Chabad - Rebbe & prophecy II/Israel only?

The following is a question raised to defend the idea that the Lubavitcher Rebbe could be a prophet even though he was never in Israel

Rabbi Ariel Sokolovsky's comment to "Chabad - Rebbe & prophecy/R' Gil Student":

If Moshe Rabbeinu the greatest prophet ever became a prophet without ever setting his foot in Eretz Yisrael how can one entertain this as a requirement for other prophets?

Also it would seem to place limitations on G-d's omnipotence since according to this G-d can only communicate with people from Eretz Yisrael or in Eretz Yisrael etc.
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Here are some sources which state that prophecy is limited to Israel

Sifri (Mishpatim #32): A prophet from your midst - and not from outside of Israel

ספרי (משפטים לב): נביא מקרבך מאחיך כמוני יקים לך ה' אלהיך. מקרבך ולא בחוצה לארץ. מאחיך ולא מאחרי'. יקים לך ולא לגוים ומה אני מקיים. ירמיה (א:ה) נביא לגוים נתתיך. בנוהג מנהג גוים: אליו תשמעון. יבמות צ וש"נ אפי' אומר לך עבור על אחת מכל מצות האמורות בתורה כאליהו בהר הכרמל לפי שעה שמע לו: (סליק פיסקא):

Ramban(Devarim 18:15): A prophet from your midst - This alludes to the fact that there is no prophecy outside of Israel

רמב"ן (דברים יח:טו): נביא מקרבך מאחיך כמני טעם "מקרבך", לרמוז שאין נבואה אלא בארץ ישראל, ולכך יאמר בה הכתוב (ישעיה כב א) משא גיא חזיון, וכמו שהזכירו רבותינו (מכילתא ריש בא) וכן טעם "מאחיך", כי השם נתן לך מעלה על כל העמים ולא יתן רוחו רק עליכם כמוני, שאני מקרב אחיך יקים לך, תחתי, וכן מנביא לנביא, לשון רש"י ואמר רבי אברהם, כמוני, שאני נביא השם, לא מעונן וקוסם ויתכן שיהיה "מקרבך", לומר שתוכל לבטוח בדבריו שהוא מאחיך מקרבך וכן על דעתי, "כמוני", שיהיה נאמן לנביא לה' ותאמין בו כאשר אתה מאמין בי, ועוד אבאר זה:

Mizrachi(Devarim 18:15): Our Sages teach in Sifre "A prophet from your midst" means not outside of Israel which alludes to the fact that there prophetic ability does not rest anywhere except the Land of Israel

מזרחי (דברים יח:טו): אבל רבותינו ז"ל דרשו בספרי, "מקרבך ולא מחוצה לארץ" רמז, שאין נבואה שורה אלא בארץ ישראל

Sefer HaIkkarim(3:11): Just as the spark of sunlight striking a mirror reflects it back so that it can illuminate dark places, so is it with G‑d’s illumination which comes to a prophet. It can reflect on to others who are not deserving of prophecy and enable them to receive prophecy. In my opinion this is the reason why prophecy is found amongst the Jewish people rather than the nations of the world and why it is found only in Israel and not other lands…

ספר העקרים (ג:יא): וענין צורך האמצעי בדבר הזה הוא ע"ז הדרך כי כמו שמהכאת ניצוץ השמש בגוף זך בהיר כמראה המלוטשת יתהפך הניצוץ אל מקום חשוך ויאיר המקום ההוא על ידי ההתהפכות ההוא מה שלא היה מאיר קודם זה כך השפע האלהי שכירד על הנביא השלם יתהפך ממנו על הבלתי ראוי ויהיה זה סבה אל שיחול הרוח הנבואיי על הבלתי שלם או בלתי מוכן לכך ויתנבא ואף בזה ההתהפכות יהיה הרוח שיחול על היותר מוכן גדול ממה שיחול על מי שאינו מוכן: ולפי דעתי שזאת היתה הסבה שתמצא הנבואה באומת ישראל מזולתה מן האומות ובארץ ישראל מזולתה מן הארצות וזה כי מצד הארון והלוחות שהיתה השכינה שורה עליו היה מתהפך הרוח האלהי כדמות ניצוץ השמש המתהפך והיה שורה הרוח הנבואיי על האיש שתמצא בו הכנה מה בדמיון מה שהוא בארון והוא האיש שימצאו בו דעות התורה הכתובים בלוחות הברית באמת כמו שהיה זה בנבואת שמואל שהיה שוכב בחדרו שהיה לו ובאה אליו קול הנבואה מעל הכפרת אשר על הארון שהיה אז שם בשילה והוא עצמו לא היה יודע מי הקורא שלא היה משער בעצמו היותו ראוי לנבואה שישמע קול בעת היקיצה במראה הנבואה ולזה היה קם ממטתו ללכת אל עלי עד שעלי הבין זה מעצמו כמו שאמר הכתוב (שמואל א' ג') ויבן עלי כי ה' קורא לנער:

