Friday, August 8, 2008

Chabad - Gerrer Rebbe's regard for the Lubavitcher Rebbe

THE HOLY ADMUR: RABBI YISROEL ALTER ZATZAL OF GER (GUR)

From Shemen Sasson Meichaveirecha
by Rabbi Shalom Dover Ha’Levi Wolpo
Translated by Alexander Zushe Kohn Part III

THE GREATEST LEADER IN OUR GENERATION

The gaon Rabbi Nachum Kornbisser, rosh yeshiva of the Chiddushei HaRim yeshiva related’ the following:

“During the month of Shevat 5730 (January-February, 1970) when letters were being sold for the Torah scroll of Moshiach, I was staying with the Beis Yisroel at his home in Kfar Shmaryahu. Some Chabad shluchim came to visit the Admur in connection with the matter of the Torah scroll. The Admur later told me: ‘I inscribed a letter, and I also gave them money. I heard a rumor that there is someone who opposes the Rebbe’s declaration that this Torah scroll can bring the Redemption; I am completely incapable of fathoming this opposition.’

“At that time, there was also a rumor that a certain individual described the matter of the Torah scroll as idolatry, G-d forbid. In reaction to this, the Beis Yisroel told me: “I find it very hard to believe that so-and-so said this; but if I were to find out that he did indeed say it, I would no longer wish to meet with him. I once had a visitor who called Breslov “idolatry”; after that, I was no longer prepared to meet with him. You should know that the Lubavitcher is an awesome person [a moradiker mentch], leader of Israel.’ I heard many times from the Admur’s holy mouth that the Lubavitcher Rebbe is the greatest leader of our generation.” (Kfar Chabad Magazine issue 127.)

I heard from prominent Gerrer chassidim, relatives of the Gerrer Admurim, that when the Beis Yisroel received “complaints” that Lubavitcher chassidim are calling their Rebbe Moshiach, he said, “As long as he comes already.”

AT THE HEAD OF AN ARMY OF THOUSANDS OF JEWS

At the Siyum HaRambam of 5747, the gaon, Rabbi Yisroel Piekarski zatzal, related the following:

“I remember how over twenty years ago, when I was by the Admur of Ger, the Beis Yisroel zatzal, and we spoke about the greatness of Lubavitch, the Admur spoke in glorious terms of the activities of Lubavitch in bringing Jews back to the folds of Torah. He said: “When the complete Redemption will come, the tzaddikim of all the generations will be called upon to demonstrate their achievements. One can easily imagine the awesome scene, when his holy honor, the Admur of Lubavitcher shlita, will approach at the head of an army of tens of thousands of Jews whom he brought back to Torah and mitzvahs, and to their Father in Heaven.”

ENCOURAGES THE YESHIVA STUDENTS TO STUDY TANYA

On 25 Nissan 5755 (April 25, 1995), the gaon and chassid, Rabbi Shabsai Slavtitzki of Antwerp, wrote to me as follows:

1. “When I was learning in the Kol Torah yeshiva in Jerusalem (about twenty-five years ago), there was a bachur who came from a Gerrer family. When a match was proposed for him, he went to ask the Beis Yisroel about it, and the Beis Yisroel gave him his blessings. Since this bachur studied Chabad chassidus, and had a connection to Chabad, he also asked the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach about the proposed match. The Rebbe answered him that based on his written description of the woman in question she is not for him.

“The bachur did not know what to do. As a good friend of this bachur, I suggested that he go back to the Gerrer Rebbe, tell him what the Rebbe said, and ask him what to do. He followed my suggestion, and the Beis Yisroel told him to as act in accordance with the Rebbe’s advice because, ‘He sees high.’1 Another match was subsequently proposed for the bachur, and again, he went to receive the Beis Yisroel’s blessing. The Admur asked him: “Did you ask the Lubavitcher Rebbe for a blessing?’ When the bachur replied that he had not, the Admur instructed him to ask the Rebbe do so.

2. “During that time, there used to be a Tanya class late at night for the students of Kol Torah, in the home of the Amshinover Rebbe, in Bayit Vegan. The Gerrer Rebbe used to visit the Amshinover Rebbe from time to time, and on one such occasion, he saw us studying the Tanya in a large group. He was very pleased, and he said, “Fine, fine, learn, learn,”2 indicating his pleasure by tapping us with his cane.

