@ujm said:
<i>How can you believe accusations from people that left their community, especially if they left in some disputed circumstances?</i>
Yes, of course we <b>do</b> give heed to the words of Jews who have left this group. Ignoring those the few that went secular, most of the ex-members of LT reamined frum. The only reason we would discount a Torah yid who makes serious accusations against another, is under dinei loshon horah. Even under dinei loshon horah, the din of “michash miboi” and “kolo dlo posik” clearly applies here.
We could be very suspicious, and I think there’s enough evidence that it can all be 100% beleived.
Even without evidence from the inside (ex-members etc), anyone who does research on LT and look at the difference between a cult and a (lmoshol) chassidus, it’s very clear LT is a cult.
Slavishly following the Rebbe like he’s G-d, or having extreme “kashrus”, and very restricted learning is only one aspect, and indeed one that’s harder to distinguish from true chassidus so it’s a red herring. (That said, there’s no chassidus that has all 3 of these extremes, and many more – except LT.)
A chassidus does not ostracise those that leave it for another chareidi derech, and enforce entirely cutting off anyone that leaves even from their own family left behind.
That’s without mentioning ask the other cultish aspects, such as the way medication and punishment is built into their system with the pretence that it’s yahadus and halacha.
Lev lachim should rescue these poor neshomos.