One story tells of a Chosid (if my memory serves me, Reb Aizik Homlyer) told by the Tzemach Tzedek to direct his question in Etz Chaim (in Kabbalah) to the Rebbe Maharash, who went to the house late at night and noticed through the window the Rebbe Maharash deep in study with a table full of seforim. When he knocked on the door and was allowed to enter, the table was clear and a paper was in their place. When he mentioned his purpose and the Rebbe Maharash acted innocent and wondered why the Tzemach Tzedek would send a question in learning to him, Reb Aizik informed him that he had been "caught" learning.
The Rebbe's public persona until he became Rebbe was similar in a limited way. He could not disobey the previous Rebbe; he had to farbreng with the students of the Yeshivah when he visited, publish and edit the books of Kehos, and farbreng once a month with all the Chasidim. Yet what he could avoid, he did: wearing a grey hat, a short jacket, sometimes even walking around with newspapers, or avoiding having his name listed as the editor of HaTomim, the Chabad Yeshiva journal in Poland.
At the same time, the Rebbe's nature and habits were clear to anyone who came into contact with him. He spent all his free time secluded in the Bais Medrash (in Berlin) or at home (in France) in study. He was overly careful in every Mitzvah that he performed, going to great lengths to keep to his self imposed standards. He gave Torah classes in Paris at various locations. There are many individuals who attest to all of this.
However, certain elements have used these facts to "tell" their own story. With conjecture and anonymous sources, they wink and claim that the Rebbe led a not so kosher life in Paris, and perhaps before as well. The Rebbetzin's actions are up for grabs for them as well, although they provide no concrete "stories", only adjectives such as "modern". They claim that the Rebbe in fact ran away to France out of a burning desire to study secular subjects.
JEM has yet another segment on the upcoming video, and in this interview the son of the man who handled the money transfers from the previous Rebbe to the Rebbe states categorically that the Rebbe did not want to be in University, that the previous Rebbe insisted on it. One conjecture is that this was done so the Rebbe could accompany his younger brother in law, who did want to study. I can only hope that time will give us the reason for the previous Rebbe's insistence as well.
If anyone has any doubt as to what the Rebbe did with his time while living in France, why don't you take a look online at http://www.lahak.org/ and read the section of Reshimos. These are the journals of the Rebbe from his life before reaching the US. There is no French philosopher's pontification, there is no modern life to be seen there. Only authentic Jewish Torah thought.
The truth is hesitant, it takes time to emerge. Lies are instantaneous, they can be provided at the tip of a hat. Beware the magician.
This leads us to the next post: What difference does all this make?
16 comments:
I enjoyed this post and like your reasoning. Don't be nispoel from the idiots who will try to tear you down. I am looking forward to your future posts.
Guravitzer
Very well said!
it would be very stupid to believe "these online "elemnets" (mentalblog.reshimu, failed mesiah" to name a few, just by looking at their others pots, you realize that everything is made up, twisted and pure evil
But it is very plausible to do what you are doing here
This light is needed to expels ignorance and evil
But...but...but... everyone knows that the FR's vicious attack against limudei chol and TIDE as a shita (printed, among other places, in vol 4 of Glitzenstein's Sefer Hatoldos) was written out of his despair that his son-in-law insisted on going to college. Everyone knows how upset he was at this, and how much he would rather that he stay in Otwock with him, like the "good" son-in-law, the Rashag. Everyone knows that when Berke stayed with the Rebbe he never saw him crack a sefer. Everyone knows these things...don't they? Can "everyone" possibly be wrong?
Of course, nobody "knew" any of these things until Shimmy published his speculations and WAGs, and then certain bloggers decided to spread the "new truth" and dispel the "lies".
Bottom line: "Hagiography" has become a derisive term in people's mouths; all that's needed to dismiss a story of tzadikim is to label it "hagiographical" and we know that we can look down our noses at it, and perhaps pontificate about Artscroll if we're that way inclined. And indeed it's true that hagiography can be ludicrous or even nauseating - unless it truly is about hagios; but when we do come across the holy, then hagiography is not only appropriate but the only appropriate response.
