The Rebbe Is "Higher" Than God?

Any information on the above poster? A reader sent this in. It is supposedly posted around Israel. Readers?

The headline reads: "The Messiah the Rebbe of Lubavitch He is the King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He, and higher than this."

The close reads: "Long live our Lord, our Teacher, our Rebbe King Messiah forever more."

Comments

[Abdullah]

I would love to see a better picture of this one.

I'm skeptical of the authenticity of it...

[Dovid]

there is a deranged murderer in Israel named Meir Baranes who puts this up. this is apikorsus.

[Jath]

maybe the kadosh borukh hu sent these twirps so that we get to miss the days of shabtai tzvi ?
that stains all the movement even the so called sane among them .
clearly hikhshil et harabbim !

[Jath]

murderer , barnes or not , should be sufficient incentive to keep the incompetents out of kabbala !
kol ba-eiha lo yeshuvun , velo yassigun orchot chayim . (mishlei)

>there is a deranged murderer in Israel named Meir Baranes who puts this up. this is apikorsus.

Is it heresy or idolatry? Or, more likely, pychosis?

[rebeljew]

If it is widely distributed, the Rabanim of chabad have an obligation to loudly restate their p'sak on Elokism.

If it is true that elokism is growing, then it is almost fascinating to watch in two ways.

a) It is as captivating as a train wreck.
b) It is captivating watching an often conjectured piece of history repeat itself, like the Hubble watching the birth of ancient stars and galaxies. I had felt that much of Christian theology had to have come from the later Roman influence, because Jews would just not think that way. It was logical and plausible to see the "godhead" as an extension of Roman idols or the Roman oligarchy. Yet, here we watch in silent awe, a new Jewish theology, very similar to trinitarian Christianity, developing in the Petrie dish without any direct nonJewish influence, and very early in the post sectarian process. It is empirical proof that trinitarian theology might have developed quickly after the sect's founder died. It might have been psychology, rather than polytheistic mixing that drove the post-Jesus Christians.

[Rebtsvi]

Would love a better scan too.

[Hashem Tsidkeinu]

B"H
1)Shmarya give credit where credit is due i sent it to you please prove a link to my site.
2)I guess they are trying to say that Rebbe is Atzmus uMehus (essence and being of G-d) in control of 10 sefirot as explained in various Sichos the word G-d refers to either name Elokim which stands for sefirah of gevurah ort in differnt translation shem Hashem which is sefirah of Tiferes this is what the poster is saying that this is the "G-d" and above.
Anyone who wants to be somewhat less confused please read the article linked to my screeneme "Hashem Tsidkeinu" ...
enjoy...

[Shmarya]

Ariel (aka 'Hashem Tsidkeinu'):

You did not send it to me. I received this from a New York-based reader.

[Bruce Lokeinsky]

I think someone hasn't been taking their medicine lately.

[Ariel Sokolovsky]

B"H
If that's true I'm sorry but i distinctly remember also forwarding you the email wit this picture.
To add to what I just wrote two famous Mashpiim I know Rabbi Berel Haskelevich Shlit"a(Rabbi of the Radio Liberty/Radio Free Europe since 1985 till 1992 had 40 million listeners taught Judaism and 7 Noahide Laws in particular author of many books lecturer involved in antimissionary work etc.) and Rabbi Zimroni Tvik Shlit"a said made identical statements about "Elokistim" they said that they "denigrate" the Rebbe by calling him "G-d" since Rebbe is Atzmus which is higher level than the [name in Hebrew which translates as] G-d...
I replied to him that the name G-d aludes to the Atzmus since its the light of the Atzmus (esense of G-d) what I didn't know at that time that therare number of Sichos one of them (Toldos 5752) is linked in the "Hashem Tsidkeinu" article that say that for example a simple person or a child understands Atzmus uMehus-essence and being of G-d simply as "G-d" the Rebbe also points out in another place actualy a Hadran al haRambam that in the time of Moshiach the halocha will not be according to Rambam as far as believing and or teaching that G-d can be revealed in a body the Rebbe also brings an interesting quote from Yalkut Shimoni that proves the same idea. I still haven't translated and posted all the footnotes in my article but it's a work in progress constantly growing check back often or call me...617-372-2312

[Ariel Sokolovsky]

B"H
I think someone hasn't been taking their medicine lately.

Posted by: Bruce Lokeinsky | November 22, 2005 at 10:14 AM
If you mean Shmarya it's hard to disagree dragging in Rebbe's distant relatieves wild conjectures about Rebbe abandoning ethiopean Ethiopean Jews etc.
If you mean me I was simply quoting Derech Mitzvoisecho of the Tzemach Tzedek "Mitzvat haTefilah" and the Sichos of the Rebbe go look it up...
And stop acting like a Soviet communist who accused disidents of being crazy...
How are you ignorant am hoaretz different than they were?

Does this make Rabbi Dr. David Berger a prophet or just a very astute and informed observer?

Binyomin

[manuscriptboy]

Sure enough. This guy tried several times to kill the Habad rabbi of Safed. But I haven't heard anything from him in the past few years. And haven't seen this particular sign anywhere.

[observer]

Let's get back to the "medecine"
point.

I have come across this website
a number of times and cannot understand
how some one could be so angry, hurt
and vengeful that a rabbinic leader
(or any leader) would disagree with
him on an issue that they would dedicate
a website, and obviously tremendous amounts
of time and effort to disparaging and digging up dirt on anyone remotely connected to that leader.

I disagree with leaders (rabbinic and
otherwise) about many many issues, some
of which are core values, but that does not
cause such hatred and vengeance.

So the Rebbe didn't agree with you about
Ethiopians? So what?

Get over it, and move on.

