Menachem Shmei

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  • in reply to: RCA Statement Regarding Chabad Messianism #2200445
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    RULES OF THE YWN COFFEEROOM (updated):

    There shall be (at least) two threads about Lubavitch-Moshiach running at at every given moment.

    If a day passes without this discussion, the CR will automatically be shut down forever.

    Thanks for understanding. 

    in reply to: Chabad Inspires all Jews to Yearn for Mashiach #2199181
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Correction to my previous post:
    The Shulchan Aruch says ואינו מנהג
    (Nasty spell check)

    mdd1,
    Please explain why all attack Chabad for דוקא being נוהג like an accepted leniency, while I have yet to see anyone attack the chassidish velt (and many litvishers) for going AGAINST the halacha in Shulchan Aruch and Mishnah Brurah.

    Again, Shulchan Aruch mentions the minhag of not sleeping in the Sukkah and supports it (albeit בדיעבד), while it mentions the Shmini Atzeres minhag and CONDEMNS it!

    I am not chas v’shalom pushing to attack anyone’s minhagim. I think every yid should follow the mesorah from his rabbeim and the tzaddikim of previous generations.

    I am just upset by the blatant double standard.
    If it’s a mesorah from the Baal Shem Tov passed down by polisher chassidim – it is welcomed with open arms.
    If it’s a mesorah from the Mitteler Rebbe (during the times of the Baal HaTanya) passed down by Chabad rabbeim – it is “akiras mitzvos” (ח”ו עפ”ל)!

    in reply to: Chabad Inspires all Jews to Yearn for Mashiach #2199121
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    I’m shocked by those who attack Chabad for not sleeping in Sukkah, yet defend not eating on Shmino Atzeres.

    Regarding sleeping the Shulchan Aruch says that today most are נוהג not to sleep, and give a few reasons. Chabad explains another reason according to our mesorah from the Mitteler Rebbe.

    Regarding eating in the Sukkah on Shmini Atzeres, the Shulchan Aruch writes that there are those who don’t eat on Shmini Atzeres ואנחנו מנהג – This is NOT A MINHAG!

    There is no classic halachic source for not eating in Sukkah on Shmini Atzeres other than a mesorah from the Baal Shem Tov (which, btw is not accepted in Chabad) yet everyone is fine with that.

    The vina gaon writes that one who doesn’t sleep in the Sukkah on Shmini Atzeres is chayav misah for violating divrei sofrim.
    Certainly so regarding eating!

    The anti chabad bias is clear as day.

    in reply to: Commemorating the 20th of Sivan #2198658
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Square,

    Your disrespect is shocking. If the topic doesn’t interest you, don’t post.

    This fast is brought in Magen Avraham (או”ח סו”ס תקפה)
    נוהגין להתענות עשרים בסיום בכל מלכות פולין

    Even for those who don’t fast, it is a day that can be spent in teshuva and introspection. Davening for the end to our suffering in golus and the coming of Moshiach.

    See Sefer Hasichos 5751 vol. 2 pg. 611

    in reply to: Chabad Inspires all Jews to Yearn for Mashiach #2198168
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >>>This language was removed from subsequent prints.

    This is a lie. There is no edition missing these words, because Lubavitch has no need to cover this up.

    Since this has been discussed at great length hundreds of times in the CR, it is pointless to rehash.

    in reply to: Chabad Inspires all Jews to Yearn for Mashiach #2198093
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Interesting point: Here is a quote from the Rebbe a few days after he said the sicha about sleeping in the sukkah (Shabbos Bereishis 5730):
    איך האב געהערט א גירסא בשמי אז איך האב געזאגט אז מען טאר ניט שלאפן אין סוכה – איז דאס בפירוש ניט אמת, ואדרבה: דער וואס וויל – זאל שלאפן געזונטערהייט, ושכבת וערבה שנתיך, און עס זאל זיך אים חלום’ן גוטע חלומות וכו’, און קיינער זאל אים ניט שטערן. דאס וואס איך האב גערעדט, איז געווען אויף פארענטפערן מנהג רבותינו וכו’, ומנהג חב”ד, אויף ניט שלאפן

    in reply to: Chabad Inspires all Jews to Yearn for Mashiach #2198083
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    DaMoshe, mdd1

    If you also think Shulchan Aruch Harav and the Mitteler Rebbe are “oker Torah” (ח”ו עפ”ל) then we indeed have absolutely no שפה משותפת (neither do you have with most bnei Torah of this generation or previous ones).

    in reply to: Chabad Inspires all Jews to Yearn for Mashiach #2198077
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >>>the mitteler did not admonish people for sleeping in the sukkah. the way everyone else has the story, his statement of “how can I sleep….” was said regarding himself, to explain his own practice of not sleeping in a sukkah.

