I did not attend the banquet. I haven't been attending for some years now. I don't feel like I belong if I'm not out there on the front lines. Towards the end of the banquet I receive the following message via Whatsapp: ( NOTHING has been changed or altered)
I'm writing to you as I know you are very close to R Sholom Mordechai... So many of us here in Lakewood decided to watch the Shluchim Kinnus this year (something we don't usually do ) to see how Chabad would celebrate with RSM in their first opportunity to show appreciation to hashem for the nes he bestowed on one of their most publicly renowned Chassidim, and also to see how Chabad would celebrate the man who became a סמל of emunah and bitachon in the whole world , the kind of heroic bitachon the reminded us of the lubavitcher chassidim that risked everything in communist Russia ... But alas we have all been sorely disappointed. Watching the kinnus You would not know this nes ever happened . You would not know there's a giant of emunah amongst the crowd . How can Chabad ignore this . How could Chabad not give public thanks for the נס גלוי that happened to one of their own.. what am I missing. Is there some kind of nefarious politics that we don't know abt ? - עד כאן
Well. I'm not sure what to do with this. It never crossed my mind that he should be featured at the kinnus, but maybe that's because he's already sort of out of our collective minds. 11 months is a long time in 2018, when news cycles barely last 12 hours. Featured as a speaker would maybe be too much, but the guy who wrote the above comment was looking for 3 minutes of "real time joy and acknowledgment" in regards to SMR. That's all. Also, this wasn't a dinner for Lubavitch; rather it was a dinner for shluchim and their baaleibatim. Lay leaders, if you will. But I hear the טענה. I did not dismiss it out of hand. It's ironic that we all live in our little realities and bubbles. I know some people were quite upset that lawyer Gary Appel thanked President Trump for what he did for Sholom Mordechai, as well as everything else he does for the Jewish people. Shluchim that work with very opinionated Liberal Jews were worried what they would say to their college students and hippies and back home. So lots of people on either side are unhappy. The basic טענה against Chabad is they don't care about kiddush hashem or doing what's right. It's all about חנפה'נען the baaleibatim. Oligarchs and Shmoligarchs. OK. I suppose that's like Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz speaking in front of hundreds of Roshei Yeshiva and telling "דעת תורה" what they should be doing. How they should be running their schools and Yeshivos. They're also quite because he gives them money?
I'd love to hear what your opinion is on this matter. You can also add more complaints about the banquet, if you so desire. I'm sure there are more; I know shluchim themselves have plenty. After all, they don't ask for every shliach's opinion as to how to run the banquet... In the meantime, enjoy this beautiful and heartwarming clip shown last night.
18 comments:
Hirshel great post. I am one of those litvkas who watch the kinnus every year and I love watching the achdus at the kinnus.
But this writer hit the nail on the head and I would love to see the other reactions.
We all have Nissim that we experience on a personal level in our life. Some on a smaller level and some on a larger level. But a nes such as the release of SMR is something that Klal Yisroel has not exprienced in decades.
Now you are correct that it was 11 months ago and at the point all of klal Yisroel celebrated in the streets of NY. But let’s look at chabad as a chaisdus. The shliucim conference is the time of the year when all get together which TBH I don’t know of another sect that has such a beautiful event. Wouldn’t you think that as a chasidus we should all thank Hkb”H for the nes he did for a member of our chasidus ? Yes they sang ani mamin at the morning photo shoot for the victims of Pittsburgh but they can’t sing Ani mamin when Hkb”h did a nes nigla for their own chaver ? What would have the rebba done ?? From my little knowledge of the rebbba he would have called SMR up and sand Dida Netzach for an hour straight.
Which leads me to think why was he maligned ? Is he not good for their PR ? For their fundraising ? To honor god forbid a convict ?
While I see what the complaint is, we can't ignore that there was a huge amount of publicized celebration in all of Lubavitch upon his release. Certainly to the point where no one can claim Lubavitch swept it under the rug. Why not at this specific event? Who knows? Maybe there were other things that needed highlighted and there's only so much time? Maybe they asked him and he felt it didn't need highlighting? Why automatically assume it's part of some international conspiracy? Here in Pittsburgh there are more pressing things to think about like the fact that the recovery effort by the chevra kadisha is still ongoing. So from our end we were much more excited to see the ani maamin by the Pittsburgh shluchim and maybe we're missing the obvious horrible anti SMR campaign going on.
Reb Sholom Mordechai was celebrated and welcomed, he was in fact the first person interviewed and we all cheered him on.
