Chaim Grade, forgery and arrogant Professors

This week's Kfar Chabad magazine brings a rare hard hitting article on a forgery perpetrated by Misnagdim in Piskei Dinim of the Tzemach Tzedek, published in 5644 (1884). The particular line was properly republished in 5709 (1949) by kehos in reference to a decision of the Gaon of Vilna, the Tzemach Tzedek responds "VeAina Teshuvah", and this is no response. The forgery had inserted a line endorsing the GRA, "and I in my poverty did not merit to understand his holy words". The fact that it was published in Vilna made this forgery possible. According to Lubavitch tradition, some of the seforim were reprinted then with the correct line, some of the forgeries were found and destroyed, but for the most part that edition of Piskei Dinim contained this error. The original Ksav Yad of the Tzemach Tzedek is in the Chabad library showing the forgery.

A gentleman who complained to the Rebbe in 5709 that this line was removed purposely by Kehos was told by the Rebbe the story of the forgery. The Kfar Chabad reporter found a handful of private people who have the first edition of the Piskei Dinim with the correct line, all public Jewish libraries have the forgery in their version.

Professor Shmuel Glick, director of the Schocken Institute for Jewish Research of Jewish Theological Seminary in Jerusalem, and associate of the Schechter Institute, seems to take issue with this letter of the Rebbe. The last portion of the article is dedicated to demolishing his statements and calls into question his credentials.

In his book "Kuntres HaTeshuvot HeChadash" Professor Glick states that the Rebbe's letter contains no truth, that the true version is the one praising the GRA, that Kehos perpetrated a falsehood, and quotes two frum researchers, R. Moshe Blau and R. Yehoshua Mondshein. The first he quotes from to establish that there is no other version of the first edition of the Piskei Dinim. As Kfar Chabad rightfully points out, he couldn't do the minimal research a reporter could do to find the other version? The second he quotes to establish that Chasidim would forge to protect the honor of their Rebbe.

Both of these researchers have sharp words for this Professor Glick. R. Blau for his part calls this a "blood libel on the Rebbe". R. Mondshein takes him to task for his error, his tone and misusing R. Mondshein's words to produce a falsehood.

I cannot tell if this professor is frum and merely working for Conservative institutions or himself Conservative. I feel enough respect to wish to hear his apology or defense for his error and tone, as his son served as a soldier in the IDF and died in a car accident while serving. I would assume that the professor is frum, as his son studied in Yeshivah.

UPDATE: shturem.net carried the scandal further. The original Kfar Chabad article is here, and a follow up shturem article with the professor's evasive response, neither admitting error nor apologizing. He does say he is travelling and the book is not with him. Yet he did not respond to the original request of the reporter for a comment. The comments online there are very revealing as well.

An honorable mention to Chaim Grade for old times sake. They republished a hesped for him written by Yisroel Duchman in the Algemeiner Journal, in which he talks about Grade's reconnection to Judaism through the Rebbe, to the point where he has a pithy conversation with a former Communist friend in Canada, who saw him wearing Tallis and Tefilin early one morning and exclaimed: "Chaim, you too?" "Yes, it is I..."

He quotes Chaim Grade on two subjects: his father, R. Shneur Zalman Duchman: "Reb Shneur Zalman HaLevi Duchman, author of the collection "LeShema Ozen"; a Tehilim Jew in whose every step (יעדער שריט און טריט) was heard the song: Ashrei Temimei Derech!" On the Rebbe: "Dear Rebbe, continue for many years to enlighten the world with the Torah, the good and the wisdom of yours; with your activities to bring heaven down to earth and to raise the earth to the heavens; with the song of unification of yours to "He who rides the clouds" and with the consolation to the sinner that he too has a holy spark - and whenever you pray for others, remember as well Chaim ben Velle."

Hey Teves Facts

Fact: There was no will found of the Frierdike Rebbe after his passing. The family came to the agreement that no one would touch the belongings of the Frierdike Rebbe, and they would remain in place in 770 as they had been until then.

Fact: The Rebbe honored this agreement to an extreme by keeping the Frierdike Rebbe's room as it had been on the day of his passing, and not merging the library of the Frierdike Rebbe with any other, or allowing the same employees who worked one library to work the other.

Fact: As long as the Frierdike Rebbe's wife was alive, there was no talk of changing this status quo in any way.

Fact: Barry had a friendly relationship with the Rebbe, even though his father had been promoted by his grandmother as the next Rebbe.

Fact: Barry drifted away from his mainstream Lubavitch connections, and only maintained contact with the personal friends of his mother.

Fact: The books were only removed from the Frierdike Rebbe's library, and only at times when no one could possibly be around. Barry was told by his mother that he could take whatever he wants. No one else knew anything about this.

Fact: Barry sold as many of the books as he could in the time given. The rest were stored in a warehouse, not at his home.

Fact: When the theft was first discovered, he was given opportunity to make amends, either personally or through a Bais Din. Only when he failed to acknowledge this effort was this spoken of publicly and brought to court.

Fact: Barry and his mother had asked various helpers around 770 to help him carry the suitcases out to his car from her room. One of these helpers on hearing what he had aided in attacked her. She sued the Rebbe, and it was settled out of court.

Fact: The Rashag had plenty of money saved up. He willed it to the Rebbe, and it was used for the out of court settlement.

My only contribution of opinion: It is nonsense to say that this was done because his yerusha was so precious to him, or because he needed money. His father had millions put away. The Rebbe in my opinion would have helped him if he had asked, or even if he had had his mother ask on his behalf. He didn't need to sell them, and obviously didn't care enough about them to keep them.

There is only one conclusion: The facts confuse the elements out there.