Reply To: The world is in a state of Geula- and don’t misunderstand us!

YR:
“CS – please address two points:

1) How the Lubavicher Rebbe a=can still be Moshiach even though he is presently dead, when the Rambam says otherwise.”

See post 2 of my 3 posts.

“2) Even assuming the Halacha is not like the Rambam, why is the Rebbe the greatest of all possible dead candidates”

Not necessarily is he. The main reason why we emphasize the Rebbe is because he is the most recent, from our generation, not because he is the greatest.

“3) Why there is a chabad obsession to identify their dead Rebbe as Moshiach even though it contradicts all the evidence,.”

Because there has been a Plan in place for the world. This plan follows from Sheshes yemei beraishis through the seven generations of chassidus. As the Rebbe is the seventh, and the seventh generation is the one to bring the Shechina back to this world, (As Moshe did- the 7th from Avraham, as the Medrash says ko,s hviin chavivin- not that he was greater than Avraham, he just was zoche because he was 7), and the Rebbe is the Nossi hador of the generation, it doesn’t seem likely for any other possibility.

We don’t find it easy- we find it difficult, and we feel we are being tested majorly. But I do feel Moshiach is around the corner judging by world events and the progress on all levels (such as teshuva, kibbutz golios, aseres hashvatim, the downfall of yishmael,) so hopefully we will all see the answers very soon.

” no other Jewish group has this obsession,”

True. Because the other groups barely touch the topic of Moshiach and geula. If you are ignorant of something how can you obsess about it? I literally go through every day looking for more signs of Moshiach in the world. But I wouldn’t be half as obsessed if I didn’t learn so much about the era of Moshiach and Chassidus as well.

“and it makes a chillul Hashem and Chillul Lubiavich for all onlookers,”

It seems to make one when people are ignorant and associate anything connected to Moshiach with non Jewish religions. Just because something sounds similar to another religion it doesn’t mean it is or isn’t. Those other religions were created attempting to copycat yiddishkeit so obviously some stuff will sound similar. The question is what does Torah say about this? Not does it sound to similar to another religion.

“and there is nothing to be gained by it other than perhaps fulfilling a psychological need. It certainly doesn’t bring Moshiach closer”

Maybe you understand better now. And personally being able to visualize Moshiach and Geula in a very concrete way only spurs me on further in my Avodas Hashem to do things right.