Chabad messianism

Main article: Chabad

Chabad messianism, or Lubavitch messianism, is a term used to describe a spectrum of beliefs within the Chabad Hasidic movement regarding their late leader Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson and his purported position as the Messiah. While some believe that he died but will return as the messiah, others believe that he is merely "hidden." Most negate the idea that he is the revealed messiah. The prevalence of these views within the movement is disputed..

The belief that Schneerson is the messiah can be traced to the 1950s; it picked up momentum during the decade preceding Schneerson's death in 1994. The response of the wider Haredi and Modern Orthodox leadership has been almost universally antagonistic to the movement, the issue remains controversial within the Jewish world.

History of Messianism

The Chabad messianist flag. The hebrew word is "Mashiach", meaning "Messiah".

In 1984 some Lubavitcher hasidim sang a song that referred to him as "our righteous messiah" who will "come and redeem us", but Schneerson put an abrupt stop to it. In 1991 a different song began to spread among hasidim, this one proclaiming "Long live our master, our teacher and our rabbi, King Messiah for ever and ever". After his debilitating stroke in 1992 this song was routinely sung in his presence.

During the later years of his life Rabbi Schneerson's teachings were interpreted by many to mean that he was claiming to be the Messiah. His death in 1994 did not quell the messianist fervor, as believers found rationales to explain the belief that Schneerson was the Messiah despite having passed on. Some argued that he had in fact not died at all and was still physically present, but in a concealed state. Others argued that even though he had died, proofs existed within Judaism that legitimize the Messiah returning from the dead.

The development of this messianism and its impact on Chabad in particular — and Orthodox Judaism in general — has been the subject of much discussion in the Jewish press, as well as within the pages of peer-reviewed journals.

Early developments

One of the earliest proponents of the idea of Schneerson as the messiah was Rabbi Avraham Parizh. As early as 1952 Parizh printed a poster proclaiming him as the messiah. When word reached the United States that the poster had been seen around Tel Aviv, Schneerson forbade its distribution.

During Schneerson's life

According to research by Rachel Elior, the expectations that the Rebbe was the messiah built slowly through the 1980s. While she argues that the messianism of Chabad can be traced back to the 1950s and the previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, she cites evidence that the 1980s saw a upsurge in messianism. People would write letters addressed to Moshiach instead of the Rebbe, conversations centering around the Rebbe's true identity became more prevalent, and as the Rebbe spoke more and more frequently on the issue of Moshiach, the fervor grew. Elior argues that the development of Chabad Messianism was in response to the holocaust and constituted an attempt by Schneerson to offer an explanation and purpose in the face of such destruction offered "eschatological certainty and messianic purpose - what appeared to be the only rational response from a theological point of view."

According to Paul R. Carlson, Schneerson became more direct about the messianic age during the Gulf War of 1991. Schneerson was quoted in the Jewish Telegraphic Agency as telling his followers that it would "herald the coming of the Messiah" quoting from the medrash Yalkut Shimoni: "Humble ones, the time of your redemption has arrived." This message was immediately taken up by the followers with full page advertisements in the press declaring that the messianic age has arrived. Other evidence for this included the fall of communism and the mass immigration of Russian Jews to Israel. Carlson cites Rabbi Chaim Bergstein in the Detroit Jewish News as saying "I'm not saying he is or isn't Mashiach, but there is no one as learned ...in this generation."

Menachem Friedman wrote in 1991 that "...the fact that he has no children and has never groomed a successor... renders the issue of continuity in the Chabad dynasty a threatening question. The messianic response is virtually the only one capable of allaying these fears." He added: "...the spread of belief in the Rebbe as the messiah is facilitated by the total absence of checks and balances in Chabad Hasidism. There is no-one ...to offer a word of criticism. Many who surround him are financially dependent on him and consider him a super-human being. Is it any wonder that they are tempted to believe he is the messiah?"

During the late 1980s Chabad rabbis across the United States not only declared the coming of the messiah as imminent, but said that it would be Schneerson. for example, one Rabbi Asher Zeilingold told the press that he "expect[s] the messiah to come at any moment" and that Schneerson "soon will be recognized by God as the saviour."

Rabbi Shalom Dov Wolpo brought up the issue in 1984 by publishing a booklet declaring Schneerson to be the Messiah. Schneerson responded by writing "It has come to pass that because of his [Wolpo's] activities ... hundreds of Jews have stopped learning Chassidus, and now oppose the Baal Shem Tov and his teachings in actuality."

Anthropologist Vanessa Ochs spent the year of Schneerson's death living among women in the Chabad congregation in Stamford Hill, London. She writes that: "Before his death most of the women I encountered said they believed--or at least hoped--that their Rebbe would not die, but would rather emerge - 'rise up' was the expression they used--as the Messiah. In the streets outside 770, I was told, women danced through the night with their tambourines, singing to greet the Rebbe as Messiah, despite his physical death."

By 1992 Chabad Messianism was gaining wide publicity. As the health of their leader deteriorated some Chabad followers became more vocal and explicit in their messianism. Time magazine journalist Lisa Beyer reported on the issue that year, noting that the followers in Kfar Chabad were expecting Schneerson to reveal himself as the Messiah imminently. She reported that Rabbi Adin Even-Yisrael had openly declared that Schneerson should reveal himself as such, and arguing that even if he were to die "the leader's death would not disprove his Messianic potential."

