I've never liked his articles on YnetNews. He tries hard to sound sophisticated, liberal and open-minded when he has little to back that claim. Opinions needs to have some sort of support, you can't just "pick a side." He seems to enjoy taking an Ipche Mistabra Point of View. He doesn't like the Government in the "bedroom," thinks that two Feygalach should have the same rights as a normal couple, and thinks Ann Coulter is the biggest threat to American Jews. That's fine if you're DovBear, but not for a Chabad Rabbi. Now he seems to have found favor in part of what Phiilip Berg's Kaballah Center does with regards to "bringing Jews closer to Judaism," and he condemns the English Rabbis for giving an Israeli football coach who attends the KC a cold reception. So what if they sell "holy water" and red strings for 24.95 each, (not that private enterprise is a crime) somewhere along the way they do eat Matzoh, right?
See for yourself.
I'm glad Rabbi Yitzchok Shochet's standing up to him. Now there's an intelligent guy for you. The poor guy has to meddle with Brackman, who's not in his league BiChlal. He says it right when he puts Levi in the group he calls wannabe enlightened people who think that Chabad needs to be all-loving even when it comes to other philosophies that are foreign to Torah and Yiddishkeit. Maybe being English Levi figures he'll be the second coming of "Shmuley," but he's no Shmuley neither. At least Shmuley has charisma to go with his strange ideas. But, according to his website, he does offer the following: "coaching and consulting to companies, entrepreneurs, businesses, business people, executives and artists. His approach to consulting and coaching is based on the timeless ancient Jewish wisdom found in the Torah and Kabbalah." If you think you can't afford his services think again! "Rates start at $150 per hour but are are negotiable – no one is turned away due to lack of funds." That makes me feel much better, because that 150 per hour rate is just too much for a working guy like myself. I'm glad nobody's turned away.
37 comments:
hate to tell you this tzig but the movement, chabad, spawned this liberal,accepting openess. the chabad leaderships longtie flirtation with seclar america, the media, freie money etc. -wink wink, put on tefillin- and all is well.
you guys created the monster.
sorry.
right. sure. we've got a monster factory in 770. uh-huh.
Tell me, O' great one, the Chasam Sofer's Talmid, Aron Choriner, or others that went over to the Neologues/reform, did they also do the "wink-wink put on Tefillin give me money" thing?
I guess so.
If you question one shliach you question all of them. There is no doubt that he gets his advice from the Source Itself.
almost all lubavtchers are 'cool' with the outside world, lets face it, if youre going to plant seventeen year oldbochuri in times square, they will lose the natural fear they should have towards the outside world. there are many problems with them, keyadua,proportionally more than thetalmidei chasam sofers failures? maybe thats why there wives have to dress ike prutahs to keep their eyes on them...
my good man, the chasam sofer didnt plant his talmidim in times square with tefillin when they werre hormonally charged teenagers. of course lubavitchers are 'cool' with the outside world and open to the secular media, and thus, liberal and openminded. they were taught early on that all is permitted to fill the coffers of the movemement. so this is what happens to lubavitchers. maybe thats why their wives have to dress like prutzos in order to get attention; its hard to compete with times square!
anonymous:
no need to repeat your nonsensical perverted thoughts.
The point is that although the CS didn't plant his Talmidim in TS STILL there were rotten apples 175 years ago!
Now go and wash your eyes with soap.
ok, i finished washing...now, i am trying to make a serious point and if you can hod your fingers from typing a response for just on moment and listen; yes, there are always rotten apples; this is not an example of a rotten apple however, but rather, an example of what happens when you teach bochurim to be 'chonef" translation; tuchis lick, all freie money people and show how normal you are. its not his fault, its the fault of the people who sent him those messages. you know well that ntil he went over the edge, mainstream lubavtich was very proud of shmueley, gloating that 'one of them' was doing such good yafutzu they were proud of mattisyahu till the inevitabe happened. they send mixed messages nd they wring their hands.
thnks for your patients, now you can let your fingers fly across the keyboard in righteous indignation.
self-righteous bistu, as well as clueless.
You do realize that the "establishment" was the one to condemn him, right?
