Chabad

Thank you for your words. Let me start by saying that I truly and sincerely read your words with an open mind, and I hope you will do the same with mine. Quite a few people have written to me about this, and I also have connections with Chabad members that I greatly appreciate. In general, I have great respect for Chabad in certain areas (not only in their contribution to the community), and certainly for the Rebbe, who was a very wise man and very dedicated to the community of Israel. On the other hand, it seems to me that many Chabad members engage in apologetics quite a bit. It is important, for example, how Chabad is perceived by the public today in terms of its attitude towards Zionism. Who is aware that this is almost the most anti-Zionist group there is in terms of its theology? (Appears in the Rebbe's approval of the new edition of 'Im HaBanim Simcha'.) Who is aware that they are really not open to other groups but are very closed? All of this is completely legitimate, but the outward presentation obscures all of this. It is no wonder that all of this looks like a defensive sect, and therefore my trust in the claims of various commentators is quite limited. On the other hand, private individuals who write to me, like you for example, inspire more trust in me. I definitely listen to what they say and try to understand if and where I was wrong. I'm also pretty sure that they really express what they believe. But I'll start by saying that I think they usually see the picture in a way that's too rosy (because of their biases: their love and appreciation for Chabad and their habituation to an atmosphere that doesn't allow them to notice the strangeness and failures in it.). The interpretation they give to phenomena, precisely because of sympathy and familiarity, is sometimes biased in my opinion. I have no doubt that you know Chabad much better than I do. But I myself encounter very problematic Chabad phenomena (and not just from hearsay). I have Chabad relatives. It may be that this is mainly among the masses and not among the students of the Sages (in my opinion, this is not true), but in my opinion, the phenomenon of worshipping the Rebbe is not as marginal as you describe. The line between worship and appreciation is very thin and not a few cross it. But it seems to me that everywhere I write that I do not think this is a real issue, but rather that it is more of an uncomfortable feeling on my part, and therefore I prefer to pray individually and not in a minyan with Chabad. Their additions to the prayer, strange cries about the Rebbe, endless and disgusting sermons everywhere without considering anyone and the fact that there are other ways of thinking, with their strange customs (spitting on the floor, etc.), their delusional beliefs, their madness of grandeur, their unwillingness to understand that they are one stream out of many (and not the 'presidents of our generation' and other similar expressions of stupidity), repeatedly arouse in me a strong feeling of a cult. I repeat, this is mainly a statement that reflects a feeling and not a diagnosis and certainly not the result of a statistical study that is not I did. But the concept of cult is elusive and very difficult to define. I remember that the Chabad leader, Rabbi Cohen, the late, was with us in Yeruham and I hosted him. He gave a lesson in the Beihamd (which I quote quite a bit: The Example of the Blind and the Wise), and at the end he got very squirmy when they asked him about the statement that the Rebbe is still alive. His excuses gave off a strong apologetic smell (the righteous in their death are called alive, etc.). I didn't buy that this was really the intention, and there was no willingness there to admit that there were quite a few who thought differently (it was not long after the Rebbe passed away, when I assume these phenomena were more acute than today). Therefore, my feeling is that almost everyone is messianic in some sense. Sometimes it is wrapped in excuses and vague statements of one kind or another (you understand that even the Christian Trinity can be justified in such ways: it's a metaphor, etc.). But the feeling I get from this whole thing is difficult. Add to this the behavior as a sect, who eat only what is kosher according to their system, pray only according to their system, receive education only in their institutions, and do not mix with anyone (contrary to the image of openness, mixing is always done by them and under their control and according to their way). It is clear that an individual is worthy of appreciation, and there are better and less good people and wiser and less good people in every group. And I try not to judge any person by their affiliation. My words here are about Chabad as a group and not about the individual Chabadnik who can be a wise and excellent person, and there are many, many such people that I know myself. Regarding the fact that the foundations of my Mishnah appear in Chabad writings, I have been told this more than once about R. Tzadok, R. Kook, Maharal, R. Nachman, Chabad, etc. There is a good discussion about that, and this is not the place. I am just saying that I completely accept it, but you can say that about any idea. The history of ideas is a tricky matter, because no one invents anything out of thin air. And yet a Mishnah and an idea belong to the one who formulated and formulated them in a clear and conceptual way, and placed them and their implications for the use of the public. But as mentioned, I completely accept that such and such foundations are there (as well as in all the writings of the others I mentioned). It depends mainly on the scope of the literature. If it is broad and eclectic enough, you will be able to find everything in it. Thank you again for your words, and I hope you will accept what I write in a matter-of-fact manner. I greatly appreciate Chabad and every person according to their worth, but I have tried to write honestly and sincerely my feelings and the reasons for them. I assume I will not convince you to change your feelings, nor do I see the need to. But I do want to clarify why I say and write the things that seem to you to be mistakes and lack of familiarity. All the best and Happy Shabbat,