@N0mesorah:
I wasn’t “ranting” about chabad.
I was ruefully relating the reality as I have experienced it here in Israel and as I have clarified it.
many of the comments on this thread have basically shared the idea that “those meshichisters are minor groups who don’t actually follow the Rebbe’s teachings; and the elohists are an even smaller group that nobody takes seriously.”
Some people even raised the question about why do we care about these people.
I was trying to explain why we care.
These are not “minor” groups of Chabad; these are the ones who represent Chabad in Israel (and other places).
They are the ones running the Chabad houses, manning the Tefillin booths, and running the schools and other educational institutions here.
When you ask people who who Chabad are- whether religious people, secular people, politicians or anybody else- every assumes that at least the meshichisters are representative.
And since the “normal” chabad don’t push back, this narrative is validated.
You claim that the elohists are this minor group of meshuganas, and that “real chabad” don’t need to waste their time denying them.
But in Israel, those elohists are treated by meshichisters on equal par.
As I’ve mentioned, they are invited to speak and “mashpiah” at most chabad houses here.
How do you know that the person putting tefillin on people at the Kosel (airport etc.) is “only” meshichist and not an elohist?
As has been often discussed in various forums, some of the more extremists among the “not-normal” chabad hold that they can lie about their beliefs since it’s “mutar leshanos mpnei hashalom” and in order to more effectively mekarev people.
So now, when members of the local “meshichist” chabad shul are davening at a different minyan with me; and I know that every time the chabad shul has invited the tzfas “mashpiah” to speak that those members have attended; can I join them to make up the minyan?
I don’t know that they believe the rebbe is HKBH r”l. but they might believe it.
It’s very nice to just sit back and say “they’re not real chabad, they don’t represent the philosophy.”
But it’s very hard to ignore them, especially when they are proselytizing to the frum community.
But if we protest that they are “not really chabad” they simply laugh, since there is no “Normal chabad” counter-voice. They have taken the legitimacy of Chabad for their agenda.
And when we try and push back against them, by protesting their proselytizing and encouraging people not to take part in their services, we’re just accused of sinas chinam and “fighting among the religious Jews.” (yes, the regular media makes no distinction between the chareidi population and the elohists and messianics. This proves our point even more…)
@syag I appreciate your support and understanding.
This is not a rant against Chabad.
It is a cry of sorrow at how so many “normal” chabad people don’t care that “Chabad” is now synonymous with the crazies, and that generations of kids are being educated with this very mistaken belief, and thousands of people are being “mekareved” to mistaken beliefs.