Thursday, November 5, 2009

Hot September Days and Cold Pepsis




click to enlarge

יש דורשין אותו לשבח, ויש דורשין אותו לגנאי. Chassidim - if this were to happen to one of their own leaders - would definitely see this as an act of defiance, of knowing that he's a Jew and does not flinch, even when facing certain death. He demands the comforts of home - as strange as they may be for a Gaon and tzaddik haDor - even when a big AK-47 is being waved in his face. He's full of trust in the A-mighty, despite seeing the Angel of Death and his eager assistants before his very eyes. Yet, when we see one of theirs demand this we cannot help but smile. Anybody I told this to broke out in a smile, almost as if they could not help it. We look at the story as if the Rosh Yeshiva cannot help but be chained to his routine - a creature of habit, if you will. As if he forgot that he's not at the Four Seasons now, and the temperature of his boisson du jour is not what matters right now... Yet even when we recount the story of a "simple" chossid we herald his bravery and place it on par with the greatest acts of heroism. We Jews are strange characters in a sense. I know what you people are thinking, he's going after YRCB again, but believe me, I'm not.

You always complain to me about how one-sided and full of kool-aid I am. So I'm trying this new objectivity thing; trying to look at everything objectively. This is Exhibit A. My motives are pure and sincere, and very much in line with the basic teachings of Chassidus BiChlal and Chabad BiFrat. I believe that following that path will make more acceptable to all of you, thereby spreading forth the wellsprings of Chassidus even more than till now. This, in turn, is good for all us, since it bring forth the Messianic period, the times we have been waiting for since the Creation, and the reason for which the world was created. The month was seem like a time with little to be joyful for, but we can change that this year. We can bring forth a time of immense joy if we only band together and do what's right - as one. One people trying to reach that same mutual goal using different routes to achieve it, but leaving plenty of room for others to be there and stay there. I thank you all for your continued support and wish you much success in all endeavors - both spiritual and physical.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

too many mistakes. read it over and fix the gap. Pepsi is tip of iceberg- Berlin don't speak about what happened...

Anonymous said...

Your take is almost the opposite of the Emes. It is well known in CB circles that RYH told RYD (the other RYD not R' Yonason David who was also there)a lot of secrets during the time they were there on the assumption that neither of them would make it out and was quite worried when they indeed did make it out that he would repeat those secrets. So that seemed to be his mindset.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

what kind of secrets?

and how did it become well-known?

examine your mirror said...

so spreading the springs of chasidus is by repeating a stupid lie from some foolish book on a saintly tzadik ,
had you examined every behavior of your entire group including the leaders, before you switched to this group you would have stayed put,
do yourself a favor start examining lubavitch in the same fashion you examine everyone besides lubavitch
pick a topic ( we will help you)
you might end up leaving lubavitch altogether

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

my dear examiner

I have been examining Lubavitch for quite some time now. Thank you very much.

yehupitz said...

I don't see the problem. The story is awesome. The defiance, with just the right amount of disdainful humor mixed in, is a perfect snapshot of RYH's Gaavah D'Kedusha.

seen it all said...

It's been whispered for years about RYH's actions on the plane. But my dear friend tzig, check what the Rebbe said about him at a farbrengen during that tkufah. hijacking. The Rebbe spoke of his gadlus that he "kochs" in kisvei maharal among other things. So think twice before going negative about him. I don't have the maarei maakom and will post it when I find it.

Hirshel Tzig - הירשל ציג said...

s.i.a.

I know, I know, and I think we even mentioned it on the blog, maybe even more than once.

Anonymous said...

No one knows what the secrets were. I assume what he thought about certain people (maybe even including old friends from European capital cities...).

shmuel grainom said...

just an excuse to get chaimberlintragedy posting again, i really miss him

Milhouse said...

Who is this "we" who "cannot help but smile" in a derogatory at this story? My first thought on reading it was that it reminded me of the Frierdiker Rebbe, and the attitude he took to his captors. The FR too behaved as if he were unaware of his true situation, even going so far as to demand of those murderous communist revolutionaries that they address him by his title of nobility! It's an attitude designed to put the captors off their game, to put them on the back foot, and gain a psychological advantage over them.

yomtov in der vochen said...

"I have been examining Lubavitch for quite some time now. Thank you very much."

Where have you been "examining" Chabad?
Not on this blog, you haven't.
Fact is your blog is one of the few that will not address any of the problems in Chabad.Maybe you''ll ask how do I know that even Chabad realizes that there are problems in Chabadland.Simple, all the Chabad sites address them regularly.Chabadonline,Shturem crownheights.info with many an op-ed.You have never examined anything or even allowed posters.Now you may claim:"My site is not a political one to air out problems" Oh yeah?Well how come you are "airing" out all the "problems" of other kreizen?How come you especially like to cheper with certain deceased individuals?

You know what? Chabad used to, once-upon-a-time "monn emmes" now every tom dick and johnny-come-lately vert the biggest "mekushar", der gresteh chosid.Time that you took a breather to look inwards, like the 6 young men on trial because of mesirah,by......... fellow "כאסידעם".
Of course you can just censor this and pat yourself on the back and tell yourself "Hirshel,dee beest an echteh mekisher,dee host bashegetzt der gantseeh velt, host gegeyben a sach naches far'n rebbe'n.

Bocheh K'negdo said...

Shmuel Grain-of-Salt

How 'bout a post on "the tragedy of CBT"?

I , for one, dread the return of that overwrought windbag but you've certainly laid the bait.

Egads!!! Every time he posts a comment I've got to put in for vacation days to make it through the tough slog of his langa megillos.

Anonymous said...

the Rebbes saying that his Koching in Maharal helped him in this case, is not opposing Hirshels analysis,

Friendly Anonymous said...

Bocheh,

vacation days?! aderaba, the only place I can read his diatribes is davka at work. You think my wife would let me spend that much time on our computer? (not to mention the homework with the kids)

TBC said...

Anon@6:34
"It is well known in CB circles that RYH told RYD (the other RYD not R' Yonason David who was also there)a lot of secrets during the time they were there"
Really?
What secrets?
Why would he tell R' Yankel his secrets when his eidim was with him? Makes a lot more sense for him to confide in his eidim and not some young bachur...

the examiner@8:13
"repeating a stupid lie from some foolish book on a saintly tzadik"
Lie?
Foolish book?
The story is documented by a good and honest jew who had no reason to lie.
I have never heard it disputed in CB, though I have heard it said over l'shvach quite a few times.
Also, the "saintly tzaddik" line would have CBT screaming about the amount of CB koolaid that you've been drinking. Not that it's not true, it's just how you say it.


I must commend you Tzig on putting out the bait out for CBT. After all, the articles that he commented on were by far the most successful on this blog.
If we go back to the articles which he commented on we can find articles with 100-150 comments and some with even more.
These days we have a hard time getting 20 comments, we have some recent articles that couldnt't even break double digits in the comments, and it's been a long while since we've broken 50 comments.
CBT brought an entirely new element to the conversations and the conversations became alot more than just pro or anti Chabad.
His wit, humor, and above all, his outright krumkeit were all amazing.
However, CBT will not comment on this or any other CB stories on this site again because he is a coward and has met his match. He would rather not get involved in conversations that cause him to lie, make up stories and embaress himself.
We miss you CBT, and we know how hard it is to hold back the pen after reading this....

LkwdGuy said...

For the record, I am disappointed that CBT did not take the bait. All my snooping around MYRCB never got me any good information regarding the hijacking.