I am a descendant of a great Chasidic master, Rav Shimon Yaroslaver. Though unfamiliar to most of the Lithuanian type Yeshiva world, Rav Shimon has a relatively high place in the Chasidic world. He is considered the Talmid Muvhak of the Chozeh MiLublin. He wrote a Sefer called Toras Shimon on the Parsha. My father was named for him. And whenever I am in Chasidic circles I get a lot of “oohs and ahs” when I mention my Yichus.
Rav Shimon greatly honored his father, Rav Yisorel Leib Elbaum an avowed Misnagid. The break away from tradition was difficult for Rav Shimon. But Chasidus attracted him, first through his association with the Noam Elimelech and then later with the Chozeh. He never-the-less so honored his father that he chaged his last name from Elbaum to Maryles which is an acronym in Hebrew for MeRav Yisroel Leib’S (MRYLS). Translated, it simply means descendant of Rav Yisroel Leib.
As I said, Rav Yisroel Leib was an adamant Misnagid. He lived during the time of the Mezritcher Magid who tried to “convert” him with absolutely no success. It so pained him that his son went “off the track” that on his death bed, he decreed to his son that if he added “VeYatzmach Purkane V’Korev Mishichei” to the “mourner’s Kaddish” …as is the Minhag of Chasidim, he should not say Kaddish for him at all!
I have rejected my Chasidic roots a long time ago. I have changed my Nusach HaTeffilah to Nusach Ashkenaz with the approval of both my father and my Rebbe, and in general have reverted to the Hashkafa of Rav Shimon’s father.
I bring this up only to show my bona fides in both Chasidus and Misnagdus. And, as I said I have rejected my Chasidic roots for many of the reasons I have stated in the past with respect to the problems I see in both their philosophy and Mehalech. But I won’t go into details here.
One of the things I wondered about in the past was if Chasidim could hold things together in light of all the in-fighting that is occurring now. Some of the biggest Chasidic Movements in Judaism seem to be on a warpath. Satmar, Lubavitch, Bobov, and to a lesser extent Ger, are having major battles about who is their legitimate leader. And Lubavitch as is well known is in the fight of its life to determine the very character of the movement. Will it be a messianic one or not?
One of the largest and wealthiest Chasidic movements is now in turmoil as well. Factions of Vishnitzer Chasidim are turning to violence over who their successor "Rebbe" will be too.
I realize of course that Chasidism is far from extinct. In fact it seems to be growing. Lubavitch for instance will tell you they are bigger than ever. And certainly the infrastructure of the very large Chasidic sects, whether it is in schools, Shteiblach, or Chesed organizations is solidly entrenched in their own communities and beyond. Large sums of money are involved. And many of them, like the Kiruv network of Lubavitch and the Chesed network of Satmar are vital assets to the Torah world.
I cannot therefore really predict their demise. But one has to wonder about the wisdom of a group so centered on the leadership of a central authority, the Rebbe. It is obvious how important that is to them because it is the focus of all the bitter infighting going on now in at least five major Chasidic sects: Vishnitz, Satmar, Bobov, Ger, and Lubavitch. All have issues about their Rebbe and are willing to draw blood over them.
It must be stated that the Lithuanian type communities are not immune to this type of behavior either, as the battle taking place there over who should be the next Rosh HaYeshiva of Ponevezh demonstrates. But that seems to pale in comparison to Chasidic battles when comparing the sheer numbers involved. Perhaps what is going on in Ponevezh demonstrates another phenomenon I’ve written about, the Chasidization of the Yeshiva world.
Roshei Yeshiva are looked at like Chasidic Rebbes now more than any time in the past. On the other hand, our era is not the first to witness fighting in the Yeshiva world about who should be the Rosh HaYeshiva. The famous fight between supporters of the Beis HaLevi and the Netziv in Volozhin a century and a half ago demosnstrtaes that. But it can also not be denied that Yeshivos are being strongly influenced by Chasidic tendencies and perhaps the fight going on in Ponevezh is a refelction of that too.
The bottom line is the following. How can anyone respect any group that displays the kind of behavior that Vishnitz recently displayed? …and Satmar? …and Bobov? That these organizations do wonderful work in various areas of Judaism seems to be overshadowed by the violence and the reasons for it. And this alone makes Chasidus look like the last place I would want to be.