Regarding Moshe's prophecy Kuzari (2:14) says that Egypt and the Sinai were considered part of Israel.

כוזרי (ב:יד): אמר החבר: כל מי שנתנבא לא נתנבא כי אם בארץ הזאת או בעבורה כך זכה אברהם לנבואתו הראשונה כאשר צוה ללכת אל הארץ הזאת ויחזקאל ודניאל בעבורה נבאו אכן שניהם ראו עוד את הבית הראשון ואת כבוד השכינה אשר כל ימי היותה שורה בבית ההוא היה כל אדם המוכן לכך מצד הסגלה מגיע לנבואה אשר לנבואת ירמיהו במצרים הלא היתה בארץ ובעבורה כמוה כנבואת משה ואהרן ומרים כי סיני ופארן שניהם בגבול ארץ ישראל הלא הם על יד ים סוף ודבר האלוה היה ושתי את גבלך מים סוף ועד ים פלשתים וממדבר עד הנהר והנה מדבר הוא מדבר פארן המדבר הגדול והנורא והוא גבולה הדרומי של הארץ והנהר שהוא נהר פרת כמו שנאמר והנהר הרביעי הוא פרת הוא גבול הארץ...

Moed Koton(25a): R’ Abba opened his funeral address: “Our master deserved that the Shechina should rest on him but the fact that he lived [outside of Israel] in Babylonia prevented this from happening.” R’ Nachman objected to this assertion by noting that Yechezkeil prophesized outside of Israel. R’ Nachman’s father refuted his son’s objection by noting that there is a doubled language that indicates that Yechezkeil was a prophet before coming to Babylonia [and therefore he was able to continue being a prophet even outside of Israel - Rashi].

מועד קטן (כה.): פתח עליה רבי אבא: ראוי היה רבינו שתשרה עליו שכינה, אלא שבבל גרמה ליה. מתיב רב נחמן בר חסדא, ואמרי לה רב חנן בר חסדא: (יחזקאל א:ג) היה היה דבר ה' אל יחזקאל בן בוזי הכהן בארץ כשדים! טפח ליה אבוה בסנדליה. אמר ליה: לאו אמינא לך לא תיטרוד עלמא? מאי היה - שהיה כבר.

Torah Temimah (Devarim 18:15): When the Jews came to Israel prophetic ability was nullified outside of Israel as is explained in the Mechilta

תמימה (דברים יח:טו הערה סח): דמשבאו ישראל לא"י בטלה השראת הנבואה בחו"ל כמבואר במכילתא פ' בא פרשה ראשונה:

Mechilta (Bo Parsha 1): Until the Land of Israel was chosen all the lands were fit for prophecy. However once the Land of Israel was chosen – the other lands were excluded. Until Yerushalayim was chosen for the Temple all of Israel was permitted to have altars. However once Yerushalayim was chosen it was forbidden to have altars outside of Yerushalaym.

