The yesod of having a logical and productive vikuach is one extremely important nekuda – Without that there is no vikuach possible.
Both sides have to agree on some ‘Muskamot’. They have to have a common starting point where they jointly agree on and the argument can start from that point onwards whereby both sides bring and dispute proofs , BROUGHT FROM THEIR COMMOM AREA OF AGREEMENT .
Why am I mentioning this now ?
Happened to meet an old habad acquaintance on the street , and will quote him here :
In habad now , whenever our rebbi quotes a tanna or amora or a rishon or a posek , it is not as if our rebbi needs the backup of these holy people. It is more like those holy people received back up from our rebbi that they were zoche that he quoted them ….
It is very important that this remark sinks in , in my opinion.
We should reflect very carefully on this.
This encapsulates , in very few words , where The Schism [as I call it] is happening.
It used to be that any mahloket in klal yisrael was bridgeable . You could always go back to some earlier jointly respected authority and based on it, argue it out, the classic way .
Proofs , counterproofs and rejoinders.
Only because and as long as this authority is jointly revered in a similar way. Coupled with the hakarah that both sides DERIVE THEIR LEGITIMACY from that jointly recognized authority.
After reflection about the above quote, sadly , that joint hakarah that ALL LEGITIMACY IS DERIVED FROM our joint holy rebbeim [From Moshe Rabenu , torah shebiktav and torah shebaal peh coupled with our mesorah] thru the ages, is not here anymore.
If the habad rebbi does not need and does not derive his legitimacy from all those previous sources , and it is the opposite , he does those sources a ‘favor’ by quoting them , then how is ever possible to debate habads position in light of those sources ?
In every argument with habad, I sense this point as lurking in the background even when it is unspoken.
I think this a common denominator in many habad people.
Please correct me if I am mistaken.
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