3. “One of the bachurim who studied in this Tanya group came from a Gerrer family, and he had asked the Beis Yisroel if he should join our class. The Admur told him to participate because “it is impossible to be G-d fearing without learning the first twelve chapters of Tanya.” When the Admur heard that there were yeshivas that did not permit the study of Tanya, he responded with very sharp words – words that I do not wish to repeat.”

THE REBBE STANDS UP

In the seifer Rosh B’nei Yisroel,3 the gaon and chassid, Rabbi Yosef Segal relates an amazing story:

Towards the end of Elul 5720 (September, 1960) he traveled to the Rebbe. Before his departure, he asked the Beis Yisroel – with whom he was very close – for a blessing. When the Admur heard that he was traveling to the Rebbe, he said,” Give the Rebbe my regards, and bless him, in my name, with a k’siva va’chasima tova.4

When he later had a private audience with the Rebbe, and he began to relay the Gerrer Rebbe’s blessing, the Rebbe suddenly rose from his chair, and listened to the blessing while standing. When Rabbi Segal completed the blessing, the Rebbe responded “Amen!” sat back down, and said, “G-d should help that all the blessings that Jews give one another should be fulfilled.” (See there the rest of this awesome story, which reveals the deep soul connection the Rebbe and the Beis Yisroel shared.)

10 comments :

  1. > I heard from prominent Gerrer chassidim, relatives of the Gerrer Admurim, that when the Beis Yisroel received “complaints” that Lubavitcher chassidim are calling their Rebbe Moshiach, he said, “As long as he comes already.”

    Yeah, one of my rebbeim said something similar: If he comes out of his kever, I'll also become a Chabadnik!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rabbi Yisrael Alter, Grand Rebbe of Gur ztl passed away more than 30 years ago!!!

    But there were several Torah leaders of that era who could see Chabad for what it has obviously become:

    Rabbi Elazar Shach long-time leader of Lithuanian Judaism was involved in a number of public disputes with Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson the Rebbe of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement from the 1970s through Rav Schneerson's death in 1994. Rav Shach accused his followers of false Messianism. When certain elements in Chabad actually identified Rabbi Schneerson as the possible Messiah, Rabbi Shach advocated a complete boycott of Chabad, its institutions and projects by its constituents. He objected to the call for "forcing" the Messiah's appearance, an idea avocated by the Lubavitcher Rebbe. When once asked which religion was theologically closest to Judaism, Rabbi Shach responded "Chabad". Pointing to an assertion by the Rebbe in a passage dealing primarily with his predecessor that a rebbe is ‘the Essence and Being [of G-d] placed into a body,’ Rabbi Schach spoke of nothing less than Avodah Zara [idol worship]. His followers refused to eat meat slaughtered by Lubavich shochetim or to recognize Chabad Hasidim as adherents of authentic Judaism.Rabbi Shach also compared Chabad and Rabbi Schneerson to the followers of the 17th-century false messiah Sabbatai Zevi. Chabad representatives dismissed the comparisons, noting that whereas the Sabbateans deliberately violated religious laws on the assumption that a "new Torah" would emerge during messianic times, Chabad preached that only strict adherence to tradition would bring the redemption. Chabad also claimed that its veneration of the rebbe was not at odds with Jewish tradition.

    Rabbi Shach once described Schneerson as "the madman who sits in New York and drives the whole world crazy."

    In addition to Rabbi Shach's objections to some Chabad members venerating Rabbi Schneerson as the Messiah (both before and after his death), the two also disagreed on various issues of Jewish law and philosophy, but particularly politics. Chabad strongly opposed peace talks with the Palestinians or to relinquishing any Israeli territory under any circumstance, while Rabbi Shach alternately supported both left and right-wing parties in the Israeli elections. During the 1988 elections, Schneerson encouraged Israeli Haredim to vote for Agudat Israel over Rabbi Shach's newly-formed Degel HaTorah party. In response, Rabbi Shach's newspaper, Yated Ne'eman, ran several articles documenting various Chabad writings and statements that supported Rav Shach's contention that Lubavitch was becoming a breakaway sect of Judaism focused around Schneerson as the Messiah.