    Avira, you are obviously only interested in picking fights. You continue to argue and lie in order to bring out your point, and you refuse to check any sources I gave you to see if you are factually correct.

    This is the quote from the Frierdiker Rebbe:
    פעם אחד סיפרו לאדמו”ר האמצעי שאברכים ישנים בסוכה, האט ער – אדמו”ר האמצעי – זיי געגעבן דם אמת’ן חלק, ואמר: שלאפן אין מקיף, מילא לערנען אין מקיף הרי זה דחק ונכנס, אבער שלאפן אין מקיף?! עיי”ש

    in reply to: Chabad Inspires all Jews to Yearn for Mashiach #2197648
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >>> most jews did not sleep in a sukkah in Europe. The mitteler rebbe had a valid, normal halachik heter not to.

    Again, you obviously only learned the sicha from those who seek to twist the Rebbe’s words, but not the original. This is like arguing about pshat in a Rashi without learning the Gemara!

    Lubavitchers are extremely machmir in Sukkah, not even taking a sip of water outside of the Sukkah when it’s pouring rain. Yet, when it came to sleeping in the Sukkah, Chabad was never machmir. This, the Rebbe points out, is very strange.

    The Rebbe brings a story (told (and printed) by the Frierdiker Rebbe – Sukkos 5699) that the Mitteler Rebbe (who was appointed by his father – the baal hatanya – to lead the younger chassidim during his own lifetime) admonished the yungeleit for sleeping in the Sukkah “ווי קען מען שלאפן אין מקיפים דבינה”.

    The Rebbe then supports this minhag on a halachic basis. The Rebbe is not being mechadesh a new minhag, rather being מיישב a minhag of several generations.
    ***

    >>> and no, there’s no reference to look at tzafnas paneach or other seforim from the rogotchover.

    I’m not exactly sure what you’re referring to, maybe something earlier in the posts?
    Anyway, there are two points in the sicha which are based on the Rogotchover, and of course, both are clearly referenced in the footnotes:
    Seif daled discusses Tzofnas Paneach on the Rambam הלכות סוכה פ”ו ה”ב.
    Footnote 63 discusses Tzofnas Paneach מהד”ת כה, רע”ג.
    ***

    >>>where is the source for not washing for shalosh seudos? It just doesn’t exist. He was mechadesh these things

    You asked a question, yet decided the answer on your own.

    The Frierdiker Rebbe mentions several times in his sichos that minhag Chabad (and the minhag of the baal hatanya, mitteler rebbe, tzemach tzedek, etc.) is not to be קובע סעודה for seuda shlishis, rather to eat a small snack.
    See סה”ש אדמו”ר מהוריי”צ תש”ב ע’ 29, and more.
    Also, Hayom Yom 22 Adar Beis, the Frierdiker Rebbe says:
    אאמו”ר כותב באחד ממאמריו: הא דסעודה שלישית היום לא גו’, היינו שאין צריך פת, אבל צריך לטעום איזה דבר

    The Rebbe is מיישב (not מחדש) this minhag halachically in Likkutei Sichos. That’s it.
    https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14944&pgnum=97

    P.S. Sorry for writing so long, but really much more should be written to defend כבוד התורה.
    Honestly, the sichos speak for themselves and my explanations are unnecessary, but it seems that no one is interested in looking in the originals despite them being widely available online, so I feel the need to provide the general ענינים.
    I encourage everyone to read the truth for themselves in the original seforim before reading them in books whose entire purpose is to be מזייף ומסלף the holy words of tzaddikim.
    The amount of nonsense and lies on every page of על התורה ועל התמורה is endless.

    in reply to: Chabad Inspires all Jews to Yearn for Mashiach #2197650
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >>>the rise of people openly saying “boreinu” in their yechi liturgy..

    Throughout my life of meeting and talking to thousands of fellow lubavitchers, many of whom are quite diverse in their beliefs, I have only met ONE Lubavitcher who espouses this heresy, and he is a know yungerman who is shunned by all.

    The very notion that this is a “group of people” that is “on the rise” is a vicious slander.

    in reply to: Chabad Inspires all Jews to Yearn for Mashiach #2197146
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >>>you’re mixing up the books that Wolbe wrote. He received a haskama on yechi hamelech

    This happens to be irrelevant to the point I’m trying to make, that it’s ridiculous to learn a sefer from it’s attacker.

    However, I am not sure you’re right. Unfortunately I don’t have the sefer at my disposal, but according to my research it seems that he did give a haskamah to Yedaber Sholom. Rabbi Wolpo references it in his second volume.