מכילתא דרבי ישמעאל בא - מסכתא דפסחא פרשה א

ועד שלא נבחרה ארץ ישראל היו כל הארצות כשרות לדברות משנבחרה ארץ ישראל יצאו כל הארצות. עד שלא נבחרה ירושלם היתה כל ארץ ישראל כשרה למזבחות משנבחרה ירושלם יצאת ארץ ישראל שנאמר השמר לך פן תעלה עולותך בכל המקום אשר תראה כי אם במקום אשר יבחר ה' אלהיך (דברים יב:יד

Divisions, labels and boxes - root of wisdom & hatred

I received the following comment which apparently was taken from another blog. There are two basic approaches in dealing with this question 1) what exactly bothers you about differentiating, labeling and grouping? Do you reject all just activity? What would the world look like if there wasn't labeling and grouping? 2) Would you like to know the advantages and necessity for discriminating, grouping and differentiating? If this is a topic of interest to the readers I will cite sources relevant to the second approach. Of particular interest is the attitude of the Meshech Chochma and the Netziv dealing with the right and left in Yiddisheit.

Obviously there is a downside to this activity but before you issue a blanket condemnation it is worthwhile taking a more nuanced approach to the matter.
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Anonymous wrote:

"I think you should address this since you seem such a strong advocate of it"

On divisions within Judaism

It is very funny and sad, that when people's opinion differ there is what I call random categorization that happens. For some reason people have a need of labeling other people? Your a left wing and I am a right or you are Haredi and I am not, Ultra Orthodox and modern.

All what these labels and categorization do is separate and distance people to the point that each has to go to his own shul, and live in a different community, and has his own shulchan aruch.

I often wonder when 600,000 Jews received the Torah did they all started labeling each other.

Did 600,000 Jews with 600,000 opinions started separating from each other due their hashkafas. Did say you are lefty (therefore wrong) and I am righty (therefore right).

Why is there a need to label different Jews? Why does disagreeing with another Jew we feel a need to separate ourselves. Do people honestly believe that calling somebody a liberal or a modern Jew makes you go to Heaven because you are more strict on Judaism while for whatever reason you give yourselves a Heter to say Loshan Hara about a group of Jews.

Releasing terrorists - goodwill gestures & peace

Arutz Sheva reported:(excerpt)

(IsraelNN.com) Close to 200 terrorists, including two who had murdered Jews, were freed Monday in another "goodwill gesture" to the PA by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

Relatives and friends of Jews who are imprisoned in Israeli prisons held a protest Monday morning to demonstrate their disgust at the government’s decision to keep their loved ones in jail while freeing Arab terrorists.

The protestors demonstrated at the Ofer Prison, calling on the government to release Jewish prisoners as it has the hundreds of Arabs that have been freed in Prime Minister Olmert’s numerous “goodwill gestures” to the Palestinian Authority.

Security officials began the process of releasing 198 Palestinian Authority Arab terrorists and security prisoners, including two with “blood on their hands,” Monday morning at the Ofer Prison, north of Jerusalem.

After signing a document that certified their promise to abstain from returning to a life of terrorism, each convict – including the two who actually killed Jews, as well as the many others who attempted to do so, but failed – boarded buses taking them to Ramallah and then to their homes in Judea and Samaria.

In a statement released to the media, the government spokesperson’s office said the released prisoners are all members of factions that support the leadership of Palestinian Authority Chairman and Fatah leader Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen).

Jerusalem - light rail train & spirituality

Bartley Kulp recommended ynetnews.

Rabbis: Light rail train 'a disaster for Judaism'

Ultra-Orthodox Rabbinical Transportation Committee strongly opposes new form of transportation in Jerusalem, saying it constitutes ‘a huge step backwards on a worldly, spiritual level alike’

The ultra-Orthodox community opposes the Jerusalem light rail train. The Haredi population’s Rabbinical Transportation Committee approached Knesset members and ministers this week in a request to reconsider the routes for the capital's light rail train.

“In our meeting with transportation experts it became clear that the Transport Ministry is planning on cancelling a large part of the haredi lines that exist in the city,” the committee stated in a letter written a month and a half ago.

According to them, the goal is to “force the ultra-Orthodox population in specific neighborhoods to take the light train and in other neighborhoods to ride the regular lines.”

The committee’s various rabbis also wrote in the letter, “We conclude that the light train is not at all suitable for the ultra-Orthodox community’s needs, neither worldly nor spiritually. The goal of forcing the ultra-Orthodox community to use the light train constitutes a severe spiritual danger.

“The Transport Ministry intends on altering the bus routes that serve the general public and move them to the Geula neighborhood and thus, to completely ruin the neighborhood’s spiritual character.”