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  3. Who says any of these stories are even true? Chabad claims the Rebbe hepled Einstein, provided Oppenheimer with the tools to make the a bomb, knew all the languages in the world, studied in the Sorbonne, and was a better student that RYBS in Berlin. None of these are true. Why would anyone believe what a rag coming from evil meshichist quarters about the holy beis yisroel's opinion on the rebbe?

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  4. Wasn't Mr. Wolpo that misguided gentleman who wrote a book proving the rebbe is moshiach? He has no credibility--whatsoever.

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  5. One of the biggest disappointments in my life was learning that the Lubavitcher Rebbe did not have a real engineering degree as the Hassidim claim.

    Rabbi Menachem Mendel's name was found in a list of people auditing classes at the University or Berlin. During his six years in Berlin (1926-1932), the Rebbe studied philosophy and mathematics for a semester and a half.

    The Rebbe never studied medicine and engineering at the Sorbonne, as the Chassidim claim. He studied electrical engineering at Ecole Speciale des Travaux Publics, du Batiment et de l'Industrie (ESTP)a technical school.

    The Rebbe lived in Berlin on community money sent by his father-in-law for almost six years. His total attendance at university was a semester and a half, about six months total. He was in Paris for almost nine years, supported there by community funds. In all that time, he earned what amounts to a two year junior college degree.

    People who knew the Rebbe and his wife in those days have claimed that neither behaved like observant Jews. The Rebbe did not even live in a Jewish neighborhood in Paris!

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  6. Most (if not all) of the stuff quoted above is well-documented, as the meetings between the LR and the many gedolim were recorded by tape, and a few on video as well. In particular the Rebbes of the house of Gur, who met with the LR a number of times when visiting the US (especially the Pnei Menachem). The fact that this is chronicled by a nutcase like Wolpo does nothing to detract from any significance of the events.

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  7. >>Most (if not all) of the stuff quoted above is well-documented, as the meetings between the LR and the many gedolim were recorded by tape, and a few on video as well.

    Then produce the videos!!! Wolpo is not a reliable source. Bottom line. And the fact that Mr. Olver uses him as a source undermines Mr. Olver's credibility, as well.

    >>In particular the Rebbes of the house of Gur, who met with the LR a number of times when visiting the US (especially the Pnei Menachem).

    Two words: Prove it.

    >>The fact that this is chronicled by a nutcase like Wolpo does nothing to detract from any significance of the events.

    Of course it does. Because that means if it does not have any other source aside from that evil meshuggener, its probably untrue.

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  8. B"H
    Roni
    See here:
    Account of Meeting Between Lubavitcher Rebbe and Current Gerer Rebbe Published
    The Pardes Chabad journal
    The Pardes Chabad journal
    Chabad.org Staff
    Nov 2, 2007

    I think video is also available I think at 770live.com and elsewhere.
    PS. Your words about R. Wolpo a great Torah scholar author of many books and a courageous askan for Shleimus haAretz see http://www.sos-israel.com/index.asp?catID=3575&siteLang=6 require teshuvah.
    Please contact him and ask for a mechila.

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  9. "People who knew the Rebbe and his wife in those days have claimed that neither behaved like observant Jews. The Rebbe did not even live in a Jewish neighborhood in Paris!"
    =================
    lehadam. every single person that was ever documented (starting rom jb soloveitchik, menachem shapiro (daf yomi) among many others) were extremely impressed by the rebbe when they met him and expected him to be the next lubavitcher rebbe. just look at the witnesses on the chabad.org my encounter.

    the reason why he stayed in the non jewish part of town was because the whole point of being in berlin was to be bhisboddus for a time.
    in connection to his knowledge in secular studies just ask herman bravover, velvel green, again among many others.
    [edited out]

    ReplyDelete
  10. B'H
    I personally believe The Lubavitcher Rebbe is Moshiach and I am not afraid to state my belief.
    I can only wish those that don't believe it on this blog had more courage to state their names.
    bhoffinger@aol.com

    ReplyDelete

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