Saturday, October 18, 2008

Where Was I?



I sometimes wonder the same thing.

Some of you may have been concerned or curious as to my whereabouts, at least as far as the Web is concerned. The truth is I was right here, in a way afraid of the keyboard. Not wanting to write, not caring enough to write. Maybe I'm not cut out for the hardcore blogging, i.e. targeting people from the community etc., like others do. As a matter of fact I know I'm not. I don't usually do that. I almost NEVER do that. Some of the comments I got on the Friedlander thread were a wakeup call for me. I happened to see one of the people pictured over Rosh Hashonoh, and I wondered what my reaction would be had he known who I was and had he confronted me about what I wrote, as benign as it was. That sort of took my cheshek of writing away for me, and I decided to take a shtikkel break from writing. THAT BREAK IS OVER.

I now realize that I was being intimidated by people with agendas and with things to hide. Nothing I did was so terrible. I see other "respectable" blogs get nice "mainstream" companies and businesses with constant ads on their sites, even if they report every single Loshon HoRah piece about every Jew available on the web. Somehow nobody I know is embarrassed to say that he reads Vos Iz Naies, yet the Tzig's blog is somehow taboo for some people. I fail to see the logic in that.

The picture above is from an Artscroll book published by the Munkacser Rebbe's aunt - his father's sister - before Artscroll became the final word in Charedi policy. I doubt they'd print such a picture today, for several reasons. I also happen to have loved the article/interview in the Mishpacha magazine with the MR. He seems to be in touch with today's society - at least when conducting an interview. I loved how he "taytshed op" his zeide's shitos regarding Zionism etc. and adapted them to his own less-zealous way of dealing with all kinds of people. The pictures were also great. I also was crazy about how he mentions the Baal Shem Tov so often and bases so much of what he does on the Besht and his approach.

There are good times ahead for my readers, iy"H. Spread the word.

26 comments:

Mottel said...

Can't wait!

Anonymous said...

l'chaim
let start hakafos!

Anonymous said...

A gutten meyed,
How does the Munkatchers "in touch" state translate in terms of actions , statements, support for the yishuv under seige in Israel, care for Jews around the world.
We are still waiting for a spiritual leader to step up to the plate and take the role as clean up hitter as manhig Yisroel like the last manhig hador who died in 1994.
Frankly in order to do that in ameaningful manner you need some form of higher secualr education to undertsand psychology, sociology, world affiras, American History the basics of modern science, philosophy, other religions, etc etc. There were such people like the rebbe, the Rav, Dr. Eliezer Berkovitts ,Chief rabbi Herzog, Rabbi Weinberg, Rabbi Goren, and even autodidacts like Rav Kuk.
Alas today only a few such rabbis exist.

Anonymous said...

shneur : chuchma Bagoyim Tamin?
isnt chucmas chabad above all? is this blog here to delute the superemcy of the rebbe

Anonymous said...

whats up with the msihpacha piece on munkatch? they got paid to do it?

Anonymous said...

A Note On Hatred.

We have long noted how Lubavitchers often respond to even the mildest and most balanced criticism with the charge of sinas chinum. This is true no matter how objective or even friendly is the tone of any letter or book on the subject. This is also true regardless of the lack of any evidence of actual bad feeling. It has unfortunately become utterly predictable that the principle reactions to any suggestion that there might be some problems in Chabad ideology or practice consist of deeply emotional (and often incoherent) accusations of personal hatred and venom.

This is a real shame because it makes it virtually impossible for anyone to engage in intelligent and productive dialogue on the issues that really matter.

Anonymous said...

Whether you post this or not!

Tzig,
Instead of realizing that you had no business in personally attacking Friedlander,a guy you don't even know (i.e, he has not yet done you any 'toiveh' that you should be such an ingrate)and heeding the vocal responses you got, you now claim to be in the right!!

If this is what your esteemed rabbi and the newly elected segan rabbi are teaching you at Z.Z, you may need to look for other role models.Hopefully, this is not their fault.

Just a note:"People who live in stone houses should not throw stones"!!( don't criticize other people when you yourself have faults and weaknesses ... )

Lubab inc. is full of the same (and much more)of the faults you attack other of.On top of all that Lubab have an entirely new 'chidush' in "משוגעת" and שיתוף" אין ע"ז" dehaynu (or as Avreymel Fried would say: "Dehaynununununu")the deification of the late Rebbe "ליידער מען האט געמאכט פון עם א געטשקע"

Anonymous said...

wow...a postive post for a change...must be what the simcha of succos does to you

Anonymous said...

