Tag: torah

LEARNING AUTHENTIC TORAH PHILOSOPHY

Rambam (Maimonides) taught 13 Ikkarim (principles) that are an authentic Torah intellectual belief system.

By dabbling in “Kabbalah”, which often does not represent an authentic Torah mesorah (tradition), or else relying on substandard Torah scholarship, or relying on biased Torah sources with an agenda, one may come to accept a false or erroneous Torah intellectual belief system.

It is important to study the 13 principles from authentic Torah scholars. An example of this is the excellent Artscroll English/Hebrew volume “Kisvei HaRambam” on the Rambam’s writings, including the 13 Ikkarim. (Note: I don’t work for Artscroll nor do I receive any compensation for mentioning this.)

https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422633021.html

It seems that the Rambam has been distorted or revised in various places to advance certain agendas which are contrary to the Rambam’s teachings.
An unfortunate example of a distortion of the Rambam’s Ikkarim is this page on the main Chabad site:

“The following are the criteria for identifying the Moshiach, as written by Maimonides: If we see a Jewish LEADER…INFLUENCES the Jews to follow the ways of the Torah”

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1121893/jewish/Who-Is-Moshiach-the-Jewish-Messiah.htm )

However the Rambam in Hilchot Melachim 11:4 writes “If a KING from the House of David will arise…and he will COMPEL ALL of Israel to follow (the Torah)”.

By misquoting the Rambam’s words where he states that Moshiach is a king who compels all Jews to follow the Torah, and instead claiming Moshiach is a “leader” who “influences the Jews”, the false notion of the deceased Chabad rebbe being Moshiach can be made compatible with the Rambam.

The deceased Chabad rebbe certainly did vital work influencing many Jews to observe Torah, but he was not a king, and in no way did he compel all of the Jews to observe the Torah.

THE CONFLICT BETWEEN THE CHABAD MOSHIACH GOD AND TRADITIONAL JUDAISM

Promotion of the deceased Chabad rebbe as a deity.

Are the disputes between the Chabad movement and traditional Orthodox Jewish movements disputes ONLY about whether the Moshiach (Messiah) can come from the dead, as many Chabad activists would have us believe?

In Jewish law, a מִין (min) is a term that refers to a person who maintains an atheist or idolatrous intellectual concept of God. According to Rambam, “minim” have no share in the World to Come.

In the Rambam’s comprehensive Jewish law code, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah, Chapter Three, the Rambam lists five types of Jewish “minim”:

“(1) he who says that there is no God and no Omnipotence;

(2) he who says that there is an Omnipotence but that there are two or more such;

(3) he who says that there is One Lord; but that He is corporeal and has a form;

(4)Likewise one who says that He alone is not the First Cause and Creator of all;

(5) likewise he who worships a star, or planet, or any other as a mediator between him and the Lord of the universe; every one of these five is a min.”

Chabad “Meshichistin” are claiming that the deceased Chabad rebbe IS Moshiach now. The dispute with Chabad is certainly NOT about whether or not Moshiach MIGHT come from the dead. This claim is a “red herring” diversion.

Moshiach is not a god in human form. The authentic Moshiach is a living, human Jewish king in Israel, as the prophets of Israel, the Talmud, and the Rambam explained.

We have been seeing more and more books, websites, and Chabad missionaries that promote the deceased Chabad rebbe as a god-like messiah with supernatural qualities, and/or sites that portray him as an intermediary between Man and God.

  1. This video claims that the deceased Chabad rebbe is “atzmus”, IE the essence of God.

However, the video seems to misquote the Gemara when it refers to “nigleh” (revealed Torah) as being the source that a rebbe can (allegedly) be the essence of God. In fact that quote about Rashbi being the “face of God” seems to come from the Zohar (which is not considered “nigleh”), and it was denounced as blasphemy in the sefer “Mitpachat Seforim” by Rabbi Yaakov Emden zt”l.

2. A prominent Chabad rabbi claims that the Rebbe runs the world:

“The Rebbe runs the world and will save us from exile”

3. Ein Sof and Elokus are terms referring to Hashem.

This “rabbi” claims that the Rebbe is beyond our comprehension, the Rebbe is Ein Sof…the Rebbe is Elokus…:

“Should a Lubavitcher chassid read biographies written about the Rebbe?”

The conflict between Chabad and Orthodox Judaism is really a conflict over the fundamental principles of Judaism, including the 13 Ikkarim (principles of the Rambam).

Using its enormous influence and resources, Chabad promotion of a false moshiach-god threatens the destruction of monotheistic Judaism as we know it.

We must adamantly reject any missionaries, Jews or non-Jews, promoting false theologies.

We must re-assert authentic Torah principles, especially principles currently being blatantly violated:

• Hashem is not matter or energy

• We may not associate Hashem with any entity in this Universe.

• We may only serve, worship and glorify Hashem, not the entities created by Hashem.

• The real Moshiach must be a living Jewish king in Israel. A deceased rabbi cannot be Moshiach.

