The Rabbi Menachem Brod Chabad Doublespeak

In an interview published in today's Jerusalem Post, Chabad spokesman Rabbi Menachem Brod explains why Chabad – although opposed to disengagement – will not be officially protesting:

Brod also said that Chabad simply cannot afford a costly PR campaign against disengagement. "After our anti-Oslo campaign we were left with huge debt. We simply don't have the resources. If Yesha had money, we could join them but they are broke also."

This is an odd contention from an organization whose anti-Oslo efforts were largely paid for by wealthy donors like Cyril Stein.

It also raises the question: If, as Chabad claims, disengagement is really an issue of pikuakh nefesh, saving the lives of Jews in immediate danger of death, how can Chabad officially sit on the sidelines?

The answer is this bit of sophistry:

"When Chabad comes out strongly and publicly in favor of Greater Israel and against disengagement, even though this is not necessarily a political act, the public sees it as taking a political stand.…

"And that hurts Chabad's main activities, which, like the struggle to maintain Greater Israel, is pikuah nefesh [a matter of life or death]. Because if Jews are alienated from Judaism as a result of our activities, if they end up not celebrating Pessah or Rosh Hashana, that is also pikuah nefesh in our eyes," he said.

Really? Funny that 'definition' of pekuakh nefesh can't be found in Jewish legal, halakhic, sources.

But it can be found here, proffered by none other than Chabad's late rebbe, Mendel Schneerson as a reason not to save Ethiopian Jews.

Chabad, it's time to face facts: Your rebbe lied. So do your current leaders. It was never about pikuakh nefesh. It was always about empire-building and money.

Comments

[Harboyne]

what he is really saying is that they are not planning to spend money on this campaign .
that in itself is a win win situation .
a- it's cheaper
b- they don't want to appear as taking sides
of course , that does no really mean that they should not take sides . heaven forbids .
they will take side just the same , in unison , as a group , but , on an individual basis ?!
this is the meaning of :
"Despite escalating pressure by Chabad followers to launch a massive anti-disengagement campaign carrying the Lubavitch name, the Chabad leadership will continue to keep the Hassidic sect out of the fray, according to Rabbi Menahem Brod, official spokesman for Chabad institutions in Israel. "
just like rabbi m eliyahu , he spoke to the press yesterday about his being aagainst anti pullout protest . few hours later , speaking to his settlers buddies , he said just the opposite .
where does it say ? midvar sheker tirchok ?
or maybe it's merely achizos einoyim ?

[Malach]

Good post, but harsh,Shmarya.
ChabaD are so good at speaking from both sides of their mouth that they must have invented it.

[Ariel Sokolovsky]

By the grace of G-d
Shalom uBrocha!
1)Menachem Brod is a liar as he often misrespresents the Rebbe's teachings to the media besides the fact that the Rebbe King Moshiach discontinued the position of "Official Chabad spokesman" in 1990 there is a letter writen by the Rebbe King Moshiach Shlit"a about this somewhere in the archives of http://Chabad.info so his entire metzius is sheker and he is basicly a convinient strawman Shmarya uses to bash Chabad.
2)Chabad is running a campaign for Shleimus haAretz true, honest Chabadnik's like Rabbi Wolpo Rabbi Rapp and many others arre involved mostly Mashichistim as Shmarya and most of you know which makes it clear that when Shmarya wants to show Chabad as anti-disengement extremists he quotes one article when he wants to say Chabad is not involved in anti disigegement activities enough he quotes Brod as well know by now:
"The seal of Shmarya is spin and deceit."
(Wait a moment that's a good thing there is an position waiting for him Chabad spokesman in gehenom see http://www.donkeymoshiach.blogspot.com :-)
Also see quotes belllow from the Rebbe to know for sure that both Shmarya and Brod are misrepresenting the Rebbe's views:
WE MAY NOT HIDE THE REBBE’S VIEW!



A compilation of sichos and horaos of the Rebbe
about the obligation to protest
By Shai Gefen

As Chassidim, we know that the Rebbe’s view is what decides how we ought to conduct ourselves. As the Disengagement Plan is in high gear, there are still people trying to quiet the voice of protest, claiming that other approaches must be taken, that we should not express a clear, sharp, and direct protest about this suicidal process.

The Rebbe’s view on this topic was published, as per the Rebbe’s instructions, in a book called, Daas Torah B’Inyanei Eretz HaKodesh, by Rabbi Sholom Dovber Volpe, as well as in the series of s’farim called, Karati V’Ein Oneh.

It’s no secret that the Rebbe’s view detracting from “spreading the wellsprings outward.” The Rebbe referred to this a number of times, saying that he was protesting even though he knew it had adverse effects, but inyanei shleimus ha’Aretz and pikuach nefesh superseded everything else.