"I now realize that I was being intimidated by people with agendas and with things to hide"

A hint of paranoia, perhaps??

You are the truly objective guy without any Lubab ubber alles agenda, right??

Abarbanel said...

מזלא טבא וגדי"א יאה
תשואות חן למושיבי עקרת הבלוג. גודל אבידתך א"א כלל לשער, בשרי נעשו חידודין חידודין, כספינה שאבדה קברניטה וכגד"י קישור ידים. ברם, תלי"ת יש לנו גדי זקן ולא ישנה מהמסורה אפי' זיז כל שהוא ועל כל גל וגל כן ירבה וכן יפרוץ בבחי' ופרצת ובפרט בשנת הקהל שכולם באו ללמוד ולשמוע ולקבל שכר, בודאי שיוסף ידו שנית להגביר חיילים להגדיל הבלוג ולהאדירה.

עיקר-שכחתי
בנושא הפעולות של כ"ק אדמו"ר ממונקאץ' אבקש ממעלתו להרחיב הדיבור ע"ד העצורים בבית האסירים. קודם כל צריכים לברר מי ומי ההולכים, האם רבו בזה החסידים על המתנגדים או להיפך ואח"כ צריכים ללבן הענין על איזה עבירות שבידם נחשדו רח"ל האם רובן בגזל ומיעוטן בדברים של מה בכך שאדם דש בעקביו כגון נטילת לולב על לולבי דרי בלי שש הכשרים המכחישים זה את זה או מאוכלי המן שנמנעים מלעסוק בישוב העולם אטו ישוב הארץ וחוטפים זבובים בין תנור וכיריים, ובהגיע תור לשלם דמי הדירה ושארה וכסותה סמכינן על החלקת שמונה (סעקשן עיט בלע"ז) והכול ע"י כח הצדיק המשפיע מופתים (מ'עדיקעיד ו'ועלפער פ'וד סטעמפס ת'עקשין עיט) ובכלל צריכים לברר הדק הטיב הלימוד זכות של רבני זמננו שאין מדקדקים בעניני גזל ואונאה, האם ניתן לפרש הכתוב ד"לא תגנוב" באופן אחר כגון גניבת דעת העליונים המלאכים הממונים היוצאים וכו' וכו' ולא באופן פשוטו של מקרא שהם רק לפשוטי דעת ולקטני אמנה, לא זו דרכינו, אלא שמגבבים הכתובים בצירופי אותיות וד"ל. ר' הערשיל מה לי להאריך עוד כי קצר היריעה מהשתרע אך דעו נא רבותי אפילו שאמרו חכמים מהדברים שהשתיקה יפה להם, בודאי אמרו רק בזמנן אבל היום שרבו הגזלנים ונתמעטו הלבבות ונמצא ש"ש מחולל....

והכל רק על דעת מרנן ורבנן אבל באם ח"ו לא כוונתי לדבר אמת אקבל נזיפה ואודיע שכל מה שאמרתי כאילו לא אמרתי עפר אני במיתתי ק"ו בחיי,,,

chchick said...

I think it's "people who live in glass houses shouldnt throw stones"

Anonymous said...

A.F.'s post intrigued me so much that I had to go back and read the original Friedlander post for the first time...thanks A.F. I almost missed that.

I don't see what the big deal is. I don't think Mr Friedlander is all that, nor do I think he did anything so terrible. I don't know that he point blank claimed to speak far alle yidden. At the same time I didn't think that Tzig's "attack" on him was that brutal either. I don't see what he said that was so terribly offensive.

I can't comment on the ensuing discussion because I didn't read the whole thing. I got nauseated as it gradually degenerated into just one more standard pro/anti lubavitch hate convention that had just about nothing to do with Friedlander and more to do with if the Rebbe was the true living dead (which is apparently what they claim Lubavitch claims) or ch"v lehavdil Yoshke (which is what some of the Lubavitchers apparently claim the others claim)...doesn't make much sense? well, no biggy - neither did most of the posts on that topic.

Anonymous said...

Abarbanel - איהר שרייבט גאנץ פיין, א געשמאק צו לייענען, א האר-ציג-ען יישר כח אייך.

