Chabad - Infallibility/Struggle for the soul of the Jewish people

Rabbi Oliver has been patient enough to respond to my comments regarding the perspective of Chabad and other chassidim to the words of their leaders and how/why it differs from that of an outsider. He thus addresses the doctrine of infallibillity.

The question has been raised as to what I am trying to do in posting material about Chabad and Breslov etc. My perspective is that of Rav Binyamin Silber that I posted before. Even if we disagree with others - we need to understand what we are disagreeing about and what degree of legitimacy we can ascribe to the views of others.

It is conceivable that some of what they are doing is unacceptable. However as both Rav Sternbuch and Rav Eliashiv replied when I raised this question stated - "bring documentation and witnesses." Without a psak against them from gedolim they are presumed to be kosher Jews doing kosher things The flip side is the need for these groups to be aware of the concerns of outsiders and to either provide justification - which is what is being done - or to modify their activities.

I am not calling for a ban on Chabad or Breslov - even though I am personally very uncomfortable with what they are doing. That is for gedolim to decide not me. I am asking for sources. Interestingly there is a chasidic sefer called Vikuach Rabbah - which is presented as a debate between a Chassid and a student of the Gra. The Misnagid accuses the Chassid of deviating from the Mesorah and the Chassid responds that they are merely returning Yiddishkeit back to the way it used to be.

While there is nothing new under the sun - each generation needs to grapple anew with these issues and the resulting debate usually leads to needed changes on both sides.

It is also very important to understand that my questions - and that of others is -not part of an agressive offensive of Litvaks against Chassidim. The opposite is true. It is in large degree the defense of Litvaks against a massive campaign by Chabad and Breslov to change the nature of Yiddishkeit as we have known it. Anyone who lives in Yerushalayim and other places is constantly exposed to ads regarding Moshiach. Everywhere one finds graffiti regarding na nach.

A few years a psychologist friend of mine was giving a series of lecuures in Kfar Chabad to the teachers. One day he was told by the principal that the day of the next lecture needed to be changed because they needed to dedicate a mikveh on that day .When my friend asked why it was so urgent to dedicate the mikveh on that day - the principal responded, "Why don't you know? That is the day the Rebbe is coming to Kfar Chabad!"

Let me close with a personal anecdote concerning my experience with Chabad. [BTW I gave the Rebbe a copy of my Yad Moshe when it first came out and received his beracha in return.]

The event is seared into my memory - even though it took place thirty-five years ago. I was standing in the entrance hallway of 770 talking to a shliach I had known for several years. In the middle of our discussion he turns to me and says in a very serious tone.

"You are an apikorus! While it is true you keep Torah and mitzvos but you refuse to become a Lubavitcher. Everyone knows that in each generation there is one tzadik who has the biggest connection (tzinur) to HaShem. Everyone knows that in our generation it is the Rebbe. Your refusal to accept him as your rebbe shows that you really are not interested in the closest possible connection to HaShem. You are an apikorus!"

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Rabbi Yehoishophot Oliver commented to "Infallibility - Are our religious leaders infallib...":

"Any discussion with Chabad seems to be predicated on the axiom that they have an infallible doctrine and by definition anyone who disagrees with them is wrong. Consequently Chabad does not engage in genuine dialogue but rather views it as an opportunity to educate their opponents of the error of their ways."

Well, you're putting it quite pejoratively, but I would word it like this:

Perspective of a Chosid

A Chossid accepts the words of his Rebbe fully and unconditionally with pure emunas Tzadikim as emes la'amitoi (the absolute truth). If he is indeed a Chossid, he has not the slightest shadow of doubt that what he is told by his Rebbe is Shechina medaberes mi'toch grono of the Rebbe. Does he understand what his Rebbe says? Not necessarily. But his approach is not predicated upon intellect, but upon emunah.

Thus it is out of the question for him to "second-guess" his Rebbe, G-d forbid, and decide that he knows better in some case. Not that he can't try to understand why his Rebbe would have told him as he did; on the contrary, he can and he should. But even if he doesn't understand, he accepts and obeys regardless because of his pure emunah that Hashem is speaking to him through his Rebbe.

This is also an approach that according to various non-Chabad chasidishe stories I've heard is found in all Chasidic groups, and it's one of the main differences between the way that a Chossid looks at his Rebbe and the way a non-Chossid looks at his gadol.

Perspective of a non-Chosid

However, a non-Chossid is not expected to have this degree of reverence (though he should respect him in general, of course), because he hasn't accepted that person as Rebbe. This is perhaps similar to the concept in Chazal that kabolas malchus Shomayim must precede kabolas ol Mitzvos, because a king only has authority over those who have accepted him as such. Members of all countries should accord respect to a king, but only the king's subjects, who have accepted his sovereignty, are expected to obey his every command. Not that a king can't direct himself to those who are not his subjects, but those words are be more properly categorised as suggestions, not commands. You can see the difference in the way the people who went past the Rebbe to receive dollars spoke to the Rebbe and the way the Rebbe spoke to them. It was all very different if it was a non-Chossid.

So, too, here. If the Rebbe taught something that you personally choose not to accept, that's up to you. But the Rebbe was a tremendous talmid chochom and Tzaddik, so at least respect what he said. Don't go around bashing it. Thus if Chassidim do or say things at the Rebbe's instruction, leave them alone.

It should also be noted that whenever the Rebbe came out with an instruction that he encouraged all Jews to follow, which he did on many occasions, he would always explain the necessity for it at length, quoting traditional Torah sources and Rishonim and Achronim. He would respond to those who raised criticism based on halachic claims. These explanations and responses (e.g., concerning Mivtza Tefillin, Mivtza Mezuzah) are printed in Likutei Sichos. The Rebbe wanted his suggestions to klal Yisroel to make sense to them, so they would adopt them willingly and not necessarily out of a sense of obedience, and it appears to me that at least part of the reason for this was precisely because the Rebbe knew that they were not Chassidim.