I'm not sure how matisyahu comes into this conversation. He's not a shliach, and all he's done is left Chabad. You should be happy for him. Maybe now he'll become a "real" Jew.
sure they condemned him..afetr he went to far, not before. the difference between them and gret people is that great people have forsight, they say that this will lead to no good. chabad was proud as peacocks of shmueley until they couldnt be anymore. i bring in mattisyahu because anybody with a brain not soggy from too much vodka would have immidiately issues an ultimatum; either quit today or dont preach that your chabad; not lubavicth, no, this is great we get attention, hype, noise. then, oh no, what a shock, he is nt firing zich vi a chasidishe bochur darft zich firen! shame. oh, he left.
no accountability, no foresight, no leadership.
Give him a break: he's young and he has to make a name for himself and raise his own salary in a tough Denver market where shluchim live on top of each other . As a salaried professional, it's too easy for you to criticize him.
Sure, it would be great if 40-year-old talmidei chachomim with 10 kids from Lakewood would do kiriv in denver, but that hasn't happened yet.
nice use of catch phrases, but not very relevant.
are we comparing a BT who continued his life's passion to a shliach who strayed too far (Boteach) and was too popular for his own good? So they should've told Matisyahu either drop it or stay non-frum? Do you see what you write or is this "dump on Chabad for anything" day?
People's opinions are formed whether or not they visit TS or not. I know Satmarer Yidden who look like Tzaddikim who don't believe much of what the Torah says. They don't frei out, but they don't believe. Who's to blame for them thinking the way they do?
talking about brackman being the second coming of shmuley boteach,
his brother happens to be shliach in oxford england, where shmuley boteach used to be.
how ironic.
"are we comparing a BT who continued his life's passion to a shliach who strayed too far (Boteach) and was too popular for his own good?"
It's not exactly the first time this has happened; Carlebach and Schachter-Shalomi come to mind. And there was a lapsed Satmarer Chossid (forgot his name) who recently appeared in ads for Yeshivat Chovivei Torah in the Forward.
People are going to do and say whatever they want and will believe they are doing the right thing.
Tzig, although I have to disagree with you on his articles in general, he has gone too far. I think I understand what he is trying to say, but he is pushing the idea too far - that acceptance of the person equals acceptance of the idea.
Additionally, he does not understand some of the groups he writes about. To say that some Jews first exposure to Judaism is through the Kabbalah Center is to say that some Jews first exposure to Judaism is through Wicca.
Gentlemen, the natchalnik talk is too far. He is making a mistake, not speaking kefirah or disobeying Halachah. Toeh Bidvar Mishnah Chozer, not Nidon LeMalkus or LaHariga or LeCherem.
If one were to see the bochurim that actually go on Mivtzoyim (instead of imagining one's own sinful experiences when going to Manhattan for the wrong reasons) it would be more then apparent that the boys who go remain more then temimus'dik . . . Perhaps speak to them an see for yourself and you'll see.
This Brackman character is an embarrassment to Chabad & Shluchim. People should have to take an IQ test before being aloud to write articles to the press.
Before Gimel Tamuz Chassidim would give in their articles to the Rebbe before publishing them. The Rebbe would correct things, and sometimes would cross out entire sections. NOT ONLY FOR INTERNAL CHABAD PUBLICATION. Any Chossid with half a brain, did not put out his material out there representing the Rebbe without first checking with the Rebbe.
So I ask Rabbi Brackman: would you submit such article to the Rebbe??? Did you consult with the head shliach of CO before publishing it? Did you consult with ONE older shliach with a little more experience before making such big chilul hashem? I challenge you to name your mashpia that thought it would be a good idea to call the KC a part of hafotsas hamayanos!
I don't like personal tone of the posts.Can't you post anything that does not attack Snags, other chasidim or private individuals?
Very well said Guravitzer - your intellectual and emotional approach here are solid IMO.
I also have to agree with Mottel..I know the guys who were going out faithfully to places like Times Square and the sleaziest ends of Tel Aviv. See them today and it's obvious it done them well, not harm. Now turn around and look at the Bochurim who were mostly skipping Mivtzoim...like me for example - nuff said.
zuravizter - I put the article in a volume of Igros and got the OK to publish..
