה רואה ומסתכל בנשמות הצדיקים, בכל מקום ובכל זמן, ומכ”ש בהיותו על קבריהם, ששם נפשותיהם עומדות כנודע, גם מרחוק עיניו יביטו בנפש הצדיק העומד על הקבר שלו, ועי”ז היה יודע קבר כל צדיק וצדיק, והיה מדבר עמהם, ולומד מהם כמה סתרי תורה.
(From the Kakdama to Shaar HaGilgulim)