    >>>He “proves” from the gemara about rebbe hillel, that moshiach won’t come, but rather Hashem will redeem us Himself

    Which page? I went through the entire Yechi Hamelech (also using otzar hachochma search) and couldn’t find it.

    This is also surprising, since the Rebbe often brings and supports the Chasam Sofer that anyone who holds like R’ Hillel is כופר בכלל התורה.

    in reply to: Chabad Inspires all Jews to Yearn for Mashiach #2197149
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >>>The Lubavitcher rebbe would have to prove to us that the rogotchover said it

    Happens to be, the Rebbe is extremely careful to source every single quote in Likkutei Sichos. You will never find him quoting anyone without a footnote and source.

    One of the wonderful things about על התורה ועל התמורה is that they often show pictures of Sichos but they cut out all the sources, so you shouldn’t chas v’shalom see that most of what they attack is just direct quotes from other places in Torah.

    How many people know that the minhag Chabad of not sleeping in the Sukkah or not eating bread for Shalosh Seudos have nothing to do with the seventh Rebbe, and have been part of Chabad minhagim since the baal hatanyah?

    The Rebbe’s sichos source all these things from the Frierdiker Rebbe’s seforim, the tzemach tzedek, etc.
    Al Hatorah conveniently hides these facts to make it look as if the Rebbe was mechadesh

    in reply to: The Liozna Rebbe #2197126
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Neville,
    We have reached the stage of מחלוקת במציאות

    in reply to: Chabad Inspires all Jews to Yearn for Mashiach #2196867
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Avira,

    Learning Likkutei Sichos from על התורה is like learning Avi Ezri from Yedaber Sholom
    (the difference being that Yedaber Sholom is more lomdish with less attacking (nevertheless, the Rebbe forbade Rabbi Wolpo from printing another volume), and has haskamos from Rav Moshe Feinstein, the Gerrer Rebbe, Rav Grusman, Rav Weiss (Eida Hachareidis), Rav Ovadia Yosef, etc.)

    Additionally, על התורה is obviously extremely one-sided, perfect for people looking for clickbait to attack Chabad.
    Anyone honest would (in addition to learning the Rebbe’s Sichos in the original) also read books that oppose the claims in Al Hatorah.
    If you have an otzar hachachma, see הוגה בתורה which tears apart all the taanos brought in על התורה.
    קבל את האמת ממי שאמרו

    in reply to: The Liozna Rebbe #2196844
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >>>The old guard in Chabad is very strict to never use terms like “Litvisher” or “yeshivish,” or anything non-offensive, so they simply aren’t aware of them.

    What a lie. I have never heard the term “snag” from anyone’s mouth other than immature bochurim and online posters (היינו הך?)
    All older people (yungeleit, mashpiim, teachers, baaleibatim, etc.) refer as veltishe/litvishe, or “misnagdim” if referring to someone who is attacking Chabad.

    The average Chabad adult who doesn’t hang out online or with bochurim doesn’t even know what a snag is!!

    This is just more anti chabad slander.

    in reply to: The Liozna Rebbe #2196360
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Avira,

    My point was that when it comes to the midrash, you look in mefarshim to understand what it meant.
    When it comes to a sicha, you refuse to even open up the sicha itself and see what it says, let alone ask someone learned in these subjects to explain it properly (excluding those in the CR. Online discussions just go in circles.)

    You hear that the Rebbe quoted a Midrash, and suddenly it’s kefirah!?

    And your Rambam problem is even more ridiculous.
    What kind of lomdus is this? Imagine you hear a chiddush of a rosh yeshiva, and you are told that he discusses how it fits with a Rambam, yet you are stubborn that “it’s impossible to explain it any other way” without even taking a peek at his explanation!

    Did you check the link I sent? Did you look at seif daled:
    “לכאורה קען מען אויף דערויף פרעגן: דעם רמב”ם פסק’נט: אלו שכותבין מבפנים…”???

    Did you see that the Rebbe’s original statement (which seems to contradict the Rambam) was based on a diyuk in the ב”ח and the טור?

    You would rather “refute” what the Rebbe said without seeing it.
    If this isn’t called burying your head in the sand, I don’t know what is.

    in reply to: The Liozna Rebbe #2196194
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >>>his outlandish statement that a mezuzah is a shmirah without it being a mitzvah – this is something that likely falls under the rambams classification of using a mezuzah like a kamayah, which he says makes one lose their share in olam haba.