Choriner was a talmid of the Chasam Sofer!!!???
Which finger did you suck that out of??
Amhuuretz means Noida BeYehuda. I mean, what's the difference anyway ...
I guess I meant Mattersdorf, (which was later the Chasam Sofer's shtelle) and then Noda BiYehuda. sorry. I don't koch zich in Hungarian Reformers, so I mixed up the two.
Whaddya mean Matterdorf?????
Levi, if that is truly you, perhaps you would like to explain how the Kabbalah Center is different than Jews for Jesus.
So you sold Gávavencsellő but didn't get enough to buy Bobruysk ?
Chorin was born in Hranice (in that time also known as Weisskirchen), Moravia, now in the Czech Republic, in 1766. At the age of fourteen he studied in the yeshivah of Rabbi Jeremias in Mattersburg, Hungary, and two years later at Prague in the higher Talmudical school of Ezekiel Landau. Here he also learned German. Chorin married on December 26, 1783, and entered commerce; but his business career being unsuccessful, he accepted the post of rabbi at Arad in the spring of 1789, which he occupied till his death
(from Wiki)
guravitzer...Let's be 100% frank and honest..
Kabbalah Center, Jews for J and our own Meshichisten - there ain't a lot of difference between them all.
Brackman uses Chabad as schtick for his parnassah, but he's not a believer. He hurls pejoratives at you when he can't defend his warped liberalism with actual logic. He makes a real Chillul Lubavitch.
Some people confuse provocation with intellectual substance. Claiming to be a "realist", while actually acquiescing to the liberal idea du jour is the stock and trade of R. Brackman.
Some relevant info.
Levi Brackman is NOT a Shliach, he's a rabbi at the Enfield & Winchmore Hill Synagogue, his brother Benjy Brackman is the Shliach.
I had it out with him a year ago until he stopped responding, and I agree with your assertion, he writes about things he doesn’t understand.
Also,
Your average Shliach dose not name his website HisOwnName.com (i.e. levibrackman.com) , it doesn’t fit the culture of being part of something larger then oneself.
Levi, sure they are different. Meshichisten believe the Rebbe is Moshiach - a shtus, as one Rosh Yeshivah put it, but not a sin - and have never advocated dropping Torah and Mitzvos. Obviously, I am not refering to the fringe group that does.
Jews for J and Kabbalah Center both advocate that Mitzvos are irrelevant. That makes them a bridge to xtianity, not Judaism, even if it seems to you that this is an entryway to Judaism.
It is not your opinions that are astounding. It is the lack of facts at your disposable necessary to judging these groups that is astounding.
Levi Brackman is indeed a shliach in Evergreen, Colorado (Judaism in the Foothills) and his Chabad House is listed in all the Colorado Chabad directories. Therefor, he does represent the Rebbe, chas v'shalom!
J4J is not a bridge to Xianity, it is Xianity. J4J are Baptists, plain and simple.
They are encourage to do Mitzvos Maasiyos as well, and try to blend xtianity and lehavdil Judaism. Please use facts, or you err as Rabbi Brackman did.
Milhouse wrote: J4J is not a bridge to Xianity, it is Xianity. J4J are Baptists, plain and simple.
Guravitzer wrote: They are encourage to do Mitzvos Maasiyos as well [...]
I once spent a lot of time communicating with someone who had been a senior member of J4J. Milhouse is correct: they are a Baptist organisation, and their theology does not differ from that of other Baptist groups. Particularly, they do not believe that Mitzvos are binding. The whole point of their deity's death is that it substituted for the observance of mitzvos. One of the few things he said in their favor is that J4J are careful not to say "asher kideshanu ... vetzivanu" when they say brochos. In their mind, anything they do is voluntary and it would be false to say otherwise. So, they don't blend Christianity as far as they and other mainstream Christian groups are concerned. They're the real deal.
Brackman is at it again???
There is no comparison between Boteach and Brackman. Boteach IS a scholar, Brackman is of below average intelligence. Boteach is charismatic, Brackman has the appeal of an ingrown toenail.
The only thing they have in common is that they both would say anything for attention.
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