REPORT: Satmar's rapprochement with Chabad in 2008!
Posters Lazera of September 1, 2008 7:15 PM and of course "Just modern orthodoc" reveal by their comments weak perceptions of what's reallyhappening with Lubavitch that they are hopelessly behind the curve bigtime.
Anyone who has been following the news reports on VIN and YW has read of how BOTH of the present Satmar Rebbes, the brothers Reb Aron Teitelbaum of Monroe NY and Reb Zalman Leib Teitelbaum of Brooklyn NY have held PUBLIC receptions to honor Chabad representatives and Lubavitchers and publicly acknowldge these new ties.
Of course among both the self-styled "politically correct keepers of the 'seal of truth'" such as in the YATED and their petty minded types, the various classes of baalei machlokes, and people who are just too slow to understand that the PRESENT top leadership of both Chabad and Satmar are seeing eye to eye and are not going head to head as they once used to in the 1970s and 1980s which is a MAJOR realignment in the NY and American and ultimately Israeli Chasidic and Charedi world that needs understanding.
Now this would seem odd and it should not even be happening (what with Chabad BELIEVING that their Rebbe is "God in a guf" and some viewing them as avoda zaranikas), since according to the naysayers Chabad is beyond the pale so how could BOTH Satmar Rebbes (who are viciously opposed to each other mind you, agree on a what amounts to a common policy in realtion to Chabad) be courting the good will of Chabad and Chabad obliging BOTH Satmar Rebbes with tokens of peace?
The answer is complex, but is essentially based on the realities of the 21st century and the future, and NOT on the past with its provincial rivalries. Neither the 1st Satmar Rebbe zt"l nor the last Lubavitcher Rebbe zt"l left sons as heirs.
In Satmar it was the nephew Reb Moshe zt"l who took over -- now it's just his splintered family that runs it -- and in Chabad it has been the Shluchim APPOINTED by the Rebbe who took over as local potentates all over the wrorld.
Satmar and Chabad actually have no real reason to fight. They do not share "borders" except in Brooklyn, and they have different agendas, and now that they have powerful satelite communities outside of Brooklyn, there is no need for them to fight each other in Brooklyn and hence anywher else.
They are the biggest Chasidic movements in the Unted States and they have entirely different objectives: While Satmar is enetirely INTERNALLY focused, with the goal of making it's own communities stronger, on the other hand Chabad is EXTERNALLY focused, with the desire to mekarev all Jews (Satmar is opposed to kiruv to SECULAR Jews, much prefering to fight them instead, especially the "Tziyoinim") and leaves it to others to do kiruv to non-frum Jews.
On a feeper level, for those in the know, the position of Reb Yoelish Teitelbaum within Satmar is not much different to the status of the last Lubavitcher Rebbe within Chabad. Within Satmar, noone and nothing can be holier or greater or better than Reb Yoelish (he too is a as close to "god in aguf" as any human will ever achieve and they BELIEVE in him passionately) being quite the same with the way Chabad adores the last Lubavitcher Rebbe. To Satmars the grave of Reb Yoelish in Monroe NY is just as important as the grave of the last Lubavitcher Rebbe in Queens NY, vehameivin yavin! It's the same system and concept at work that the greatest of the movements Tzadikim attains a kind of "immortality" even after death because of his being the ultimate and greatest Tzadik. You really have to be Chasidish or really grasp how they think and function to appreciate the truth and power of this!
So it is no wonder that the current crop of Chabad and Satmar leaders have concluded they have nothing to fight over and that they actually do no conflict but rather complement each other. Thus when Satmars travel all over the world, they know that they have a friend to stop at when they come to a local Chabad rabbi anywhere. The Satmars can build their INTERNALLLY FOCUSED financial empire and the Lubavitchers can go on reaching out their EXTERNALLY FOCUSED shlichus to anyone they can. Both are on different missions. They can also help each politically because they have the same religious and sociological needs like the strict Charedim that they both are.
Here are the news reoprts that reveal the latest turn of events and sea change in the relationship between Satmar and Chabad. In all probability all the major Charedi groups will follow Satmar's example, and let Lubavitchers belive in the Rebbe ANY WAY THEY WANT because they are not leaving Yiddishkeit, given the enormous OUTSIDE challenges that face all Chasidic and Charedi groups and communities from their enemies.
ARON TEITELBAUM OF SATMAR MEETS WITH LUBAVITCHERS:
VIN reported on 05-14-08 (The same report was published in
YW May 14, 2008 with the headline "Lubavitch Shlichim Meet With Satmar Rebbe From Kiryas Yoel". Both reports have photos.)