    The Rebbe’s statement about mezuzah is taken from an entire pilpul of the Rebbe on THIS VERY Rambam, where the Rebbe discusses this very question, in connection with a ב”ח and a טור, etc.
    Did you look up that sicha to see how the Rebbe explains the Rambam???
    Find me one other rosh yeshiva whose shiurim are refuted by people who don’t even learn them, using sources that he himself brings and explains. What a chutzpah!
    See the full sicha here:
    https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14942&st=&pgnum=134

    >>>The author also shows something else that’s probably kefirah; in likutei sichos, the Lubavitcher rebbe says that Moshe was only taught the klalim of Torah shebaal peh, and not the pratim… because of a kasha….how could he have learned it all in 40 days; I’m shocked at the arrogance of this kasha – it was Hashem teaching! And Moshe was the talmid! What limit on Hashem’s teaching ability can there be? It’s also against open chazals

    This “statement of the Rebbe” which you call “kefira” (ח”ו עפ”ל) actually happens be a direct quote from Shmos Rabbah:
    וְכִי כָּל הַתּוֹרָה לָמַד משֶׁה, כְּתִיב בַּתּוֹרָה “אֲרֻכָּה מֵאֶרֶץ מִדָּהּ וּרְחָבָה מִנִּי יָם”, וּלְאַרְבָּעִים יוֹם לְמָדָהּ משֶׁה?! אֶלָּא כְּלָלִים לִמְדָהוּ הקב”ה לְמשֶׁה.

    The same is with all the other attacks. They come from pulling one-liners out of long and complex shiurim.
    If you hate someone who has thousands of pages of pilpulim and chidushim, it is very easy to find a few lines and statements that sound strange when taken out of context and feed them to the ignorant public to help stoke the flames of machlokes.
    This is called לימוד התורה לקנטר ר”ל.

    If anyone wants to be intellectually honest, look into the Rebbe’s sichos yourself, they’re all available on HeberewBooks.
    Or, ask a Lubavitcher to direct you to some. You may be surprised.

    in reply to: The Liozna Rebbe #2195898
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >>>the only maamar i need to know is that he thought that a rebbe is the essence of god wrapped in a body. It doesn’t matter to me what other ideas or teachings he had, or how much Torah knowledge he had.

    That’s like saying that all you need to know about Zohar is that it says “who is the face of the Master Havayeh? This is Rabbi Shimon bar yochai”

    Or: all you need to know about the Yerushalmi is that it says “Havayeh in His holy chamber – this is R’ Elazar in the Beis Midrash”

    Or about Midrash rabbah: “Moshe from his top half is Elokim and from his bottom half human”

    Do you disregard all these seforim immediately (chas v’shalom) because you found a statement that you don’t understand, or do you look into the context to try and understand it better?

    in reply to: The Liozna Rebbe #2195890
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >>>It was expected in Chabad that you accepted whatever he said. No one asked him kashes on it

    Complete ignorance.

    Lubavitch yeshivos around the world printed (and continue to print) weekly or monthly kovtzim where they discuss, explain, and ASK QUESTIONS on the Rebbe’s Sichos (in addition to pilpulim in shas and poskim).

    The Rebbe often discussed the questions that were asked in the kovtzim, and clarified and answered.

    Instead of arguing if the Rebbe is “known” for lomdus, open his seforim and see for yourself.

    Unless you’re not interested in honest discussion, feel free to put your head in the sand.

    in reply to: The Liozna Rebbe #2195610
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >He is also committed to correcting some of the outright lies often repeated, examples include: the Rebbe having studied at the Sorbonne

    I haven’t read Deutsch’s book, but he would have to prove that Lubavitchers forged the Rebbe’s handwriting in two different places in the Sorbonne registration book in 1937 & 1938.
    Highly unlikely.

    Google “in the halls of the Sorbonne”
    Minute 4:00 of the video

    in reply to: Oorahthon #2192687
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Avira,

    What you say is interesting.

    If you look online, you will also see some lubavitchers at the parade putting tefillin on people, even though the Lubavitcher Rebbe forbade lubavitchers from being anywhere in the proximity even for the purpose of mivtzoim, lest it be seen as giving a hechsher for Zionism, chas v’shalom.

    in reply to: A world before and a world after #2189933
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    YumgermanS,

    The world you describe is what we are indeed waiting for every moment of the day – Yemos Hamoshiach.

