If any of you have been reading the last two editions of Heichel HaBesh"t you may have been privileged to see a new phenomenon. The Historian Reb Amrom Blau has been writing recently both in HH and in Shturem.Net about Toldos Yemei Chabad, and he's been encompassing it all, especially the hereto unknown. He's been writing about the 2 Rebbes of Kopust and also about the differences of opinion between them and Lubavitch after the passing of the Tzemach Tzedek. It's not very vivid in detail, but it does give the reader a taste. Many of the individuals he mentions when it comes to Colel Chabad at the turn of the 20th Century and other events were Kopuster Chassidim, and many of the commenters there do not like what they see. They see it as an affront to the all the Rabbeyim from the Rebbe MaHaRash and on. They've been commenting on Shturem and voicing their displeasure about Heichel HaBesht as well.
I think they're insecure, and should learn to live with it. The Rebbe was the one to say that what happened 100 or so years ago between the Rabbeyim is no longer relevant. If there's Chassidus to be had from them, and if there's history to be learned then that's what we should do. The Frierdiger Rebbe mentions his uncles and cousins with the greatest Derech Eretz and respect, so why should we be any different? Besides, we need to beat those that'll use Kopust as another front in the fight against Lubavitch. If Lubavitch will embrace it then the haters will have nothing.
My elter-elter-zeyde wouldn't even say the name "Kopust". He would say "Kometz Kuf", with a tone as if it were the strongest epithet in his vocabulary.
ReplyDeletePS: Maybe this really is a difference between those of us who have it in our blood, and those to whom it's the history of another people in another era. We can speak dispassionately about Campbells and McDonalds, or Hatfields and McCoys, but I imagine that if we were of those families we'd speak of them with a different tone, even after so much time has passed.
ReplyDeleteYes, Milhouse, but who more than the Frierdiger Rebbe, who had Lubavitch in his blood, should carry that grudge? Yet it seems like he forgave and forgot. But then again, maybe that's the Koach of a Rebbe.
ReplyDelete> My elter-elter-zeyde wouldn't even
ReplyDelete> say the name "Kopust".
The terrible machloykes between chasidim caused what it caused.
I've heared somewhere, that Rogatchover Goen za"l was the roysh hachaburo for Kopuster chasidim. Is it true?
There is also a big filed for research in regards to chasidim of Reb Arn Strasheler ztz"l and their move to Viledniker Rebe ztz"l after Reb Arn passed away. Chabad in general isn't interested in it too much. But someone's opposition to chasidic history research of such issues is simply ugly.
Hirshel,
ReplyDeleteRight on!! I can't agree more. Millhouse do you even know one Kopuster Chosid? Forget it, I too can look back in my family history and spit and curse at the world but I would rather look to see the good in others.
to Yid
ReplyDeleteMondshien talks about it in the Preface to the Monsey edition of the Shearith Yisroel.
the Rogatchover was a Kopuster, at least his father was, but that didn't stop him from respecting Lubavitch, the Rebbes Rashab and Rayatz, and the Talmidim of Tomchei Tmimim.
ReplyDelete