The rabbis warned that due to limitations on the entrance of private vehicles into the city center, the Geula neighborhood will turn into a parking area for all those coming to the center. This is likely to increase the traffic on the neighborhood’s narrow streets and occupy the residents’ parking spaces. [...]

“There are those who will call this ‘a disaster for ultra-Orthodox Judaism,’ and those that will express themselves with greater severity. What is clear is that this is a huge step backwards on a worldly and spiritual level alike.”

Modesty squad targeted by Jerusaelm police III

Jerusalem Post reported:

A mishmeret tzniut, roughly translated as "modesty squad," is a vigilante body, usually with some form of rabbinic license, that has taken upon itself to enforce normative ultra-Orthodox behavior.

The mishmeret tzniut derives its power from its ability to identify and manipulate the zealotry of the haredi majority.

There are a multitude of such bodies representing different haredi sects that deal with issues from the eradication of MP-4 and DVD sales in strictly haredi neighborhoods to the fight against ultra-Orthodox pop concerts, from the creation of separate seating in the waiting room of the local post office to the strict supervision of women's clothing stores to make sure no tight-fitting or otherwise immodest apparel is being offered to haredi females.

All the crusades chosen by the various modesty squads are no-brainers for the majority of the haredi populace. After all, who is not against the sale of potentially lascivious movies in one's neighborhood? And who is not opposed to the introduction of Western-style pop stars to the wholesome haredi culture?

Rabbinic leadership may or may not buy into the means used by the activists to further their just causes. Even if the rabbinic leaders oppose certain actions taken by the mishmeret hatzniut, they usually cannot publicly attack it for fear of losing their credibility among the public who look to its rabbis to champion haredi zealotry and meticulous adherence to the letter of the law.

In Jerusalem, the most well-known and established enforcer of haredi norms is the Council for the Purity of the Camp (Va'ad Le'ma'an Tohar Hamachane), which was created by Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Safronovitch with the blessing of the fifth Gerer rebbe, Israel Alter, also known as the Beis Yisrael, who passed away in 1977.

It is unclear what connections the council has to the Ger hassidic sect today.

Binyamin Meirovitch, one of the men detained by police due to his alleged connection with the severe beating of a divorced woman, is also connected to the Council for the Purity of the Camp.

Meirovitch owns the Ne'eman printing press that publishes pashkevilim, the black and white notices plastered on the walls and bulletin boards of haredi neighborhoods. These notices, complete with the signatures of prominent rabbis, are the preferred medium for relaying warnings, orders or information from the rabbinic leadership or quasi-rabbinic bodies such as the council to the haredi street.

One of Meirovitch's employees is Elchanan Buzaglo, who was accused by police of, along with six others, beating the divorced woman.

The rumor on the haredi street is that the woman was beaten because her former husband complained that she was acting immodestly.

Despite the brutality of the beating, as described in the police rap sheet, a vocal contingent in the haredi community took to the streets against what they saw as police intervention in internal matters.

As Shmuel Poppenheim, a spokesman for the Edah Haredit put it, "The vast majority of haredim are opposed to the use of violence.

"But when the iniquities are taking place right next door, anybody in their right mind would do what it takes to put an end to the madness."

No formal announcement condemning the violence against the woman was released by the Edah Haredit. However, according to the Chadarei Haredim (haredi rooms) Internet forum, Rabbi Moshe Sternbach, a member of the Edah's leadership, told his students it was permissible to hand over to the police haredi zealots who desecrated God's name with their actions.

Sternbach could not be reached Sunday at his Jerusalem home to verify the report.

Missing girl - police ask help finding

Aug. 24, 2008
JPost.com Staff , THE JERUSALEM POST

Israel Police turned to the public on Sunday, for help in finding Rose, a four-year-old girl from Netanya who went missing in May 2008.

The girl is described as being 80 centimeters tall, skinny, with light-brown hair and blue eyes. Police said that they strongly fear for her life, but further details were not disclosed due to a gag order on the matter.

Anybody with information about the girl and her whereabouts should either file a report with the Netanya police, or contact the police by phone at: 08-9279466, or 08-9279575.

Police stressed that although Rose has been missing for over 3 months, her absence was only reported to the police two weeks ago.