    As the Rambam writes in the final halacha of Mishneh Torah:
    וּבְאוֹתוֹ הַזְּמַן לֹא יִהְיֶה שָׁם לֹא רָעָב וְלֹא מִלְחָמָה. וְלֹא קִנְאָה וְתַחֲרוּת. שֶׁהַטּוֹבָה תִּהְיֶה מֻשְׁפַּעַת הַרְבֵּה. וְכָל הַמַּעֲדַנִּים מְצוּיִין כֶּעָפָר. וְלֹא יִהְיֶה עֵסֶק כָּל הָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא לָדַעַת אֶת ה’ בִּלְבַד. וּלְפִיכָךְ יִהְיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲכָמִים גְּדוֹלִים וְיוֹדְעִים דְּבָרִים הַסְּתוּמִים וְיַשִּׂיגוּ דַּעַת בּוֹרְאָם כְּפִי כֹּחַ הָאָדָם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה יא, ט) “כִּי מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ דֵּעָה אֶת ה’ כַּמַּיִם לַיָּם מְכַסִּים”:

    in reply to: Your Place or Mine? #2189530
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Going through these posts, it’s amazing to see the coffeeroom of old. Wish I would’ve joined then.
    Just imagining if this discussion would have been started in the current CR. Oy.

    in reply to: Your Place or Mine? #2189391
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    DaMoshe, thanks for wrapping up the story. Very heartwarming!

    in reply to: New Brooklyn Eruv: Time to Accept? #2187199
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Crown Heights rabbanim vehemently oppose the eiruv as well

    in reply to: Understanding Lag Baomer #2185991
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Avira: “it’s not only in chabad”

    Yes, I am aware this. I was specifically addressing n0mesorah’s supposed diyuk in the Rebbe’s lashon.

    >”Some simply enjoy…”
    Well said.

    in reply to: Understanding Lag Baomer #2185977
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >I wonder if he really believed it to be.

    The arrogance of ignorance

    (Please state your own opinions. No need to claim the Rebbe supports your claims. If you really care to know the Rebbe’s opinion, you’re going to have to look at a lot more than one translated letter. The Rebbe has THOUSANDS of pages on Lag Beomer. See his opinion for yourself)

    in reply to: Understanding Lag Baomer #2185668
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    n0mesorah,

    Additionally, you seem to be מדייק in the word “Rejoicing of Rashbi” in the Rebbe’s letter.
    This was not the Rebbe’s words (it’s a translation). The Rebbe wrote “הילולא דרשב”י” – which he always uses to describe passing. The yahrzeits of the Chabad rabbeim are often referred to as יום הילולא.

    This is taken from the term which the Zohar uses about the passing of Rashbi: ואתכנשו להילולא דרבי שמעון (Zohar Idrah Zutah 296b).

    in reply to: Understanding Lag Baomer #2185658
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >n0mesora: “The Rebbe was adamant that lag baomer was not the day rashbi died.”

    Sorry, במכ”ת this statement is laughable for anyone who glanced at any of the Rebbe’s hundreds of Lag Baomer sichos and letters. You completely misunderstood the Rebbe’s letter.

    The Rebbe is only commenting that Rashbi couldn’t have died together with the students of Rabbi Akiva.

    The Rebbe stated COUNTLESS times that Lag Baomer is the day of Rashbi’s passing.

    Here is one example (among many) from a letter that the Rebbe wrote TWO YEARS after the aforementioned letter to Rabbi Zevin (Pesach Sheini 5711):
    כמה טעמים נאמרו בשמחת ל”ג בעומר וחגיגתו. ואנו אין לנו אלא האמור בכתהאריז”ל ומובא בדא”ח, אשר יום זה הוא יום הסתלקותו של רבי שמעון בן יוחאי – הילולא דרבי שמעון

    The Rebbe attaches several sources (also makes mention of aforementioned Chida).
    See original letter here:
    https://beta.hebrewbooks.org/reader/reader.aspx?sfid=15951#p=300&fitMode=fitwidth&hlts=&ocr=

    in reply to: The official ASK Chat GPT ANYTHING thread!!! #2185605
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Dear Bot, what are your thoughts on this:

    In what is believed to be a first-of-its-kind ban, more than a dozen rabbanim and dayanim from the Skver chasidus have signed a strongly worded letter assuring the use of AI chatbots.

    The letter, first released on Thursday, mentions OpenAI, the company behind artificial intelligence marvel ChatGPT, but makes it clear that it is not speaking of only that developer’s products.

    “The severity of the danger is not yet clear and obvious to everyone,” the letter states, noting that it poses, in the eyes of the rabbanim, a critical danger to frum yidden.

    AI chatbots provide completely unfiltered access to apikorsus, lewd and perverse content, and all the issurim of “lo sasuru acharei levavchem,’ the kol koreh says.

    The use of AI chatbots is thus in the same category as the “issur hachamur” of using unfiltered internet, regardless of how the chatbot is used.