A group of Chabad hasidim led by Rabbi Shlomo Ezagui took their message to the streets of Palm Beach County with ten billboards declaring, "Now!! 1900 Years Waiting. It's Here-Messianic Era." Ezagui told the Miami Herald that "...we are declaring through the billboards that the time's about to happen."

"Coronation"

By late 1992 a movement to crown Schneerson as "King Messiah" had gained prominence within the Chabad movement and a major rally was organised in Crown Heights where the Rebbe was to be crowned under the leadership of senior Chabad rabbi and youth movement director Shmuel Butman. He organised the rally on January 30, 1993 that was billed as Schneerson's coronation ceremony. Before the rally Butman informed the press that "This will be the coronation of the rebbe as Melech haMashiach (King Messiah)." The rally was held on January 30, 1993 and was attended by 8,000 in New York and countless others via satellite link-ups around the world. Butman was forced to backtrack during the event, announcing that Schneerson's appearance did not represent his acceptance of the role of Messiah. He told the 8,000 assembled followers (plus many more around the world watching via satellite) that the event "is not to be interpreted as a coronation."

Death

As Schneerson lay dying in the Intensive Care Unit of Beth Israel Medical Center, some 2,000 followers gathered outside in Stuyvesant Square. Many could be seen singing and dancing - anticipating the end of days. Others were prayerful, some could be seen stroking the wall of the hospital as though it was the Western Wall.

After Schneerson's death

Schneerson's death led to a rethinking of the theology of messianism within Chabad. While the funeral was attended by a few dozen extreme messianists who danced throughout the procession and argued that his death was a required part of the process of him returning as Messiah - most messianists were taken aback. The Washington Post reported from the funeral that the death had left Chabad stunned and in crisis: "Even as his pine coffin was placed in the hearse, a panicked crowd of Lubavitch faithful chanted prayers for Schneerson to rise and reveal himself to be the Messiah for whom Jews have waited since time immemorial."

Within three days of Schneerson's death The Forward was reporting that the movement was splitting over the death with some claiming that he was alive and some claiming that he would be resurrected: "There are some in Crown Heights who say they don’t believe the Rebbe is dead, and others who say that his resurrection is imminent. Some of these resurrectionists, who critics within the movement say are straying far from traditional Judaism, have even taken to sleeping near the Rebbe’s grave in a Queens cemetery, hoping to be the first to see their Messiah rise from the dead."

Schneerson's will proved to be a blow to the messianists as the sole executor was arch anti-messianist Rabbi Yudel Krinsky. The witness to the will was Rabbi Leib Groner an open messianist. While the sums involved in the will were quite small it gave Krinsky custody of many of the important organisations within the Chabad movement and was a bitter blow to Groner.

The appointment of a successor failed to achieve momentum - no individual was designated in the will and Krinsky refused the mantle answering "heaven forbid" when asked if he would accept it; rumors that Rabbi Yoel Kahn was named as a successor in a secret second will came to nought.

Chabad regroups

Within months however, messianism had regrouped and soon became one of the two major forces within the Chabad movement. Many Chabad followers preferred to refer to Schneerson's passing as a mere transition. In time Schneerson's passing began to be known as "Gimmel Tamuz" - the Hebrew date of his death.

Schneerson's collected speeches from the last two years of his life were collected into pamphlets and published during his life under the title Besuras Hageula. These especially were distributed by the messianists after his death to bolster the case that he was still the Messiah. These contained some of the strongest comments by Schneerson that the messianic age was imminent. Such evidence - along with other sources and a rabbinic decision declaring Rabbi Schneerson to be the messiah signed by over 250 rabbis - was used to bolster the case for belief in his return.

In his later years, the rebbe repeatedly returned to the millenarian theme that had begun to envelope his writing. For example a US-Russia agreement on nuclear proliferation lead to the Rebbe declaring that this was linked to the biblical prophecy "they shall beat their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore". (Isiah 2:4)

A group of messianists took out a full-page ad in the New York Times in 1996 entitled "The Third of Tammuz is not the Rebbe's Yahrzeit"; in 1998 another Times ad proclaimed that Schneerson "...was born to change the world in which we live and lead it to the ultimate redemption as predicted by the prophet... Moshiach’s presence and achievements are already manifest. The complete redemption and transformation of the world is imminent."

A messianist publication elucidated the theology as early as 1995: "Since the Third of Tammuz, we are no longer able to physically see the Rebbe King Moshiach. The Rebbe remains physically alive just as before, it is only to our eyes that he is concealed. Therefore, we call this a day of concealment, and many refer to this as the "last test." Just as we know that there is a G-d though we may not see him, so too the Rebbe King Moshiach is here even though we do not see him."

According to Rabbi Yeshvam Segal, a mashpia in Kfar Chabad, "We believe that Lubavitch is Jerusalem, the 'Babylonian House of our Teacher' is the Temple, and the Rebbe is the Ark of the covenant standing on the Foundation Stone (for 'the righteous are the foundation of the world'), in which the divine being and essence rests and is revealed.

