tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309929059139673041.post8508319194224292221..comments2024-03-29T12:21:24.976+03:00Comments on Daas Torah - Issues of Jewish Identity: Chabad and EJF - Pioneers in lenient Orthodox attitude towards intermarried couplesDaas Torahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07252904288544083215noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309929059139673041.post-16417421935543814702008-07-15T04:35:00.000+03:002008-07-15T04:35:00.000+03:00Rabbi Avi Shafran http://www.jstandard.com/article...Rabbi Avi Shafran http://www.jstandard.com/articles/3000/1/Welcoming-intermarried-couples-lowers-the-gravity-of-intermarriage<BR/><BR/><BR/>"There is a reason why, to Orthodox Jews — and many non-Orthodox, no less — no matter how embracing they may be of the larger world, intermarriage represents a deep betrayal. It is more than a violation of Jewish religious law. It is an abandonment of the Jewish past and an undermining of the Jewish future.<BR/><BR/>Because marriage, arguably the most important choice in a Jewish life, is not a partnership but rather a fusing — "and they shall be as one flesh," in the words of Genesis. Since a spouse is part of oneself, the personal consequences of intermarriage are profound, as the communal ones are in Feldman’s case; his children are not Jewish.<BR/><BR/>Judaism views the Jewish people as a special and hallowed entity. Members of the nation are to care for all — "we are to support the poor of the nations along with the Jewish poor," as the Talmud directs. The righteous among the other nations, the Talmud goes on to teach, will receive their eternal reward. But the Jewish faith is clear about the ultimate redemption of the world: It is dependent on the Jewish people’s remaining a nation apart in fundamental ways. One way is in our basic beliefs — for instance, that God gave our ancestors His law and never subsequently changed it. Another is in our commitment to the integrity of the Jewish people qua people — our commitment, in other words, to marry other Jews.......<BR/><BR/>If one begins with the premise that intermarriage is dangerous to the Jewish people and the Jewish mission, the intermarried cannot enjoy our acceptance. There may be quibbles about the means by which we express our rejection of their choice, but the absence of any communal expression of reproach is nothing less than an invitation to intermarriage.<BR/><BR/>To my lights, it doesn’t seem extreme in the least for a Jewish school to make clear to an intermarried alumnus that despite his secular accomplishments, it feels no pride in him for his choice to intermarry. I wouldn’t expect people at an American Cancer Society gathering to smile politely at a chain-smoking attendee, either.<BR/><BR/>It is painful, no doubt, to be spurned by one’s community. It is painful, too, for a community to feel compelled to express its censure. Sometimes, though, in personal and communal life no less than in weightlifting, only pain can offer — in the larger, longer picture — hope of gain.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309929059139673041.post-61744779889458795012008-07-14T20:34:00.000+03:002008-07-14T20:34:00.000+03:00In 1996 the largest Orthodox rabbinic grouping in ...In 1996 the largest Orthodox rabbinic grouping in the United States, the Rabbinical Council of America approved the following resolution. The resolution read: <BR/><BR/>"In the light of disturbing developments which have recently arisen in the Jewish Community, the Rabbinical Council of America in convention assembled declares that there is not and has never been a place in Judaism for the belief that the Messiah will begin his mission only to experience death, burial and resurrection before completing it." <BR/><BR/>Rabbi Norman Lamm, chancellor and former president of Yeshiva University wrote:<BR/><BR/>"It is easy for the messianically-oriented to distort the rebbe’s teachings and say “that the rebbe is part of the God-head. That is completely heretical and quite dangerous."<BR/><BR/>The Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb commented on the Chabad movement in a July 2007 comment piece for the Jerusalem Post bemoaning the fact that :<BR/><BR/>"...the Rebbe's great piety, scholarship, and love of Israel should be sullied by such an unacceptable heresy is a grievous tragedy."<BR/><BR/> "his followers believe that he is the Messiah, and that he will return from the dead to once again lead his followers, and not only his followers, but all the world, into the Messianic era. The belief is certainly not mainstream Judaism, and in the eyes of many is a blasphemy to Judaism no different from the messianic beliefs of Christianity."<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Elazar Shach, the Rosh Yeshiva of the Ponevezh yeshiva and a leader of Lithuanian Judaism, objected to the call for "forcing" the Messiah's appearance, an idea advocated by the Lubavitcher Rebbe.Rav Schach repeatedly and bitterly attacked Schneerson and his followers on a number of issues, among them messianism, describing Schneerson himself as "insane" an "infidel" and a "false messiah"<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Aharon Kotler (1892-1962), founder of the Lakewood Yeshivah in New Jersey, was severely critical of Lubavitch, in part because of the extreme emphasis on messianism.