    “Therefore,” the letter says, “the use of AI is stricly prohibited in every way and form, even on a phone.”

    in reply to: Exciting Facts that we’ll have by Geula #2185496
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Wolf, Bath,

    You are absolutely correct. Torah and mitzvos are eternal. As the Rambam writes (I just learned this in shlosha prokim):
    דבר ברור ומפורש בתורה שהיא מצוה עומדת לעולם ולעולמי עולמים אין לה לא שינוי כו’
    Or, as he writes in Hilchos Megilla, that all of Nach (except Megilla) will be nullified in Yemos Hamoshiach, whereas Chumash and all the halachos will exist forever
    הלכות של תורה שבעל פה שאינן בטלים לעולם

    The problem is that the idea of mitzvos being nullified in Yemos Hamoshiach is not the imagination of some overzealous messianists based on some vague midrashim, rather clear gemoros with halachic implications (not aggada).

    See Niddah 61b: מצוות בטלות לעתיד לבוא (regarding the halacha of בגד שאבד בו כלאים). See Tosfos there, and Rambam Hilchos Kilayim 10:25.
    See שדי חמד כללים מ’ ס”ק ריח for more examples.

    This seeming contradiction is something that Torah scholars have struggled with (though obviously in a respectful way. I am shocked by the audacity of Bath “Anyone who says otherwise, even chazal, is either wrong or a misunderstanding.” עפ”ל עפ”ל)

    Among others, Rav Elchanan Wasserman discusses this at length in Kovetz Shiurim (ח”ב סי’ ט) and proposes two answers.

    The Lubavitchers Rebbe as well has a brilliant pilpul on this sugya. See here: https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=59257&st=&pgnum=206

    Chas v’shalom to dismiss the words of chachamim. If we don’t understand, we must ask and learn.

    in reply to: Teen Violence in Lakewood #2183871
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Gadolhadofi,

    It’s hard for me to tell you, because I don’t personally know any Lubavitchers who are in college (though I assume that there are some).

    Again, the Rebbe was adamantly against any Jew (not just Lubavitchers) going to college (aside from very rare individual exceptions). Therefore, this is considered very taboo in Chabad.

    I guess a chossid who would do this would be viewed like anyone who does something very wrong.

    Google: “chabad dot org no college” for many letters (the less fiery ones) of the Rebbe (mostly to non chassidim) on the matter.

    (For parnosa, there were certain conditions when the Rebbe allowed it bedieved, such as only AFTER MARRIAGE, etc.)

    in reply to: Teen Violence in Lakewood #2183753
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Gadolhadofi,

    No, it’s not ironic. The Rebbe was specifically instructed by his Rebbe and father-in-law to receive that education.

    Just as there were unique exceptions when the Rebbe encouraged certain chassidim to go to college.

    in reply to: Teen Violence in Lakewood #2183695
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Yserbius,

    Not that I know of.

    Though he did address his own attending university in connection with his strong stance against Jews attending university.

    in reply to: reb shayala brother #2183685
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Sam,

    Where do you get the audacity to compare tzaddikim (I assume that’s what you mean by Rebbe’s) to doctors and lawyers (r”l)?

    The ideas that you mock are sourced throughout all areas of Torah.

    P.S. For a beautiful explanation on the concept of asking tzaddikim for brochos, see the Chasam Sofer (among countless others) שו”ת או”ח סי’ קסו

    in reply to: Teen Violence in Lakewood #2183405
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Yserbius123,

    Sorry I’m a bit late, but I would like to set the facts straight regarding your comments on Lubavitch chinuch:

    The Lubavitcher Rebbe was vehemently opposed to studying ANY limmudei chol (English, math, science) at any point of the chinuch system.

    In the chadorim, he only allowed the minimum limmudei chol if there was a risk that the students would otherwise go to less frum mosdos.
    For this reason, many chabad chadorim teach basic English, while many do not teach English at all (such as Oholei Torah in Crown Heights, which the Rebbe founded).

    When it comes to mesivtos, virtually no chabad mesivtos teach limmudei chol (there may be one or two small ones out of more than 40-50).

    in reply to: Dumb Phone #2182368
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    I have a gabb phone and love it. It is an Android system but absolutely no Internet access and no way to download apps (can’t be hacked. I’ve tried).

    However, no hotspot capabilities.

    @ishjew, I had blackberry classic with parental block. Worked amazingly up until last year when the service shut down.

    in reply to: The Five Most Likeliest Candidates to be Moshiach #2181789
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >UJM: Reb Eliezer: Vi shteit?

    זהר ח”א קלט, א

    However, this is only regarding general klal Yisroel.
    It seems that great tzaddikim will rise immediately after the coming of Moshiach.
    ראה יומא ה, ב

    in reply to: The Three Differences #2180026
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    takahmamash,

    This is indeed a deeply profound question. Thanks for giving me some food for thought (no pun intended).

    in reply to: The Five Most Likeliest Candidates to be Moshiach #2180025
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    I completely agree with AAQ.

    This is exactly my point. Couldn’t have said it better. Just check out the countless threads going in circles.

