Rebbitzen Goldenpickanicerscreenname,
“clearly you disagree with the statement made by Sam Klien – “A person should not need a middleman (Rebbe or rav etc…) to turn to for help when he needs help from Hashem. He should go Directly to Hashem and ask for whatever he lacks. ””
It depends on what he means by middleman. If a person CV”S thinks “I cannot relate directly to Hashem, so I will have this rebbe relate to Him for me…”, then I agree 100% with what Sam Klein said. If, however, he means that one should not consult a rav or rebbe for help in his own avodas Hashem, then I disagree 100%.
“Your position is that it’s ok to ask a LIVING person for help to daven on your behalf.”
I think that position is universal.
“Seems the position of the Pri Megadim is that it IS ok to turn to the dead for help to daven on our behalf (as Kalev did).”
Yes – but that issue is whether asking the dead to daven for you is a violation of the issur to consult the dead or not, which isn’t really what’s being debated on the Chabad threads regarding the Lubavitcher Rebbe (some don’t even think he’s dead!). That issue that is whether Chabad’s relationship to its rebbe violates the issur of having gods other than Hashem.
“Yet many are against the chassidic way of asking the Rebbe for a brocha when a yeshuah is needed, claiming as Sam Klien did (and I heard this often), why go to others, you can daven directly to Hashem yourself?!”
Because perhaps they are seeing it as my first interpretation of “middleman.”
“Lately, we of the Litvish world have begun treating our Gedolim as Rebbes and asking them for brochas and yeshuos. We adopted the chassidic ways!”
I don’t think this is accurate.