"Kiryas Joel, NY - Chabad And Satmar Strengthening The Ties. Kiryas Joel, NY - Earlier this week chabad Shliachim to Princeton, NJ, Rabbi Dovid Dubov, Rabbi Chaim Schapiro of Morristown, NJ and Rabbi Dubov’s two sons Sholom Ber - age 11 and Motty - age 9 met with the Satmar Rebbe, Rabbi Aron Teitelbaum in his Kiryas Yoel home.
The purpose of the 40-minute long was to present Rabbi Teitelbaum with the entire 25-volume of Yalkut Moshiach Ugeula Al Hatorah.
Rabbi Dubov shared with the Satmar Rebbe the scope of the project how the Lubavitcher Rebbe Zt’l wanted everyone should learn about Moshiach Ugeula and the idea of collecting Mefarshim form hundreds of different commentary on the Torah in the subject of Moshiach Ugeula.
The Satmar Rebbe was very touched that commentary from his ancestors in the Satmar dynasty such as; Yismach Moshe, Atzei Chaim, Kedushas Yom Tov, and Yeetav Lev etc are included in the Yalkut Moshiach Ugeula Seforim. In general he was looking at the Seforim for over 10 minutes and expressed great admiration for the scope of the project and wished great Hatzlacha for the completion until the end of the Torah.
Rabbi Teitelbaum spoke very highly of the Shliach, Rabbi Yonosan Denebeim [VIN had a story on rabbi Denebeim] director of Chabad of Palm Springs, California where he goes on vacation and Davens at the Chabad Shul and uses the Mikvah.
He related a story where many years ago there were certain organizations who wanted to stop Lubavitch Yeshivos form getting support from certain programs and he personally called and spoke to the ones in charge that they should not stop, C”V to support Lubavitch and B”H they have not. A few years later, Rabbi Teitelbaum continued, the same people wanted to stop Satmer Yeshivos from getting support (due to Internal Machlokes etc) and at that time LUBAVITCH intervened and helped Satmar. He spoke with great Kovod how Satmar helped Lubavitch and Lubavitch helped Satmar.
Rabbi Teitelbaum spoke to Rabbi Dubov in great length about his shlichus work in Princeton and the approach of Lubavitch. He asked how many families come to shul on Shabbos, and Rabbi Dubov answered approximately 40 families. He asked if they are all shomer shabbos and Rabbi Dubov answered “many are and many are on the way of becoming shomer shabbos.” He smiled and liked the answer.
He spoke to Rabbi Chaim Schapiro regarding Morristown and Rabbi Zalman Leib Markowitz the principal of the boys Cheder. He then spoke to the Shluchim kids about their learning and their shlichus.
During the course of the visits there were Divrei Torah and Chassidishe stories about the Rebbe that Rabbi Dubov and Rabbi Schapiro shared with the Satmar Rebbe. On the way out his Gabboim thanked the Shluchim for coming and said that their Rebbe enjoyed the visit very much. (News Source: Shmais.com)"
SATMAR HELPS CHABAD: Reported in VIN 04-04-08 "Kiryas Joel, NY - Partners in Strengthening Torah and Mitzvos: Chabad And Satmar. Kiryas Joel, NY - Remember the days Chabad and Satmar were at each other’s throats?
Back in the 70s and 80s, it seemed that the two would never see eye to eye. The insular Satmars of Williamsburg and the extroverted Lubavitchers of Crown Heights clashed in more than mere ideology. Philosophical disagreements over how to view secular Jews, the secular State of Israel and indeed, the world at large, created bad blood, and worse between the two powerful Chasidic communities. [...] Odd couples? Perhaps. But it’s one of the fastest-growing secrets in the frum community—not to mention a hugely inspiring example of true Ahavas Yisroel and Achdus Yisroel: Today, Chabad and Satmar have come together."
ZALMAN LEIB OF SATMAR MEETS WITH LUBAVITCHERS:
VIN of 08-28-08 reports (same report with more photos in COL יום רביעי, כ''ו אב ה'תשס''ח
http://col.org.il/show_news.rtx?artID=40768 "חסיד חב"ד תרם מקווה לסאטמר; האדמו"ר הגיע לבקרו "Sullivan County, NY - Satmar - Lubavitch Strengthens Its Relationship With New Mikvah Donation [...]
As reported in a VIN News previous report , this past May, Lubavitch Shlichim from Morristown New Jersey and from Princeton New Jersey met with the other Satmar Rebbe Shlita - Rav Aharon Teitelbaum and cordially presented him with Lubavitch Seforim . The meeting was very effective in building new bridges between them. As well in
April a fund raising was held in Kiryas Joel to help A chabad Rabbbi from Palm Springs, CA. [...]
ploni almoni said...
"One may lie to make the peace. What bigger peace is there then making one frum."
I'm actually kinda dumbfounded here.