    Gadolhadofi, what exactly will be the outcome of me stating “Yes” or “No” without explaining what I mean by that and why I say that? I don’t think it will help you understand me any better. What, then, is the point?

    in reply to: The Three Differences #2179798
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Another difference (from the Lubavitcher Rebbe):

    חמץ and מצה both share the same letters, aside from the ה and ח

    When someone is haughty (חמץ), he can’t do teshuva because he always blames any wrongdoings on others and he never feels guilty.
    The ח only has an opening on the bottom – the only path such a person will go is downward ר”ל.

    When someone is humble (מצה), he can always do teshuva, for he is quick to recognize his wrongdoings.
    This is symbolized by the ה which has an opening on top to get out of our wrongs and get closer to Hashem.

    This Pesach, let’s try to be matzos. Lowering our ישות will give us an opening to the greatest heights.

    (לקוטי שיחות ח”א ע’ 129 ואילך)

    in reply to: The Five Most Likeliest Candidates to be Moshiach #2179777
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Gadol,

    I will happily follow whomever Hashem appoints to be Melech Hamoshiach, and of course, I will join the rest of Klal Yisroel in accepting him as king.

    Regarding whom specifically Hashem will appoint:
    I do have a belief of whom Hashem will appoint to be Moshiach according to my understanding of Torah in general, and more specifically Toras Hachassidus. This understanding was also confirmed to me by my Torah teachers and by my rebbe.
    Therefore, in my mind this is as definite as the rest of the details and halachos in Torah. This does not mean I don’t respect those who disagree. I respect Shamai even though my teachers taught me that Hashem definitely wants me to increase in Chanukah candles every night.

    I wouldn’t mind going into the specifics of what I understand and where I learn it from if I were talking to someone in person and we were both in a true state of being able to hear and understand each other’s viewpoint.

    However, it would be naïve for me to think that this could be settled on an anonymous online forum (especially when there is a several-hour wait time between each response 😀), as is evident from the COUNTLESS threads repeating the same rhetoric on these topics.

    מחלוקת לשם שמים סופה להתקיים

    To clarify: I understand that I didn’t answer your question. However, I am not beating around the bush. I’m explaining why my answer would be pointless as we wouldn’t understand each other anyway and would just go in circles.

    in reply to: The Five Most Likeliest Candidates to be Moshiach #2179477
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >But i hope we can agree that bakashos . . . are tefilos which are only for Hashem or for tzadikim to bring to Hashem.”

    I definitely agree.

    >many in your community believe that the lubavitcher rebbe is capable of fulfilling an individual’s bakashos.

    I don’t know any Lubavitchers who believe that. No one says that the Rebbe has his own kochos so we don’t need Hashem’s koach (chas v’shalom chas v’shalom. I have never heard such a thing in my life, aside from non Lubavitchers telling me that this is chas v’shalom the opinion of Lubavitchers היל”ת עפ”ל).
    Everyone I know believes that we go to a tzaddik (in this case the Rebbe) to channel HASHEM’s brochos, because a tzaddik has a more direct line (as is explained in many places. There is also an interesting Chasam Sofer that explains the difference in this regard between a tzaddik and a malach (whom it is problematic to ask brochos from).

    Anyone who learns chassidus will tell you that the very meaning of beracha is hamshacha (המבריך את הגפן). We go to a tzaddik to draw down the Hashem’s brochos which already exist limaala.

    When a Lubavitcher says “I did this with the Rebbe’s kochos” and people jump and him and scream “avoda zorah” – I think it comes from ignorance and suspicion of Yidden who are different.
    It is the same as someone saying “I made a great deal for 10,000 dollars yesterday” – no one says that the businessman doesn’t believe in Hashem ch”v, rather they understand that he means that he made a KELI for Hashem’s brochos of $10,000.

    If your mindset is set that a group of people have a certain wrong belief, it can be very easy to misinterpret everything they say to fit your conception of them.

    in reply to: The Five Most Likeliest Candidates to be Moshiach #2179404
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >ths ONLY thing you find chazal advocating is asking for the niftar to daven on your behalf.

    Avira, when I mentioned the poskim I clearly wrote “to intercede on their behalf” – because that is what most of the poskim whom I mentioned discuss.

    However, when I mentioned chazal, I intentionally wrote “various requests” because if you go through those gemaras you’ll see that they did NOT only advocate for the niftar to daven on your behalf, rather they came to ask various other things from the dead (either seeking information (such as with Abaye in Brachos), or for the niftar to move his body (such as with Moshe and Yosef in סוטה יג), or to ask questions in learning, etc.)
    The Rama clearly rules (יו”ד סי’ קעט סי”ד) that one is allowed to ask the neshama of a deceased person to swear that it will come to him and answer his questions.

