Forks in the Road, by Rabbi YGB
"Once there was a woman whose husband would only eat fleishig (meat dishes), which she dusifully prepared for him. Their daughter came to marry a man who would only eat milchig (dairy dishes). Not wanting to deprive her son in law, the mosher in law prepared for him, as well, the food he craved. For several years this practice continued, with father and son in law eating in separate rooms.
Now, it came to pass that the family became impoverished and could afford neisher fleishig nor milchig. The woman was compelled to cook potatoes for both her husband and son in law. Nevertheless, the two continued their custom to eat in separate rooms. After several years elapsed in this manner, the two realized that there was, indeed, no point in their remaining separated and finally came to dine together."
( I find that story somewhat insulting to all Chabad Rabbeyim, and the Chassidus they wrote.)
18 comments:
When and where did this article first appear?
I don't know. But its insightful.
I was tickled by this footnote:
"For the sake of technical accuracy we should note that Chabad Chassidim reserved the term "Misnaged" for their most virulent opponents. "Run of the mill" non-Chassidim were called "Olamshe"." AK"L
This certainly agrees with my experience of the term being used as a derogatory dismissive rather than a normal descriptor for an entire path in Avodas HaShem. Personally, I strive to avoid it whenever possible The only exception I make is for the individual whom, when asked to give a D'var Torah, responds with "YOU give the D'var Torah and I'll schlug it up."
Theguy is talking nonsense,
Chassidus is not anti Halacha every custom that chasidim did has a mekor in Toras Emes maybe not in Shulchan Oruch, but didn"t the Gra pasken constantly against the Shulchan Oruch,Just this week I saw in Masse Rav that the Gra didnt say Boruch Hu Uvoruch Shmoi by davening, eventough the Tur brings it.
Chassidus is not anti Torah,the Meor Einim and the Alter Rebbe say that the deepest dviekus bashem you get via toras hashem chochmosa shel hakodesh boruch hu,and the Alter rebbe is the biggest machmir in limud hatorah
Misnagdin are not anti dveikus, the real Talmidie Hagra that were kabalist are all into deviekus,
Mashke is not dviekus
Zevin and the Ragachover are not the typical Chabad Chasidim, the Chein family are more the real chabad rabonim.
The Satmar Rov never said that I am the last chsid it was not his style.
Misnagdim was not exlusive Chabad terminology it was used in the circles of Slonim,Chernobil etc.
The Maggid of Mezrich appointed the AR to do the Shulchan Oruch with Hilchoso Betamo and he told Reb Uziel Miezels to make Menora Hatehora on hilchos shabbos.
Why? Because he was anti halacha?what a bunch of hooey.
Short on time here, but suffice it to say, I have found over 40 errors in this article.
Pure drivel.
From the article:
"My grandfather, R. Dov Yehuda Schochet... In a 1941 letter to R. Yosef Yitzchok Schneerson of Lubavitch,...proposed an objective perspective from which our generation might consider the disputes between the disciples of the Gr"a and the disciples of the Ba'al Shem Tov."
Does anyone know if or what the friediker Rebbe answered him?
I haven't read the article, but commenting on your quote and comment Tzig, I don't see the insult. I imagine he was refering to Haskalah, which indeed impoverished both of us.
If he is refering to Chasidim not learning Nigleh, then his article is nonsense, as someone mentioned above.
Chassidim are by and large boors, who are both fanatical about nonsensical issues such as which side of the hat the ribbon should be, not making kidush between 6-7 based on a pure fallacy(if anything it goes by shoos zemaniyos not by our hours)spitting in Oleinu,and than the 'chiddushim' in our generation:Screaming yechi hamelech for a deceased person.
Chassidim filled a need for the average boor to feel good without doing anything intellectual or spiritual, it's more like a Kosher party.
Chassidus:The good stuff they took from Mahara''l the gibberish they just made up.
It's no wonder that chassides has been succesful, look at the gentiles, the more radical and dumbed down you are the more you attract the masses.See those 'loving' suicide bombers, killing the innocent in the name of their fanatical 'religion'.They have their fanatics we have ours.Ours are called chassidm and the ones that take the 'prize' are the Lubab.
Ever heard the saying 'The masses are asses'?
See how the Breslov attract masses to Uman for Rosh Hashona with the message 'don't worry, be happy'
Breslov is very succesful because people are looking for something to feel good about.Mitva gedolah lihyos besimcha.
