I was at a Lubavitcher Bris this morning in the mainstream Lubavitcher Shul, Bnei Ruven. It was a beautiful affair attended by a lot of people in the Chicago Jewish community. Many of whom were not Lubavitch. A lot of smiling faces and warm good wishes were exchanged. As these events go it was pretty routine except for one thing. A letter from the Rebbe was read. The letter was sent to the grandfather on the occasion of the father’s own bris.
The idea that every religious event must contain a declaration in some way from the Rebbe is demonstrable of the obsession that even the mainstream Lubavitchers have with their Rebbe. Even almost 14 years after his death in 1994. To the best of my knowledge no other Orthodox denomination does this. I haven’t seen it at all in any of the well over 30 weddings I attend per year.
This includes weddings from virtually every segment of Orthodox Jewry - from Chasidim of various stripes to Yeshivish, to Modern Orthodox. Only Lubavitch does this. They always read a letter from the Rebbe. It is an integral part of the Simcha which is read just before the actual ritual portion of the ceremony under the Chupah.
As I have said in the past, it is one thing to give reverence and awe to a leader as well as to show public affection. And when that leader dies to express the sense of deep loss is to be expected. That is very appropriate. But Lubavitch transcends that with this tradition. They seem to believe that in order for a Simcha to have full meaning, the Rebbe’s words must be read in the form of an actual letter he once sent to those who celebrated a similar event.
This obsession is in my view the reason the Messianists continue to flourish. It is virtually impossible to disabuse a true believer of his Messianist notions when one’s own obsession is so strong… and so strongly imbedded in everything they do.
It is to the credit of the Rebbe that there is such an extreme sense of loyalty by his Chasidm towards him. He was truly an inspirational leader. Every Chasid who has ever come into contact with him feels as though they had a personal relationship with him. He is more than a father figure to many. He was perhaps the most charismatic Orthodox rabbinic leader of the 20th century. People literally went to the ends of the earth to carry out his mission. They went happily... succeeding in bringing observant Judaism to vast numbers of Jews from the furthest reaches of Judaism. The Rebbe’s Shaliach was there in the remostest of areas for only one reason: the Rebbe told him to go. I don’t think any other Torah leader inspired such loyalty. He was truly a great man.
And that leads me to an op-ed in the Jerusalem Post. It is by Eli Soble. He is a Lubavitcher Chasid who is active in the movement's educational work in New Jersey.
The truth is I don’t relish commenting on this issue as much as I do. It has been kind of beaten to death already. But every time I want to go into hibernation on the subject, an article like this appears and forces me to comment.
Mainstream Lubavitch claims that Messianists are a diminishing minority. I have questioned that assertion. After reading this op-ed, I hardly think that this assertion has any validity. One is hard pressed to conclude that the vast majority of Lubavitchers believe anything other than that the Rebbe is the Messiah… as the title of the op-ed proclaims. The only real question is how public they are about it.
There is little doubt in my mind that the Rebbe himself is responsible for this phenomenon. I have been saying it for years. What strengthens that argument for me is the fact that to this day – almost 14 years after his death - he still inspires so much love, loyalty, and devotion. As does the continued deep sense of loss they feel and the fact that he has no successor.
I have seen many of the quotes Mr. Soble cites in the article. But no where is it put more succinctly than it is here.
Here is the key portion of the article that demonstrates the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s own complicity in the Messianist phenomenon:
Almost every week in 1991 and 1992, the Rebbe reiterated, verbally and in writing, that this generation is the last of exile and the first of geula, or salvation.
In 1990, during the First Gulf War, the Rebbe explicitly announced: "The time of our redemption has arrived." And in 1991, the Rebbe stated that the "service of spiritual refinement" of the exile had been completed. Also that year, characterizing the statement as divine prophecy, the Rebbe issued the projection: "Behold Moshiach is about to come."
The Rebbe directed all Chabad hassidim to publicize this prophecy, and to add that we have merited that God has chosen an individual beyond all others to serve as the leader and prophet of this generation.
In 1992, the Rebbe told Chabad emissaries that their mission had been completed and that all efforts should now concentrate on preparing to greet the messiah, who would be arriving imminently.
That year the Rebbe wrote: "At the present time, all obstacles and hindrances have been nullified. As such, Moshiach (not only exists, but in fact) is also already revealed. All we have to do now is welcome Moshiach tzidkeinu in actual reality."
Rabbis from within and beyond Chabad then enacted, in 1991, a psak din or rabbinical judgment which asserted that the Rebbe was the presumed messiah according to the qualifications outlined by Maimonides. The Rebbe later spoke of this psak din as part of the revelation of the messiah and the unfolding of redemption.
The Rebbe all but proclaimed himself to be the Messiah. And he did little to discourage others from saying it. Quite the opposite seems to be the case.
To those in Chabad who claim that Messianism is not mainstream... to those who say it is dying out, or that the Rebbe was misunderstood, I must ask how they explain the Rebbe’s own words.
I was once told by a rav who is sympathetic to my views that my efforts in trying to get Lubavitch to drop these beliefs is a waste of time. That they are as integral to their beliefs as learning Torah is to Lakewood. And that all the outside pressure in the world isn’t going to make them stop. I’m beginning to believe that he’s right. But I still hope... that he’s wrong.