Expressions of Messianism

There is a wide range of degrees of messianism within Chabad. There is considerable dispute regarding the relative strengths of the various factions which is discussed below.

Primary Groupings

In broad terms Chabad is divided into two camps, with a wide range of belief within each camp:

"Meshichist"

One camp, loosely known as "meshichist", believe that the Rebbe's public words and actions in the early 1990s constituted an almost formal declaration of his messiahship, that he authorised the campaign to publicise this claim, and that this authorisation continues today. They believe that the only obstacle remaining before the final redemption is the fact that the Rebbe's messiahship remains unrecognised by most of the world, and therefore the most important task of all Chabad hassidim ought to be to spread the word and persuade people to accept the Rebbe as the "Anointed King". This group believes in reciting the Yechi slogan. Beis Moshiach magazine is a major organ for views within this camp.

People within this group differ widely in their attitude to the Rebbe's death.

"Yaacov Avinu did not die"

Some meshichists insist that despite appearances the Rebbe did not in fact die on 12 June 1994. They argue that just as, according to the Talmud, the patriarch Jacob did not die, nor did the Rebbe. He therefore remains the messiah just as he was before 1994. These believers refuse to put the typical honorifics for the dead (e.g. zt"l or zecher tzaddik livrocho, "may the memory of the righteous be for a blessing") after Rabbi Schneerson's name. They do not visit his grave, or mark his yahrtzeit. They rely upon the Rebbe's statement that the world has entered a new period in its history and that, contrary to what has happened in the past, the leader of the generation will not be hidden "even through burial", but that he would remain alive until the revelation of the Messiah.

Some Sources of Dispute

There are many sources that seem to support the idea that a tzaddik's life does not end with his physical demise. In addition to the Talmud's statement about the patriarch Jacob, in the blessing of the new moon, Jews say, "David the King of Israel is alive and well". There is also the Tanya's explanation of the Zoharic statement (III, 71b), "When a tzaddik departs he is to be found in all the worlds more than during his lifetime". The Alter Rebbe explains that the tzaddik's life is "not a physical life, but a spiritual life", and therefore physical death does not affect this state of living.

"Messiah from the dead"

Others in this camp accept that the Rebbe did indeed die in 1994, but still believe that he will return as the messiah. They point to various sources in Jewish tradition that can be interpreted as allowing for such a possibility. They also emphasize the belief that the classic meaning of death does not apply to a truly righteous person. In this view Schneerson never "died" spiritually despite him physical death, and is still alive in some way that ordinary humans cannot perceive. Thus they believe that while Schneerson is dead he will later return to be revealed as Messiah.

Some Sources of Dispute

Folio 98 of tractate Sanhedrin has a strong focus on Moshiach and the Messianic era. Lubavitchers of this camp most commonly cite Sanhedrin 98b as a source of support for the idea of a Moshiach that returns from the dead. Here Rav Nachman says, “If Moshiach will be from the living he is someone like me”, the word "if" seems to imply that Moshiach could also come from the dead. In the next sentence, Rav opines, “If Moshiach will be from the living, then he will be like Rabbeinu Hakadosh, if he will be from the dead he will be like Daniel”, again implying that a belief in a Moshiach that returns from the dead is not antithetical to Judaism. Rabbi Aharon Feldman, in a 2003 ruling argues that Rabbi Schneerson never attained a stature comparable to Daniel. Feldman, as well as Rabbi Zev Leff,are of the belief that in the Mishneh Torah, the only halachic work on the idea of the Moshiach, the Rambam rejects the idea of a potential Moshiach being killed only to return to complete his work. However Lubavitchers clearly hold their Rebbe to have been comparable to Daniel in righteousness and also differentiate between Moshiach dying or being killed.

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 fufilled these credentials.

"Tsefatim"

Some elements within the Meshichist camp go further still, and insist that in order for the Rebbe to be revealed everybody must acknowledge his messiahhood. Those who oppose public declarations of this belief are seen as deliberately delaying his revelation, and therefore must be dealt with forcefully and sometimes even violently. They are known for vandalising any sign or publication that refers to the Rebbe in the past tense. This group is most common in Safed, and is associated with the Chabad yeshiva in that city. This group also has a presence in Crown Heights and has more or less free rein at the main synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway. The group are known loosely as the Tsefatim and sometimes with the pejorative "the Taliban" by their detractors.

"Anti-meshichist"

Another camp, loosely called "anti-meshichist", is strongly opposed to all public claims that the Rebbe is the messiah. All major Chabad organisations, including Agudas Chasidei Chabad and Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch, take this position. Kfar Chabad magazine is a major organ for views within this camp.

There is a range of views within this camp too:

"No longer viable"

Some "anti-meshichists" believe that Schneerson was the best candidate for the Messiah in his generation, and he would have been the messiah had God brought the redemption at that time, but it was not to be. Now that he is dead, they say, that claim is no longer viable, and there is now a new "potential messiah" whose identity remains unknown. Notable exponents of this position include Yechezkel Sofer and Adin Even-Yisrael.

"Anti-publicity"

A larger group within the anti-meshichist camp still believe that the Rebbe will be the messiah, but accept that this is difficult to understand, let alone to explain. They therefore revert to what was Chabad's official policy until the late 1980s, at the Rebbe's direct orders, which was to increase public awareness and anticipation of the messiah while strictly avoiding any speculation as to who the messiah might be.