A few months ago a prominent Torah scholar in Israel told me that the Chabad movement is where Xtianity was 2000 yrs. ago.

This does not mean that every Chabadnik believes that the Chabad Rebbe is the messiah or a supernatural being. However, a non-Chabad Jew must be careful not to attend a Chabad synagogue where the Ikkarim are being violated.

All Jews should know and accept the 13 Ikkarim (principles) of Rambam.

13 Ikkarim of Rambam:

https://www.mesora.org/13principles.html

Chabad Baal Teshuvah

The Chabad articles on this site are especially directed towards Chabad Baalei Teshuvah (returnees to Judaism), although we hope they offer useful material for all Jews.

This site is not advising all Jews to completely avoid the Chabad movement and Chabad synagogues. However we are suggesting that intelligent Jews apply critical thinking skills and ask intelligent questions about Chabad beliefs and practices before accepting that Chabad beliefs and practices represent traditional Judaism.

My knowledge of the Chabad movement is not based on hearsay and second hand information. I learned in Litvish yeshivot, but I also learned in a Chabad yeshiva, and I have davened in Chabad shuls, including Meshichistim shuls. Chabad Meshichistim shuls seemed to me like a type of pre-Constantine “Jewish” Christianity, where the deceased Rebbe became the primary power operating in this world, and we are to wait for his second coming. I also know several ex-Chabad (but still Orthodox) rabbis who left Chabad due to the Meshichistim.

My purpose in writing this section is not to promote any “sinat chinam” (baseless hatred) against Chabadniks or Chassidim, or to malign the Chabad movement. There is no question that the Chabad movement does contain many well-intentioned, pious Orthodox Jews who seek to observe traditional Orthodox Judaism. The network of Chabad houses does provide a home to many newcomers to Judaism, people who might not feel comfortable in various less welcoming, non-Chabad Orthodox synagogues.

However, the Chabad Chassidic movement has also grown very large and prominent. Chabad spokesman may often aggressively present in synagogues, in public media, and in public forums, Chabad’s philosophy as a “one size, fits all” philosophy, or as an “all-inclusive” Torah philosophy. Many Jews who are not necessarily learned in Torah are then influenced by these often grandiose and/or erroneous claims by Chabad spokesmen.

Many Jews, especially Baalei Teshuvah, may be unaware as to the extent that certain aspects of Chabad’s theology, philosophy, and halacha seriously conflicts with classical Torah theology and philosophy. When these issues are publicly raised, Chabad defenders usually try to suppress these discussions by quickly asserting “sinat chinam” (baseless hatred) allegedly against Chabad.

The Chabad articles on this site are intended for thinking Jews who seek to study a broader range of Torah principles than is usually supplied by Chabad, and then apply some critical thinking skills to the various Chabad and non-Chabad Torah principles. In this book I am trying to enable some “consumer choice” for thinking Torah observant Jews. This means that intelligent Torah observant Jews need to be able to investigate various Torah philosophies and principles (even if they conflict with Chabad doctrines) and then decide which Torah doctrines are best suited for their intellect and their spiritual needs. This approach will meet the needs of far more Jews than an approach of dogmatically accepting Chabad’s doctrines as “one size fits all”.

Another major problem is that certain Chabad rabbis seem to be erroneously critiquing non-Chassidic Torah philosophies, and then proclaiming the superiority of Chabad Chassidus over the non-Chassidic Torah philosophies. Certain Chabadniks seem to be often disparaging what they consider to be the erroneous non-Chassidic doctrines of much of the non-Chabad Orthodox Jewish world. Are these Chabadniks tormented by a lurking possibility that classical non-Chassidic Torah philosophy might refute or negate the doctrines of Chabad Chassidus?

The Chabad movement demands the right to promote its concepts as the authentic Torah theology in many public Jewish media to non-Chabadniks. I’m not challenging their right to do so. However, if Chabad objects to its ideas being critiqued, then Chabad should cease attempting, in every Jewish media forum possible, to persuade non-Chabadniks to accept Chabad ideologies.

The articles in this section have been written primarily so that Jews can be aware there are alternative theologies to Chabad theology. Baalei tshuvah (returnees to Judaism) especially need to be aware that Chabad is promoting certain radical theologies, not solely confined to the subject of moshiach, that can present severe conflicts with traditional Judaism. On these controversial subjects, it is vital that baalei tshuvah and other observant Jews have an opportunity to become aware of more traditional Torah viewpoints than Chabad is presenting them.

If you are a thinking Jew that attends a Chabad shul, you should be free to decide, within the boundaries of traditional Orthodox Judaism, which theologies/philosophies are suitable for your mentality and neshama. Even if you regularly attend a Chabad shul, you should not be obligated to accept Chabad’s specific Chassidic philosophy.

Anyone involved with the Chabad movement, especially a Baal Teshuvah, who also seeks out truth within Torah must exercise critical thinking and discretion to avoid blindly accepting false concepts that contradict the foundations of Judaism.