To his credit R'Nachman never sold the used goods about the depth of 'chassides' and the other self serving crud.He actually pushed people to learn Talmud even if they don't understand.Yet.He also pushed strict following of practical halacha.
This makes it just a bit better than the the people searching for depth in Lubavitch where all they find is cult simplicity.Again the masses are dumb and the leaders play on it.
When push comes to shove those leaders are the first to leave their 'masses' and those 'asses' deserve their lot
It's still amazing the asses snags will make of themselves by coming here. I think it deserves another song.
By and in large, Chasiddus today is either personality cults (Skulen etc), baseball fan like devotion (Bobov etc), or none controversial Avodah and mussar (Mechel Zilber etc), and scam artiste. My point is NOT to denigrate any one (certainly not the Skulena Rebbe), but to make the Satamar Rebbes point, that the UNIQUE Derech of the BESH’T is gone. What attracts people to Skulen is the personal tidkus of the Skulena Rebbe, the older Chassidim have the adherents who are more ‘fans’ than anything else, and 98% of what the young stars in the chassidus world are preaching is identical to what Litvisher preach, other than slight emphasis on Kedusha etc. Is that what the Besh’t came for?
reality
all the minhagim are minhagei yisroel and are brougt down in Magen Avrham, and you give credit to theory that minagdim are semi maskilim is not a myth
Rabbi Bechhofer writes well, but as a previous commentator here stated , there are some factual and theoretical errors in the piece.
I fail to see the purpose of the piece unless it was designed to "open up discussion".
Frankly now that the father in law of the 2 chassanim can neither afford meat or milk, perhaps a new device is necessary like SOY , fish or vegetarian food.(Bechhofer does not state the mashal of the Chofetz Chaim corrctly either)
In our days both of these schools have suffered terrible failures in East Europe since the 1800's. Millions of Jews under their watch left Judaism.
Perhaps its time for something new like Tora Im Derech Eretz,or an Orthodox version of the Kabbalah Center as advocated by Rabbi Ashlag. Perhaps those fellows on the "West Bank" learning , fighting and living can be a role model.Perhaps its Carlebach or the Activist Judaism of rabbi Avi Weiss.
The rest of the Jewish world is just repeating the mistakes of the Jewish community of east Europe in the century prior to 1939.
Finally while Chabad has attempted to fight assimilation etc and bring Judaism to the masses, what is the intermarriage rate in 2007 (in the US) and what was it in 1951 ? With all the saturation of Chabad in California, is that state free of intermarriage ? Today the issue of Jewish continuity and intermarriage is no longer discussed, as all including some Modern orthodox people accept intermarriage and quicky conversions.7 Intermarriage is so prevalent today that no one is "moche" against it.
So while Chabad has brought several thousand American jews back to Frum Judaism and impacted on thousands more, it along with all the other outreach groups have made no dent in the rate of intermarriage and assimilation of american jewry, perhaps new models are needed.
Please explain what a 'snag" means. I see this term often used around here. Thanks.
Anonymous 12:48
I know that the kiddush minhag is mentioned in the Mogen Avrohom, though the Chbsker 'minhag' is to actually use none shos zamaniyos i.e real 6 to 7 pm is their own nonsensical addition
I also know that the Ta'z in passing mentions the spitting during oleinu custom
But, see this is the problem with Lubab, they will take up some very strange practices mentioned in passing as customs but disregard real Halacha.What is worse they''ll make up a reason, ususally nonsensical at best, to 'justify' their custom.See their 'toreleh' about why they are makpid not to sleep in the sukka, while at the same time sitting in the sukka in pouring rain!(for a sip of water! this is no messira nefesh, this is nonsense)
I am sure there are minhogim that you follow that someone will consider nonsense. Think of that before using labels. Argue the issue if you wish - no one is really bothered by whether Lubavitch sleeps in the Sukkah or not, they are either bothered by Lubavitch itself or not. As the Rebbe said, it didn't bother the Volozhiners whether Lubavitch slept in the Sukkah or not.
Reality
Let me answer you like a snag, there is a famous saying of the Gra that a meshumad will be beaten in hell even for every little minhag kal, Bitul torah is a sin that according to chazal almost each and everyone can"t avoid, so shall we all stop doimg minhogei yisroel since we were oiver on a Mitzva Deoriso.
Post a Comment