    This is what I meant by “various requests,” and I stand by what I wrote.

    in reply to: Eating Gebroks on Pesach #2179039
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Beautiful Gebroks story:

    Lubavitch is EXTREMELY makpid on gebroks (aside from Acharon shel Pesach). Even children must eat their matzah in plastic bags, lest a crumb fall on the table. Many Lubavitchers remove all matzah from the table before bringing out the next courses. The Rebbe Rashab wouldn’t eat with a fork on Pesach, lest a matzah crumb remain stuck and become gebroks.

    Once, by a Pesach seuda of the Frierdiker Rebbe (Rayatz), an uninformed guest began dipping his matzah in borscht. The chassidim were shocked and a commotion ensued.

    The Frierdiker Rebbe commented: “It is better that the matzah become red (from borscht) than a Yid’s face redden in shame!”

    in reply to: Erez Yisrael or stay in Galut? #2178890
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    One of the main accomplishments of Melech Hamoshiach is “מקבץ נדחי ישראל” – to return all of the Yidden to Eretz Yisroel (after he builds the Beis Hamikdash).
    There are many mitzvos that are dependent on all Yidden being in Eretz Yisroel (כל ישראל יושבים על אדמתם) and we have to wait till Moshiach comes to fulfill them.
    ראה רמב”ם הלכות מלך המשיח רפי”א

    Rashi tells us (נצבים ל, ג): Kibbutz Goliyos will be tough, but Hashem will כביכול grap each Yid by the hand and shlep them back to Eretz Yisroel.

    May this happen speedily in our days!
    בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין ליגאל

    (P.S. Last Sukkos, all Yidden living in Eretz Yisroel said in musaf “מפני חטאנו גלינו מארצינו”… vidal)

    in reply to: The Five Most Likeliest Candidates to be Moshiach #2178887
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    Reb Eliezer, you quoted the Mishna Brurah. However, this is actually a great machlokes haposkim, with MANY poskim clearly ruling that one is allowed to ask deceased tzadikim (their neshamos) to intercede on their behalf.

    For example:
    חמדת ימים, פחד יצחק, פרי מגדים, מנחת יצחק, בצל החכמה, חוות יאיר, מנחת אלעזר, יראים, ועוד ועוד

    These poskim explain clearly why this is not דורש אל המתים.

    The poskim who don’t allow it have many מאמרי חז”ל to answer, where it clearly mentions תנאים ואמוראים (and Kalev) who went to קברים and spoke to the מת with various requests.
    סוטה לד, ב. פסיקתא רבתי ג. ברכות יח,ב. חגיגה כב, ב. ועוד ועוד
    And of course the Zohar.

    Everyone should follow their minhag and their rov.

    in reply to: I don’t like Donald Trump, but… #2174875
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    TRUMP: I WILL BE ARRESTED ON TUESDAY – WE MUST SAVE AMERICA! PROTEST, PROTEST, PROTEST!!!

    I think this emphasizes my point in the original post.

    I dislike Trump now even more than before. I personally think he is a lunatic who should not lead this country.

    However, I think the justice system system should leave it up to us to decide that. The amount of random allegations that Trump is accused with on a daily basis points in one direction: the Dems are using every tool at their disposal to shut down Trump.

    This leads me to the question I asked in the beginning:
    If they are so sure that Trump is obviously unfit to lead, why the need for such crooked ways to accomplish their goals?
    Don’t they trust the American citizens to elect the right person?

    in reply to: The Five Most Likeliest Candidates to be Moshiach #2173674
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    If the commenters here want to know the true opinions and answers of Lubavitch – talk to a real life Lubavitcher with brains (there are many such).

    If you want to know the opinion of internet posters on Lubavitch – check out the dozens of threads on YWN about Lubavitch (אין חדש תחת השמש).

    If you’re feeling pained that 3 weeks have gone by already without arguing about Lubavitch – go ahead, continue rehashing all the nonsense. אין לדבר סוף

    in reply to: The Five Most Likeliest Candidates to be Moshiach #2172461
    Menachem Shmei
    Participant

    >Ever see a lubavitcher who first finds out that many gedolim didn’t hold of the rebbe? It gives them a crisis of faith and many go off the derech because of it.

    From the inside I can tell you that this statement is completely baseless and ridiculous on so many levels.

    (Not saying that Lubavitchers don’t go off the derech. Unfortunately, they are afflicted with similar pandemics to the rest of Klal Yisroel. However, the reason you gave is way off the mark. Anyone who knows anything about Lubavitch from the inside can attest to this.

    Unless your basis is books or articles written by those who left the fold. I hope you don’t believe everything you read about orthodoxy by those who left).

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