<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Aharon Feldman, dean of the Ner Israel Rabbinical College expresses wonderment at the fact that the "great halachic authorities" have not published rulings on this subject and rules that it is forbidden to associate with Elokists under any circumstances due to their heresy and they cannot be counted for a Minyan. It is also forbidden to support meshichists in any way that lends credence to their messianic beliefs. <BR/><BR/>Rabbi Feldman rules that anyone that can believe that the last Lubavitcher Rebbe could be Moshiach has entirely compromised judgment and should not be given any leadership position. <BR/><BR/>"...it is clear that [messianists] are ignorant of Torah, thus, it is impossible to rely on their decisions in Torah matters... One who believes that amongst all those who have ever lived, the late leader of the Chabad movement is the best candidate to be our redeemer shows that he lacks any understanding of Torah values. The rulings of such a man cannot be relied upon in any matter of Torah, and a fortiori he cannot serve as a leader or Rabbi."<BR/><BR/><BR/>In a letter addressed to Professor David Berger, Feldman points out that included in the Rambam's qualifications for the Messiah is that he "forces all of Israel to go in the way of [Torah and Mitzvos]...and fights the wars of Hashem...", and Feldman states that Schneerson has not fulfilled these credentials.<BR/><BR/>Rabbi Elya Svei, Rosh Yeshiva of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia and others launched an effort to decertify Oholei Torah/Oholai Menachem from the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools.<BR/><BR/>Senior American Posek, Rabbi Yehuda Henkin wrote that: "anyone who has even a spark of confusion about the boundaries between his Rebbe and God...is an apostate. His shechita cannot be consumed, he cannot be counted for a Minyan and his testimony [in a Beit Din] and his rabbinic judgement is unsound."<BR/><BR/><BR/>What is the basis to call Chabad Lubavitch "Orthodox" or even "Judaism"?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309929059139673041.post-34440717271585015572008-07-14T20:00:00.000+03:002008-07-14T20:00:00.000+03:00Some scholars of religion have made comparison wit...Some scholars of religion have made comparison with the development of early Christianity:<BR/><BR/>Anthropologist Joel Marcus writes: "The recent history of the modern Chabad (Lubavitcher) movement of Hasidic Judaism provides insight into the development of early Christianity. In both movements successful eschatological prophecies have increased belief in the leader's authority, and there is a mixture of ‘already’ and ‘not yet’ elements. Similar genres of literature are used to spread the good news (e.g. miracle catenae and collections of originally independent sayings). Both leaders tacitly accepted the messianic faith of their followers but were reticent about acclaiming their messiahship directly. The cataclysm of the Messiah's death has led to belief in his continued existence and even resurrection."<BR/><BR/> Such comparisons are something which makes many Orthodox Jews uncomfortable. <BR/><BR/>Scholar Mark Winer has noted that "The Lubavitcher movement's suggestions that their late rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the Messiah, reflect Christian millenarianism".<BR/><BR/>Anthropologist Simon Dein has noted: "Lubavitchers held that the Rebbe was more powerful in the spiritual realm without the hindrance of a physical body. However some have now claimed that he never died. Several even state that the Rebbe is God. This is a significant finding. It is unknown in the history of Judaism to hold that the religious leader is God and to this extent the group is unique. There are certain Christian elements which apparently inform the messianic ideas of this group."<BR/><BR/>Some have gone so far as to describe Chabad messianism as halachic Christianity. Judaism scholar <BR/><BR/>Prof. Jacob Neusner writes: "A substantial majority of a highly significant Orthodox movement called Lubavitch or Chabad Hasidism affirms that the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who was laid to rest in 1994 without leaving a successor...will soon return to complete the redemption in his capacity as the Messiah. Hasidim who proclaim this belief hold significant religious positions sanctioned by major Orthodox authorities with no relationship to their movement."