Prevalence of Messianism

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A store sign in Crown Heights.

The prevalence of the various views listed above amongst Chabad supporters is disputed. According to David Berger in his book The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference and other observers, very few Chabad adherents will say that "the Rebbe was/is not the Messiah". Some will say that "he might be", but a very large number will say that he certainly is the Messiah. Indeed this appears to most observers to be the mainstream position - the difference between the Messianists and the anti-Messianists being over whether Schneerson is dead or not. Berger argues that: "...the major institutions in the three primary population centers of Crown Heights, Kfar Chabad, and Safed are either dominated by overt believers in the Rebbe's Messiahship or suffused by that belief." He notes that in the movement's largest Yeshiva Oholei Menachem, the administration ordered that Yechi be recited. He said that the chief rabbi of Kfar Chabad was "one of the first signatories of a 1998 halachic ruling requiring belief in the Rebbe's Messiahship" as did 250 other Chabad Rabbis.

In a sworn affidavit, in a case regarding the control of 770 Eastern Parkway, Rabbi Sholom Kalmanson argued that while "most Lubavitchers believe that the rebbe is the messiah, others believe that while the scenario is possible, it should not be a public position. A very small minority have abandoned the notion that the rebbe is Moshiach."

Berger notes in a recent article for Yated Ne'eman that he is"unfamiliar with a single public declaration formally affirming that Lubavitch chassidim should not accept the belief that the Rebbe is the Messiah."

A Chabad rabbi in Rechovot cited by David Berger argued in a messianist publication that "everyone knows that all Lubavitch Chassidim, despite the differing opinions, believe that the Rebbe is Melech HaMoshiach. This is the most open secret of the last decade."

Schneerson's messianism or divinity is not advocated in any of Chabad's official literature.

According to Zalman Shmotkin, director of the non-messianist website chabad.org "People don't actually believe the Rebbe is the Messiah. They say they believe, but really they want, they hope, they pray. But believe this no." Of those who agitate for the belief that the rebbe was or is the messiah, Rabbi Shmotkin, the Chabad spokesman, said Chabad-Lubavitch leaders have “repeatedly condemned them in the strongest possible terms.”

Journalist Sue Fishkoff notes that the idea that most Lubavitchers are messianist is "a claim Lubavitchers say is patently absurd. Here everyone is treading on thin ice, for no one can know precisely how deep Chabad messianism goes. When Berger and other critics claim that it infects the majority of the Chabad movement, they have no greater statistical backing than do those who suggest it is on the decline."

The most senior openly anti-messianist rabbi is Yoel Kahn. In a 2003 proclamation by Kahn "messianists" are condemned for saying Schneerson is alive. A pamphlet produced by the anti-messianist camp including Menachem Brod makes a similar point

Response to Chabad messianism

Schneerson's response

In 1984 Rabbi Sholom Dov Wolpo published a booklet declaring Schneerson to be the Messiah. Over the course of Sukkot 5745 (1984) Schneerson several times denounced actions that drove people away from Chabad and its message. On Simchat Torah and Shabbat Bereshit he returned to this theme, saying that those involved were starting a new war against Chabad (i.e., Lubavitch chassidism) and all its Rebbeim, even including the eventual messiah, and that he should never have to speak about it again. On Shabbat Bereshit, when Wolpo began singing a song that had long been popular in Lubavitch, which referred to Schneerson as the messiah, he abruptly stopped the singing and ordered that it never be sung again.

In 1985, a year later, Schneerson gave a long talk about moshiach in general and the leader of the generation being the moshiach. Stating "I will not be troubled if one will translate 'Moshiach' literally, i.e. the righteous Moshiach, since that is indeed the truth. The leader of the generation is in fact Moshiach of the generation." This, coupled with the Rebbe's frequent statement that ours is the "Last Generation of galut (exile) and it is the first generation of Geulah, the redemption" is one of the arguments put forward that the Rebbe is the messiah. The logic behind this is that if the leader of the generation is the messiah, and this is the last generation, then it follows that he is the "final" redeemer.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s the Rebbe's talks became increasingly focused on the topic of Moshiach, that Moshiach was about to come, and what was needed to accomplish this. These talks would often take on a sense of urgency. On one occasion, during the rebbes talk at the International Conference of Shluchim, he stated "the work of the Shluchim has already finished, and the only task left is to welcome Moshiach".

In the early 1990s Hasidim became more vocal about Schneerson being the Moshiach, even submitting a petition to him asking that he reveal himself as the long-awaited messiah.

In 1991 hasidim began singing a new song ("Yechi") proclaiming him to be the messiah. On at least one occasion, the Rebbe appeared to gesture his approval. But a few months later when some chassidim started to sing it, he said that it was strange that he should remain sitting there, and that the only reason he did not stand up and leave was his reluctance to disrupt the brotherly atmosphere of a farbrengen.

After Schneeerson's stroke in 1992, which left him partially paralyzed, it became customary for chassidim to recite the Yechi chant after prayers and at general prayer gatherings for his recovery. Whenever he was present he encouraged this.