The automatic dismissal of any such work or story belies a denial that there is or can be any such thing as hagios, at least in our day. One who believes in the existence of kedusha and tzadikim, however rare, will treat stories of such with appropriate skepticism, since they're so easy to fake, but will bear in mind the possibility that this example might be the real thing; much as an art dealer will look skeptically on a picture brought in by someone off the street, and will be aware that it's probably worthless, but will always be on the lookout for that rare find that is a genuine treasure. Only someone who thinks the Old Masters are a myth, and "new masters" lo kol sheken, will automatically sneer at each new find without even bothering to wonder whether it might be true.
Very well put.
Oh well
Another blog 'preaching' to the choir.Hear,hear!
Don't you guys get bored of repeating the same crud?
Do you think that anybody in their right mind actually believes you that the Previous Rebbe wanted his son-in-law to go to Berlin and university??
Let me remind you, fellas, pre war Poland and prerevolution Russia was a time that whoever went to college did not come back to yiddishkait:It was unheard of of a Rebbe allowing his family to go to university.This was not a Tora Vodas boy going to night college or what has become extremely common today, an aufgeklerteh Chabadsker going to law school.At the time going to college was sending a message.
(Btw, the truth benders have the chutzpah of accusing the FR of sending the Rebbes bro to university! He unfortunately did not overcome the nisoyon.The truth benders have probably a lot to say about the FR other son in law,R'Mendel.)
Btw, when I once had the 'chutzpa' to ask were all the thousands of Lubavitcher chasidim from the ZZ TIME and their tseetsoim had disapeared to all I got was nonsensical answers.The truth is that haskoloh,communism,bundisten etc did the same damage amongst chabadsker,misnadim other chasidim,the only community which seemed to have survived largely intact were the Hungarian communities bdrech Hachasam Sofer.
With your "oh well" you reveal yourself as someone whom no matter what proofs are stuffed down their throat, will refuse to acknowledge the truth.
If you want to prove a point, prove it. Do not bring your generalities and stereotypes and assumptions here without proving them case by case. Make your case, or state it as your belief. This is not your mikveh locker room.
You need to know this, and know it well: If you been a non Jew, you would be a history revisionist and/or Holocaust denier.
As a total outsider with no axe to grind one way or the other I have a question. I seem to remember from my youth hearing things like the Rebbe spoke about some scientific /physics issue of which he was an expert because he learnt in the Sorbonne. Was there in fact any talks of the Rebbe where his knowledge was attributed to his secular studies? And if there were, isn't it obvious that he must have devoted some serious time to acquire such knowledge?
Try to be gentle in your answer.
Hatzlocho on this new venture!
Just to add..
I personally heard from Tanchum Levine (was an orphan-relative who stayed in the Schneersohn home as a child) that Rabbi J.I sent ALL three mentioned above to university. I asked him the reason and as far as I remeber he said he didn't know and would not speculate on it.
evanston, I am not sure what lack of gentility you expect. Regardless, it was well known to Chasidim that the Rebbe had been in college, especially considering that he worked in the Brooklyn Navy Yard based on his degree.
In fact, there are letters from the Rebbe from 1956-9 and further on where he mentions his education explicitly. It's in reference to the ZIM controversy, the Israeli ship passenger line that operated on Shabbos, and the Rebbe battled to have it stop and for people to not use it while it did. He discusses the workings of a ship and mentions his engineering degree to back it up.
Although the Rebbe's letters were not published in full until the late eighties, these particular letters were of public interest and were published early on.
The Rebbe's electrical engineering background also came up in the '40s, in the controversy over microphones in shuls. His degree gave him credibility when he insisted that microphones could not be used on shabbos, and that those who permitted them didn't understand how they worked. That fight was won, and now it's almost impossible to find an Orthodox shul with a microphone. The ZIM fight, unfortunately the Rebbe did not win, but eventually the entire question became moot with the death of the passenger-ship industry.
A story going around thirty years ago was that the reason the Rebbe, zt'l, was sent to university was that all of the Chabad Rebbeim had to spend time incarcerated. The first six spent time in prison, and the Rebbe spent time at university.
Not a story, you mean "an inyon". A ruchnius'dike reason.
this candy is only for a Chabadster
Perhaps you would like to explain your cryptic comment.
I like this candy
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