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309929059139673041.post-88084748072781324452008-07-14T19:55:00.000+03:002008-07-14T19:55:00.000+03:00Israeli Rabbinate announcementIn January 2000, the...Israeli Rabbinate announcement<BR/><BR/>In January 2000, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel released the following announcement:<BR/><BR/>"At the meeting of the Council of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel held on 10 Shevat 5760 [17 January 2000], a discussion was held regarding the newspaper advertisement signed by many rabbi shlita requiring that one obey the words of a prophet including the assertion that he is the King Messiah. By agreement of the Chief Rabbis of Israel and the members of the Council of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the following decision was adopted unanimously:<BR/><BR/>In recent days announcements and declarations are being publicized that can confuse and mislead simple people with messianic propaganda that a certain hassidc rabbi is the King Messiah and one should call to him with various proclamations.<BR/><BR/>We have no intention, God forbid, of diminishing the greatness and the global activities of the Rebbe of blessed memory, but because we are dealing with the foundations of the faith and there is danger in this propaganda, it is necessary to warn against this approach. It is concerning such matters that the Sages said,' Wise men, be careful with your words.'<BR/><BR/>Individuals who are undesirable in the eyes of rabbinic scholars are exploiting the signatures of Rabbis and turning the simple faith in the coming of the Messiah into propaganda whose end cannot be foreseen. One must be careful and warn people that one must believe in the straightforward faith that the Messiah will come as our Rabbis have taught us, and anyone who adds diminishes."<BR/><BR/>Hatzofeh, 11 Shevat 5760 (18 Jan. 200), 5. The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference by David Berger, 2001, published by the Littman Library of Jewish Civilization of Portland. Page 128-129.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7309929059139673041.post-80870843954488084752008-07-14T19:49:00.000+03:002008-07-14T19:49:00.000+03:00Rabbi Levi BrackmanIs Chabad part of Orthodox Juda...Rabbi Levi Brackman<BR/><BR/><BR/>Is Chabad part of Orthodox Judaism?<BR/><BR/>Hassidim petition High Court after local religious council refuses to approve building mikveh with two immersion pools saying Chabad is not part of Orthodox Judaism<BR/><BR/><BR/>A seemingly simple argument over the construction of a mikveh (ritual bath) in the community of Elkana is set to reach the High Court, asking it to rule whether Chabad is part of Orthodox Judaism.<BR/><BR/> <BR/>Hassidim from the Chabad movement in Elkana who seek to build a mikveh with two immersion pools faced opposition from the local religious council, claiming also that this opposition is part of a growing trend in an attempt to force Chabad people to leave Elkana, a religious community 15 miles east of Tel Aviv.<BR/><BR/> <BR/>According to the Chabad petition, the local religious council in Elkana is aware that if successful in preventing the construction of the mikveh by following the Chabad requirements, Chabad Hassidim will have to travel long distances to use other mikvehs.<BR/><BR/> <BR/>Chabad also specified in the petition that there are over 100 mikvehs across Israel with two immersion pools like they require, not to mention that the Ministry of Housing and Construction helped in financing them.<BR/><BR/> <BR/>The Ministry of Housing and Construction is not opposed to Chabad's requirements, on condition that the local religious council would approve.<BR/><BR/> <BR/>The religious council, in turn, said that it is guided by the decisions of the community rabbi and the Chabad movement is not part of the Jewish Orthodox group and therefore it can not use the facilities of this group.<BR/><BR/> <BR/>'Local Chabad hassidim are from messianic cult'<BR/><BR/> <BR/>Judge Edna Arbel issued an injunction last month, and the construction stopped at the site. The court then suggested that the two sides should take the matter to Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu and accept his ruling.<BR/><BR/> <BR/>The two sides failed to reach a compromise and the High Court will have to decide whether the Chabad movement is part of the Jewish Orthodox group. If not, Chabad will be entitled to a separate and independent funding of a religious group, like any other recognized group.<BR/><BR/> <BR/>Attorney Motti Mintzer, representative of local religious council and a resident of Elkana, told Ynet: "There is mikveh in Elkana since it was established. We moved to the permanent community and decided to build a new mikveh, according to the instructions of the local rabbi, and he ruled according to rulings of outstanding rabbis throughout the generations."<BR/><BR/> <BR/>"The local hassidim from Chabad are from a messianic cult and want to force the community to build the mikveh according to their specifications," he said.<BR/><BR/> <BR/>In response to Chabad's claims that the religious council does not consider them part of the Orthodox Judaism, Mintzer said: "We don't claim, we never did and we never will. Obviously they are kosher Jews, until they begin acting in a compulsive way, all the while refuting the authority of the community rabbi."<BR/><BR/> <BR/>Rabbi Yehuda Stern of Elkana commented: "I have ruled according to our custom on the mikveh issue. We are not a Chabad community and my ruling followed the rulings of outstanding rabbis throughout the generations."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com