The format of the Kinus is extremely unique and is unlike many other Chesed Dinner where there are many speeches.
The Kinus Hashluchim sticks to a theme and drives home that message in various ways.
Hirshel, please focus on the positive instead of inviting people to share their negative thoughts about this holy assembly.
this was an event for shluchim and not for all chabad chasidim. he did have a shout out at the dinner that marked him being thier. i am positive he was not insulted, and happy to attend the kinus as his son is on shlichus on college campus, and he was their to support his sons, nephews and cousins that are on shlichus. that was the point of the gathering
כתיב ונקלה אחיך לעיניך, כיון שלקה הרי הוא כאחיך. ואם לקח ממון שלא כדין, אע"פ שאינו חייב ביה לא מיתה ולא מלקות, פסול לעדות. -ברטנורא סנהדרין ג
This is not a convention of Chabad chasidim, or chasidus. it is a kinus hashluchim. And only that.
To the extent that Rabbonim who are lubavitchers, but are not shluchim are not invited. Rabbi Groner who the rebbe zy"A's gabbai was never part of the kinus. Etc.
The SMR issue is a tremendous simcha, but has nothing to do with the work of Chabad and it's shluchim.
The shout-out that he got in the beginning was more than enough recognition. ( Perhaps even too much, as his attorney went on a trump diatribe, whereas Chabad is careful to always remain apolitical, especially in a tumultuous political arena as we r in 2018) Even that was not necessarily necessary.
G-d bless 'em all
As per Rabbi Balkany ( brother in law of SMR )other communities, such as Satmar and Lakewood (yes, Lakewood) were much more involved in the Rubashkin saga than Lubavitch .He said this on the Zev brenner show on the Motza"sh after the release.1 Go figure.
At least we had a rapper instead. https://www.vosizneias.com/309221/2018/11/05/rockland-county-ny-rapping-rabbi-lights-up-the-crowd-at-kinus-hashluchim/
אבי געהאקט א טשייניק. מ'זוכט טענות. דער 'כינוס השלוחים' איז א דיננער ווי אלע דיננערס, ווי דרשנים פלוידערען און מענטשען עסען, אדער קוקען אויף זייער טלפון. טענות אויף וואס מ'האט יא אדער נישט גערעדט דארט, איז אזוי ווי טענות פארוואס א קאמענטער אויף א בלאג האט עפעס יא צו נישט געשריבען
"4,325 Shluchim Declare UN Resolution Null and Void" !!!
http://crownheights.info/chabad-news/508734/4325-shluchim-declare-un-resolution-null-and-void/
" But let’s look at chabad as a chaisdus. The shliucim conference is the time of the year when all get together which TBH I don’t know of another sect that has such a beautiful event. Wouldn’t you think that as a chasidus we should all thank Hkb”H for the nes he did for a member of our chasidus ?"
Shluchim and supporters only...
Not the lower caste and normal anash. SMR was there is an anomaly.
I was not there and I thought he was just like me.
He was farbrenging with shluchim in 770 the whole night,
For a real chasidisher yungerman like SMR he had too much recognition,,,,,
some people: Is there some kind of nefarious politics that we don't know about ? - עד כאן
Possible, That's not the public face Lubavitch Inc. Wants as an international icon of their "public brand". ved"l
! עד כאן - העירוב
some people: Is there some kind of nefarious politics that we don't know about ? - עד כאן
Possible, That's not the public face Lubavitch Inc. Wants as an international icon of their "public brand". ved"l
! עד כאן - העירוב
"How could Chabad not give public thanks for the נס גלוי that happened to one of their own"
Atleast as much thanks as that was given to the נס גלוי by the Entebbe Airport..
The beatification of Sholom Mordechai as some kind of saint and kadosh has already surpassed all reasonable proportions. Thank G-d that the organizers of the Kinus chose not to take part. I doubt the possibility even entered their minds. The man is a convicted felon who stole and cheated and engaged in all sorts of unethical practices to to amass his n=millions. The fact that he was a big בעל חסד does not change this fact, nor does it lessen the chilul hashem he caused. The sentence he received was obviously excessive, and I'm glad that he was eventually released; but to turn him into some kind of hero is misguided
Blogger Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...
"I see no reason to rehash the Vechter/Entebbe/Boycott saga here. It doesn't belong."
Thursday, February 09, 2012 3:57:00 PM
Isn't he a criminal who must have done *something* wrong, and everyone makes out he is a hero? If Litzman goes to jail and comes out after 7 years with all his emunah will he too be a hero? How much bad must someone do to be not a hero after jail?
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