בּנוגע לשאלתך " קודם כל צריכים לברר מי ומי ההולכים, האם רבו בזה החסידים על המתנגדים או להיפך ", הלא ידעתּ אם לא שמעתּ הפּתגם הידוע ש "יד החסידים על העליונה"

Anonymous said...

btw...you mentioned the Munkatcher, so I thought I'd just mention, being that he is in the photo, that I know people who are very close to the Dinover and my understanding is that he is also quite an amazing as well as "in touch" sort of person.

Anonymous said...

as far as im concerned, the Dinover Rebbe shlita and the Munkatcher Rebbe shlita are amongst the (unfortunately) emesdik rebbeim nowadays. tzaddik or not is another discussion, but they are definitely amazing people and each of them are a true nosi in their own right.

Anonymous said...

Sheichet,
How've you been?Long time no c.How's the (hard)rockin'?lol
Anyway, about the Friedlander post.Tzig, for no reason attacked a guy who's business is public relations and in no way shape or form was talking in anybody's name.
It especially irked me that a Lubavitcher, a member of a group that claims to be unfairly attacked would do such an unprovoked sleaze job with pics and all.
Anyway as we get closer to the elections, it seems that getting on the Obama train was a smart choice because unless he puts his mouth in his foot big time he is gonna be the next President.
Now you''ll see all the frummeh brownosing to get on the bandwagon

Anonymous said...

In the 1970's the great Zaddik of Dinov (he then also called himself Munkatcher rebbe before the 2 eyniklech reached a agreement of the trademark "Munkatz") was arrested or detained at a NY International airport for carrying "Samim". The Rebbe exhibited his gadlus and chochma by providing the auhtorities with an address of another Rebbe who hailed from Russia with the exact same name who lived in a rather remote area of Brooklyn. The next day the Yiddish papers had a report that Rabbi JI Rabinowitz of Pardegat place as arrested.
This makes the Dinover rebbe one of the emesdike zaddikim of our generation. If that is so I don't want to meet the falshe zaddikim of our dor...
Another kashe : is a rebbe required to obey Kibbud Av even if the father becomes a Mizrachi rav ? or is this just for the amcha.I realy think one should think long and hard before proclaiming people emesedike zaddikim.

Anonymous said...

Schneur with the goods.

POW!

Anonymous said...

Schneur
In the world of the Minchas Eliozer a Mizrachi Rov is not Oise Maise Amcha.

Anonymous said...

Hirshel
in the Mishpacha article their is a tiny mention of the short Peyoth, from when they visited the Belzer Rov in Tel Aviv

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

a belated THANK YOU to Don Abarbanel for his kind and vareme verter.

Anonymous said...

tzig just likes the munkatcher cuz they both went to TELSH in cleveland....

Anonymous said...

http://www.col.org.il/show_news.rtx?artID=42145
הרב מנחם מענדל טייכמן בהשתתפות ראש העייריה ומאות מיהודי הקרפאטים ואורחים חשובים מארה"ב ■ השמחה התקיימה בחצר הקודש של אדמו"רי מונקאטש אשר אורגנה בשיתוף פעולה צמוד ומלא עם חצר מונקאטש בארה"ב בראשות כ"ק האדמו"ר ממונקאטש שליט"א שפדה את החצר הק' לפני מספר שנים ומסר דברי תורה וברכה לאירוע לסיפור המלא

Anonymous said...

Schneur,

I am slightly related to the Rebbe you mentioned, and my grandmother was the one who cleared up the story. You have the details totally wrong. Firstly the drugs were in his garage (in hollowed out seforim)!!! It was the New York Times who mixed him up with the Monastritscer (to the best of my knowledge). It was this legal problem that was the impetus for the Dinover to drop his feud with his brother and claim to the name Munkatch!!

Anonymous said...

Hey A.F. - I'm B"H doing alright, still trying to work on as many projects as I can handle. Hope all is well by you.

Like I said in my prior post I did not see where the accused made any claim to represent anyone. I'm in complete agreement with you on that one. My point was merely that HT's attack on him was not very brutal as far as attacks go. I'm not necessarily condoning the attack. I'm just saying that of all the things to jump on this one seemed like a relatively minor infraction by comparison.

I would quote what Rabon Gamliel said about this type of thing but I don't want to be responsible for causing Schneur to give us the "goods" on him :-D

Biz said...

Yoshke YM"S was the source of the "glass houses" quote.