In the fall 1992, on Rosh Hashanah, Schneerson was brought to a window constructed on the upper level of the synagogue at 770 Eastern Parkway overlooking the main sanctuary. Chassidim sang the full version of Yechi, and he made encouraging motions with his left hand (his right side had been paralyzed by the stroke). On certain occasions; the rebbe made increasingly big signs of encouragement such as on Rosh Chodesh Kislev 1992 (5753); when the rebbe moved his hand back and forth with extreme energy.

Haredi response

The response of haredi gedolim to messianism both before and after the death of Schneerson has been universally negative, though they differ on the appropriate response and remedy.

Rabbi Elazar Shach

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 Shach was the first major Jewish leader to openly criticise Schneerson and Chabad over Messianist fervor. 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". (See: Eliezer Schach: Opposition to the Lubavitcher Rebbe.)

When certain elements in Chabad actually identified Rabbi Schneerson as the possible Messiah, Rabbi Elazar Shach advocated a complete boycott of Chabad, its institutions and projects by its constituents.

Pointing to an assertion by Schneerson in a passage dealing primarily with his predecessor that a rebbe is ‘the Essence and Being [of G-d] placed into a body,’ Rabbi Schach spoke of nothing less than Avodah Zara [idol worship]. His followers refused to eat meat slaughtered by Lubavich shochetim or to recognize Chabad Hasidim as adherents of authentic Judaism.

Aharon Kotler

Rabbi Aharon Kotler (1892-1962), founder of the Lakewood Yeshivah in New Jersey, was severely critical of Lubavich, in part because of the extreme emphasis on messianism evident even at that time.

Aharon Feldman

Rabbi Aharon Feldman, dean of the Ner Israel Rabbinical College penned a public response to a question from Gil Student asking how orthodox Jews should relate to chabad messianists in 2003. He expresses wonderment at the fact that the "great halachic authorities" have not published rulings on this subject and reluctantly agrees to issue a ruling himself. He makes a clear distinction between what he terms the "Mishichists" and the "Elokists". He rules that it is forbidden to associate with Elokists under any circumstances due to their heresy and they cannot be counted for a Minyan. He rules it is also forbidden to support the mishichists in any way that lends credence to their messianic beliefs though they are not strictly heretics. He argues that although there is a Talmudic source (Sanhedrin 98b) that the Jewish messiah may come from the dead, nevertheless that source indicates that this messianic candidate must be similar to the prophet Daniel; Rabbi Feldman rules that anyone that can believe that the last Lubavitcher Rebbe was similar to the prophet Daniel has entirely compromised judgment and should not be given any leadership position. "...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."

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 fufilled these credentials.

Shlomo Eliyahu Miller

Rabbi Shlomo Miller, a Rosh Kolel (dean) of the Kolel Avreichim institute for advanced talmud study in Toronto and head of its Beis Din (Rabbinical court), said in an interview, "The belief that Moshiach is in the embodiment of a deceased person is definitely assur (forbidden) and our mosdos must convey this issur to students as part of their education... However, I would not say the Mashichistim are pasul but rather they're very mistaken in an important part of Yiddishkeit. Perhaps, I won't accept such a person as a Rav (you can't be a Rav if your deluded), or to work as a shochet, but I won't say their shechitah is prohibited... "

Moshe Heinemann

Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Rav of the Agudath Israel of Baltimore and the Star-K kashrus organization, said in an interview," It's a distortion to say the Rebbe is Mashiach and anything which is not the truth, we can not agree to, even though Chabad in general does many good things."

Dr. Avraham Pollack, president of the Star-K kashrus organization, was asked if the star-k would approve of a chabad messianist shochet. Dr. Pollack answered that we look for ‘Yerai Shomayim’ shoctim and chabad has many of them that are ‘Erlich’, however if one of the shochtim claim openly ‘Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu V’Rabbeinu Melech HaMoshiach’ that is definitely a red flag and will most likely not be hired by us.

Elya Svei

Rabbi Elya Svei, one of the rosh yeshivas of the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia, said in his eulogy for Rabbi Elazar Shach, "Another area in which Rav Shach took the sole initiative and responsibility was in the less than popular task of protesting Messianic proclivities within Lubavitch. Rav Shach assumed the responsibility of decrying this perversion. Rav Shach started to fight this battle alone. He illuminated the truth so that others could also see the posed threat and follow his lead."

Rabbi Svei and others launched an effort to decertify Oholei Torah/Oholai Menachem (a major Lubavitch yeshiva in which the messianist belief is proclaimed) from the Association of Advanced Rabbinical and Talmudic Schools (AARTS).

Yehuda Henkin

Senior American Posek, Yehuda Henkin in a responsa to Gil Student ruled that messianists are merely foolish and need not be shunned but he was more stringent regarding the Elokists: "However 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."

Zev Leff

Rabbi Zev Leff was asked if the Lubavitcher Rebbe is Moshiach. Rabbi Leff answered, "The Lubavitcher Rebbe is no longer alive. The Rambam says very clearly that if someone claims to be Moshiach and he dies before he builds the Temple and brings all Jews back to Eretz Yisrael, then it is clear that he was not Moshiach. So according to the Rambam the Lubavitcher Rebbe cannot be Moshiach... Also, even if people will claim to have found sources that seem to say that Moshiach can be somebody who died and will come back from the dead to become Moshiach, those sources are not obviously what the sources means because for 2,000 years one of our objections to Christianity across the board was that the concept of a dead Moshiach who comes back to be Messiah is not a Jewish concept."