This was also the case in 5750, when the Rebbe prevented the establishment of a government that (merely) spoke about concessions, despite the great loss Chabad suffered as a result. This is the way it was then, and the way it has been throughout the years, when the Rebbe firmly led the battle for shleimus ha’Aretz.

The bottom line is what the Rebbe said (in response to a question from Tzach) – that the Chabad houses ought to openly deal with inyanei shleimus ha’Aretz in the name of Chabad. To help those who are confused about what the Rebbe actually held, we bring the following excerpts:

in next post

[Ariel Sokolovsky]

“IF THERE WAS A SHARP PROTEST, IT WOULD ULTIMATELY SUCCEED”

In my opinion, the main thing [to be done] now regarding the security situation is to protest in the sharpest manner possible against concessions to all the pressure pertaining to the security situation, which ultimately means that there is no limit to concessions.

Another important point, in my opinion, perhaps because I am too optimistic, is that if this protest was non-stop and exceedingly sharp, as the situation demands, it would ultimately succeed, and in the near future.

(24 Shvat 5741)

[Ariel Sokolovsky]

B"H
The "antispam" feature of this blog has prevented me from posting my previous comment in full in one post therefore here it is posted on my blog: http://donkeymoshiach.blogspot.com/2005/03/comment-1.html enjoy.

[Ariel Sokolovsky]

By the grace of G-d
Shalom uBrocha!
I'm happy to inform the readers that a new book has been just published in paperback:
"The Gospel of Yudel King Moshiach" The book has been criticly aclaimed by the famous Chabad Mashpia Rabbi Yoel Kahan click here to read his glowing endorsement.
http://donkeymoshiach.blogspot.com/2005/06/gospel-of-yudel-published.html
With respect and blessing.
Ariel Sokolovsky
Long Live the King!

[ock]

ariel, may you have a complete recovery....

just one proviso, hold back posting on the internet until then.

[Mordy]

Ugh. As if anything having to do with "official" Chabad doctrine isn't completely irrelevent. As a social movement, Chabad is worth studying, but as a halachic one? Only someone living in Crown Heights or some other clustered Lubavitch community would think that the opinions of Menachem Brod are interesting in the least. And the Rebbe being a phony? Dude, that is so played out and boring. We are post-critical inquiry now. Every possible attack has already been launched. Now our job is to study the paradigm of the Chabad-AntiChabad battle, not to pretend that it still has relevency.

In a word: Bo-oring.

[Ariel Sokolovsky]

By the grace of G-d
Shalom uBrocha!
So you think it's a sign of illness to publicize the coming of Moshiach and to nullify obstacles in his way?
Haven't you read the Sichos of the Rebbe it says there that now once all the sparks have been elevated there are some klipos that will have to be broken. Isn't it clear that those who practice deception and disinformation on world scale ragarding the identity of Moshiach besides compromising the Rebbe's message about Shleimus haAretz and other issues and create great hilul Hashem by posing as "official Chabad" while doing the above are among those klipos.
Wishing you refua shleima!
Ariel Sokolovsky
PS. And if this disturbs you so much calm down buy yourself a donkey-moshiach teddy bear

http://www.cafepress.com/donkeymoshiach.24113495

Long Live our Master our Teacher and our Rebbe King Moshiach Forever and Ever!

you are getting sickening with your repetitive comments , in particular about your deceased Master , Teacher and Rebbe, the deceased King Moshiach wanabe .

[kloynymus]

Long Live Forever short lived Teacher our better
Master our Teacher and our Rebbe King Moshiach
Forever and Ever amen Moshiach Moshiach Moshiach
Forever ayayayayay Rebbe oy rebbe , I made it
out of clay , oy rebbe rebbe rebbe oy rebbe I
shall clay ! teacher teacher on the wall ,
who is the idiotest of them all greetings then ,
greetings now !
short lived Teacher our Long Live Forever better
Forever and Ever amen Moshiach Moshiach Moshiach
out of clay , oy rebbe rebbe rebbe oy rebbe I
who is the idiotest of them all greetings then ,
Master our Teacher and our Rebbe King Moshiach
Forever ayayayayay Rebbe oy rebbe , I made it
shall clay ! teacher teacher on the wall ,
greetings now !

[Neo-Conservaguy]

"So you think it's a sign of illness to publicize the coming of Moshiach and to nullify obstacles in his way?"

Moments like this make the reading this blog worth the time.

[malach]

Neo-Conservaguy,Ariel needs help, but he is very funny,lol.Btw, his picture was on one of the so called 'normal' Chabad sites.He was arrested, together with some other goons and a couple of Lubab women, for trying to install a plaque with the Rebbe as 'king moshiach shlita' on 770 outer wall(He may have been arrested when they 'protested' the installation of a plaque, where the Rebbe is referred to as deceased)