Reply To: Clarification to mod and DaMoshe

Arso

“Pray tell, what did his peers (I’m astounded that you consider any of the other talmidei Hamaggid his ‘peers’!)”

What would you call them? Chevraya (Kadisha) means peers.

“ believe? Could it possibly be that a person can do what they want, not daven, not learn, not do anything else you have to do, and still find salvation? Isn’t that a new testament piece of garbage?”

Not at all. But it meant that in effect, when the chossid davened with a brenn, it was his Rebbes davening, not his own- since his whole excitement was solely based on his experience by his Rebbe, and not his own internal work. Kind of like music playing and everyone enthusiastic, but when you shut it… Of course he was doing the mitzvos, no one suggested otherwise.

“I know that Lubavich has always claimed that this was a key difference, but I have never heard any non-Lubavich source mention this. (I should be used to that by now.)
Can you give me a non-Lubavich source that tells us exactly in what way the Baal Hatanya’s colleagues differed to him regarding this passuk?”

No, its pretty well known, but I haven’t yet managed to learn all the chassidus outside of Chabad so I’d have no idea where to look