Rabbi Leff was also asked the following: "May one eat in a restaurant whose proprietor feels that the Lubavitcher Rebbe is the moshiach, if it is under a widely accepted hashgacha? Furthermore, is it permitted for a person to daven in a shul where the majority of the congregants feel that the Rebbe zt"l is moshiach, and perhaps participate in the recitation of Yechi?" He answered, "The restaurant really depends on who the supervision is and if it is a reliable supervision. Even if the proprietor is not Jewish, certainly if he is Jewish and has wrong ideas about Yiddishkeit, you can eat in that restaurant. On the other hand, to daven in a shul where the majority have crooked ideas about Yiddishkeit and recite things that have no place as part of the davening, better not to daven in a shul like that."

Satmar Rebbe

According to anthropologist Robert Eisenberg who studied the relationships between the various Hasidic groups in New York Satmar Hassidim hold extremely hostile views towards the Lubavitchers in general viewing them as "damaged goods" and "idolaters" on account of their beliefs concerning Schneerson. He notes that following Schneerson's death, the Rebbe of Satmar was said to have commented "Now we have to wait for the real Messiah."

Others have noted that any perceived hostility was between individual Satmar and Lubavitch hasidim and it was not a position tolerated by their leaderships.

Chaim Dov Keller

One of the first commentators to document the development of Elkoist thought was Rabbi Chaim Dov Keller. In a 1997 article he asks of the Lubavitch movement: "Will it be set back on a true course to reach out and bring Jews closer to HaShem and His mitzvos, or evolve into a huge messianic cult whose purpose is to propagate the divinity and worship of the Rebbe?"

Yaakov Kaminetsky

Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetsky expressed concern in the early 1980s that what he regarded as Lubavitch's nascent personality-centric thinking could morph into something more objectionable. He advised Bezalel Landau not to publish a few chapters in a book he had written on the Vilna Gaon that dealt with his opposition to Hasidism as such material could split families, pitting husband against wife. He noted that he should keep them in reserve in case "someone was to do an ugly thing" a reference that Kaminetsky's son says refers to the Chabad movement.

Yaakov Weinberg

Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg, a rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, told an enquiring student (even before the Rebbe's death) that he should pray alone rather than in a Chabad synagogue because 'they pray to a different deity [eloah]'.

Religious Zionist response

Shlomo Aviner

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, the Rosh yeshiva of the Ateret Cohanim yeshiva in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem and the rabbi of Bet El, was asked "Is the last Lubavitcher Rebbe the Moshiach (Messiah) as many Chabad Chasidim claim", and Rabbi Aviner leaves open the possibility that the Rebbe will be resurrected and then become the Moshaich, concluding however that in the meantime, one cannot say he is the Moshiach. "It is clear that he will arise during the resurrection of the dead, and it is even possible that he will arise before others and perform salvations, as our Rabbis wrote. In the meantime, however, a proclamation regarding the Redemption before the Redemption does not make him Moshiach."

Modern Orthodox response

Rabbinical Council of America

In 1996 the largest Orthodox rabbinic grouping in the United States, the Rabbinical Council of America approved the following resolution. The resolution read: "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." Berger felt that the RCA resolution was a very significant turning point for his cause, as he recounts in his book that after the resolution was approved, "the thunder-bolt struck."

Ahron Soloveichik

Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik

In June 1996, The Jewish Press published a paid advertisement comprising a letter with Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik's signature. The letter included the assertion that Soloveitchik believed Schneerson to have been worthy of being Messiah, that the Chabad position that Schneerson was the Messiah could not be dismissed as heretical, and cited a number of sources to demonstrate that he could be the Messiah. The letter also attacked Chabad's critics, and praised Chabad's works.

Many messianists believe that Soloveichik defended their position and bring him as a source to back up their arguments. Yet the letter caused confusion as this was a reversal of Soloveichik's previous position on the matter. In 1994, Soloveichik had told The Forward that Schneerson "can't be the Messiah - he is not living - a Messiah has to be living. A living Messiah, not a dead Messiah." He had also expressed shock at the idea that anyone could suggest that the Messiah could be from among the dead noting that "that could be possible in the Christian faith, but not Judaism" adding that this was "repugnant to everything Judaism represents."

Berger provides a letter from Soloveitchik to a friend in 2000, that resolves the contradiction between his two positions. Soloveichik writes: "To my great dismay...publications affiliated with the Lubavitch movement have persisted in stating that I validate their belief that a Jewish Messiah may be resurrected from the dead. I completely reject and vigorously deny any such claim. As I have already stated publicly...such a belief is repugnant to Judaism and is the antithesis of the truth. My intent in signing the original letter...was merely to express my opinion that we should not label subscribers to these beliefs as heretics. Any statements in that letter which imply an endorsement of their view were not shown to me at the time I signed and I once again repudiate any such ridiculous claim."

Norman Lamm

Other Modern Orthodox leaders have also responded to Chabad Messianism. The trend of messianism itself was criticized strongly by Rabbi Norman Lamm, chancellor and former president of Yeshiva University. Lamm argues that Schneerson’s statements could be misinterpreted to create a "distortion" leading to "moral nihilism." Lamm further argued that such open efforts to declare Schneerson the messiah would not have been tolerated before his death: "When he was alive, no one would have dared to discuss this." On another occasion Lamm argued “I do not believe that the rebbe thought himself to be moshiach. But I do think he considered himself a possible candidate." Lamm decried the movement’s over-emphasis on messianism and belief that the rebbe is the messiah but simply concealed from view. "To continue this myth of his being moshiach is utter ridiculousness. 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. I wonder if this distortion could and should have been avoided by responsible leadership of a movement that has not lost its vitality."

Tzvi Hersh Weinreb

The Executive Vice President of the Orthodox Union, Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb commented on the fragmentaion of the Chabad movement since the Rebbe's death in a July 2007 comment piece for the Jerusalem Post: He bemoaned the fact that "...the Rebbe's great piety, scholarship, and love of Israel should be sullied by such an unacceptable heresy is a grievous tragedy." "In the absence of a leader, there has been a messianic reaction. Based on fragmentary remarks by the Rebbe himself, many of 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."

Gil Student

Rabbi Gil Student an orthodox writer and publisher has written and self published a book examining and rebutting the theological claims made by Chabad messianists.

In 2002, Gil Student published a book called "Can The Rebbe Be Moshiach? Proofs from Gemara, Midrash, and Rambam that the Rebbe zt"l cannot be Moshiach." A synopsis of the book goes as follows: "During his lifetime, the Lubavitcher Rebbe...was declared by many of his followers to be the Moshiach... His death in 1994 should have dashed those hopes. However, many of his followers have advanced the position that even today the Rebbe can still be Moshiach... This book is an analysis of this position within the Jewish tradition. This work demonstrates from dozens of texts that according to the authentic Jewish tradition the Rebbe unfortunately cannot be Moshiach."

In 2003, "Can't the Rebbe be Moshiach? Disproofs from Gemara, Midrash, and Rambam that the Rebbe cannot be Moshiach", a critique of Student's book, was published online by Rabbi Melech Jaffe.

Chaim Brovender

Rabbi Chaim Brovender, president of ATID (Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions in Jewish Education), said in an article in the Jerusalem Post:

The topic of the messiah appearing in our time in the guise of the previous Lubavitcher rebbe has become a serious matter in our time. Some are vehemently in favor (mostly hasidim) and some are opposed (some hasidim and many others). I take it that you feel you have to have a position and would like me to give some direction.

Although sympathetic to the enterprise of the Rabbe and in spite of the fact that I visited (yechidus) several times, I have never been part of the Habad movement. When this idea began to gain support from within I must admit that it left me cold. After all, the rebbe had many opportunities to announce his messianism which he only alluded to (according to some interpreters). The Rambam says that when the messiah comes we will all know. That seems reasonable to me. There is no doubt that the Jewish people (outside of Habad) do not know. The Rambam states further that we should try to avoid dwelling on the matter of the messiah since it is not really part of the information package that we received in our tradition.

I have thought about it and I have no way to connect to the notion that the rebbe who died some years ago continues to function as the messiah.

In spite of the rebbes obvious greatness, it seems to be another mistake that the Jews have made on this topic.

We continue to pray for the coming of the messiah in our time.

Israeli Rabbinate announcement

In January 2000, the Chief Rabbinate of Israel released the following announcement:

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:

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.

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.'

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.

Progressive response

Senior Reform Rabbi and humanitarian activist Arthur Lelyveld was also scathing about the messianist trends within the Chabad movement describing the organisation as having a "cult like" atmosphere.

Philosopher Rabbi David Hartman expressed his concern about the developing messianism early on, while Schneerson was still alive, saying that "the outpouring of Messianic fervor is always a very disturbing development."

1998 letter

The actions of a Chabad rabbi who was active in the community of expatriate Russian Jews in Milwaukee, by the name of Alexander Milchstein lead to the publication of a response by about 30 Chabad rabbis.

Milchstein had been hired by Yaakov Elman, as a Russian speaking rabbi to assist him with the influx of Russian-language immigrants, after Milchstein's views became public, his views were denounced by the local orthodox rabbinate in the November 20, 1998 edition of the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle.

In response to the furore, a group of some 30 Chabad affiliated rabbis calling themselves the "Central Committee of Chabad-Lubavitch Rabbis in US and Canada" sent a letter to the local newspaper addressed "To the Jewish Community of Milwaukee, Wisconsin", arguing that Chabad should not be preoccupied with the idea that Schneerson is the Messiah, (but as Berger points out falling short of arguing that Schneerson cannot be the Messiah): "The deification of any human being is contrary to the core and foundation of the Jewish faith. The various Talmudic, Midrashic and other sources which seem to ascribe superhuman spiritual attributes to certain righteous people, were never meant to be deification and great care must be taken when quoting them. Belief in the coming of Moshiach and awaiting his imminent arrival is a basic tenet of the Jewish faith. It is clear, however, that conjecture as to the possible identity of Moshiach is not part of the basic tenet of Judaism. The preoccupation with identifying the Rebbe as the Moshiach is clearly contrary to the Rebbe's wishes."

Anthropology

Some scholars of religion have made comparison with the development of early Christianity: 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." Such comparisons are something which makes many Orthodox Jews uncomfortable. Scholar Mark Winer has noted that "The Lubavitcher movement's suggestions that their late rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the Messiah, reflect Christian millenarianism"

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."

Some have gone so far as to describe Chabad messianism as halachic Christianity. Judaism scholar 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."

Breakaway movement

In protest at Chabad messianism, Rabbi Shaul Shimon Deutsch started a split-off group known as Chabad-Liozna. Deutsch has a synagogue and a few hundred followers in the Boro Park district of Brooklyn. His actions have made him an unpopular figure within the mainstream Chabad community.

Support

A few non-Chabad Jewish figures have expressed their concurrence with the belief that Schneerson is indeed the messiah. Yaakov Yosef, (son of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef) and Aaron Leifer, Rabbi of Nadvorna-Safed, both signed a 1998 halachic decree ruling that the Lubavitcher Rebbe is the Messiah.

The "Yechi" statement

"Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu v'Rabbeinu Melech haMoshiach l'olam vo'ed!" (יחי אדוננו מורנו ורבינו מלך המשיח לעולם ועד) is a phrase used by many Chabad Hasidism to pray and proclaim that the seventh Lubavitcher Rebbe, Menachem Mendel Schneerson will be the messiah. It means "Long Live our Master, our Teacher, and our Rabbi, King Messiah, for ever and ever." The phrase can be seen printed in various settings, notably on pamphlets, posters and small prayer cards. It is chanted by many people at the end of daily communal prayers in Lubavitch congregations, including the main Lubavitch synagogue in Crown Heights, "770". Yechi has a complex and controversial history dating back to the mid-1980s and is often viewed as a litmus test to differentiate the messiansits from the anti-messianists or non-messianists.

Yechi began as the phrase "Yechi Adoneinu Moreinu Verabbeinu," ("Long Live our master, teacher and Rebbe!") to which the response was a shout of "Yechi" ("May he live!"). It appears to be based on the statement made by Bathsheba, the wife of King David "Yehi adoni hamelech David le'olam," ("May my lord King David live forever!") (Kings I 1:31). When used by Lubavitcher Hassidim, it was originally recited in the presence of Rabbi Schneerson after twelve special verses known as "the Twelve Pesukim" whose recitation the Rebbe encouraged in his teachings.

A child honored with reciting the last verse of the Twelve Pesukim would call out the phrase, to which everyone would respond. This was repeated three times. The response would be accented on the second syllable. After three calls, everyone would chant the word Yechi together in a 2-3-2-3 pattern. This was followed by singing "We Want Moshiach Now".

In 1988 Rabbi Schneerson spoke of the importance of declaring the ancient Jewish cry of Yechi Hamelech ("May the king live") as a prayer to express their desire that the Jewish Messiah should come. Later on, many of his followers began to consider this term synonymous with the above Yechi, using it to refer to Rabbi Schneerson himself.

See also

• Jewish Messiah
• Chabad-Lubavitch
• Lubavitcher Rebbe
• Messianism

References

• On the Spectrum of Messianic Belief in Contemporary Lubavitch Chassidism, David Berger
• Chabad and Messianism, Adam Dickter, Haddasah Magazine
• The Messiah of Brooklyn: Understanding Lubavitch Hasidim Past and Present, M. Avrum Ehrlich, KTAV Publishing, ISBN 0881258369
• Dalfin, Chaim. Attack on Lubavitch: A Response, Jewish Enrichment Press, February 2002 (ISBN 1-880880-66-0)
• Fishkoff, Sue. The Rebbe's Army: Inside the World of Chabad-Lubavitch, Schocken, 2003 (ISBN 0-8052-4189-2)
• The Once and Future Messiah in Early Christianity and Chabad, Joel Marcus
• 2002 Irresponsible Slander, Prager, Dennis, Moment Magazine.
• The empty chair, Yediot Aharonot, Neta Sela, 02.12.07
• Lubavitcher Rebbe as a God Haaretz, Saul Sadka, 02.14.07
• Waiting for the Messiah of Eastern Parkway New York Times, Jonathan Mahler, 09.21.03

Further reading

• The Jewish Messiahs: From the Galilee to Crown Heights, Harris Lenowitz, University of Utah, 2nd ed. (Oxford, 2001).
• Salvation or Destruction? The Meaning and Consequences of Lubavitch Messianism, Kraut, B., Shofar: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Jewish Studies - Volume 20, Number 4, Summer 2002, pp. 96-108.
• Jewish Messianism Lubavitch-Style - an interim report, William Shaffir, Jewish Journal of Sociology 35 (1993) 115-128.
• The Messiah Problem: Berger, the Angel and the Scandal of Reckless Indiscrimination, Rabbi Chaim Rapoport (Ilford, 2002)

External links

• Beis Moshiach Magazine
• Chabad.net, Messianist website
• Chabad.info, Messianist website including video clips
• A "Psak Din," or ruling in Jewish law, signed by over 200 Rabbis, stating that the Lubavitcher Rebbe is the Messiah.
• Chabad and Moshiach
• Messianism controversy and the views of Rabbi David Berger