Many Rabbis thought then (and now) that
the Ethiopians were not Jewish. As I understand it, the Rebbe considered it merciful to consider them non-Jews, because if they were Jews, they would have to be considered Mamzerim because they had no recorded history of divorces, etc., and there were such serious questions about the legitimacy of children to warrant mamzer status.

I am astounded that even after writing this blog for so long, your anger is unabated.

These feelings appear to be either very childish, or perhaps medicine is indeed in order.

[Scott]

Just an aside from a nobody goyim: Sombody needs to shine the light of day upon the dark criminal shenanigans of Chabad. Kudos to the author of this site for his work. I respect and honor orthodoxy. I feel that reform Jews are not even jews. However the extreme blasphemy of some in Chabad needs to be exposed.

[Shmarya]

Observer,

I remember your days on Protocols as a Chabad troll / apologist.

The Rebbe did not simply disagree about Ethiopian Jews. He behaved in an unhalakhic manner and lied. (Further, the issue of mamzerut was handled by Rav Moshe Feinstein and others, and it did NOT effect the HALKHIC IMPERATIVE / MITZVAH to rescue Ethiopian Jews. The Rebbe deferred this issue to Rav Moshe, and then IGNORED Rav Moshe's decision.)

As for THIS post, you obviously believe pointing out that some Chabadniks believe the Rebbe is God is wrong. I disagree.

As for my anger, if YOUR family were dying in Sudan, and the Rebbe refused to help them, you might be angry, too. Think about that.

[Paul Freedman]

AS: the entire equation of the Rebbe with Atzmus depends upon ignoring the traditional understanding that place atzmut ein sof as being beyond keter ein sof and, unless I am mistaken, keter generally as a defining limit that is not, in and of itself, emanated--the atzmus is outside the or ain sof, it is outside the circular spherot and it is outside the spherot of the staight line either before or after the fall of the Kings of Edom and the tikun of three columns--I realize CH tended to priviledge chochma (that is an emanating modality of elohut par excellence) and to reformulate tzimtzum--but this kaballah is not universally accepted by any means--that such an understanding of atzmus/keter can be quoted to find "G-d in a guf" is only to restate the highly problematic kabbalah itself--a kaballah that in given contexts eliminates the defining limitation of the null point of G-d in His non-emanating and transcendant frame of reference. (The side issue of individual names such as elokhim used in reference to specific spherot is secondary).

Re: the Rebbe's "alleged" discussions of Yalchut Kimoni--this remains me of the old joke:

A Litvak dies and goes up to pardes. He's given a royal tour by Elijah and sees in the distance a huge, sparkling castle festooned with yellow and blue banners emblazoned with the slogan MELECH MELECHI HA MELCHIIM HK"BH and the familiar beaming visage. "Wow," asks the Litvak, a little surprised, "that can't be the place of who I think it is..."

"Naw," says Elijah, "that's the place where God lives. He only THINKS he's the Lubavitcher Rebbe."

[Howard suss]

Is that Rabbi GOD himself?

[observer]

I am not the same observer as you
mentioned. I have never heard
of the blog you mentioned.

I think calling any human being
G-d is idolatry. (I only posted here because I happened to be reading this entry and the comment about "medicine.") I do not think there is anything wrong with calling someone who said otherwise anything you can think of.

Even if you believe the Rebbe acted
contrary to halacha and lied (it is a bit
"over the top" to say a person who by all accounts was deeply committed to halacha broke it without being an expert, but that
is not my point), devoting so much time to
digging up dirt on anyone with any connection to him is extreme venom, to say the least.

Chabad, like many other groups, has plenty of problems, that is not my point.

Lots of people (99.9% of the world) did not
help "your family" in Ethiopia.

I find it difficult to beleive that you could hold the Rebbe responsible for their deaths.

I repeat that dedicating so much effort at revenge cannot be healthy, and I cannot believe (and doubt you believe) that it is simply a natural response of sympathy for your "family."

My feeling is that some one with such strong feelings of sympathy might write a book, an article, etc., and move on with
his/her life, not dedicate so much effort to constant acts of spite.

Get on with your life, you are wasting it
be angry and spiteful.

[Bartholomew]

I wonder if this book might be of sociological relevance:

Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity By Larry Hurtado Hurtado argues that Christianity inherited the ancient tradition of Jewish monotheistic exclusivity of worship and a clear rejection of the worship of other gods. Yet he observes that early Christians, including early Jewish Christians, while remaining faithful to the Jewish tradition and its insistence on worshipping the one God, somehow justified and accommodated in its prayer and worship a reverence of the exalted Jesus, as properly due to one who is divine. Hurtado presents an impressive raft of evidence from the early sources of Christianity which indicates an appreciation of Jesus as a figure of unique significance in God’s plan and in some way ‘divine.’

...Hurtado proceeds to explore how this exclusivist monotheism influenced and shaped Christ-devotion. He contends that Jewish monotheism was a central factor in the actual formation and development of devotion to Jesus and that this extraordinary phenomenon, whereby Jesus is venerated alongside God, developed as a variant form of monotheism.

[BTA- Baal Tshuva's Anonymous]

"Does this make Rabbi Dr. David Berger a prophet or just a very astute and informed observer?"

Wait... I nominate him- for MOSCHIACH!
moowhahahahahaha mooohwahahahah

[BTA- Baal Tshuva's Anonymous]

Shmarya- btw- when are you guest posting? And why the hell do you have schroeder books advertised on your site?

No stumbling blocks, please! That stuff is total bunk.

[Paul Freedman]

Bartholomew: I wonder whether the development of incarnation theology per se historically did occur when the church was still a Jewish-messianic sect rather than Paul's gentile-directed supercessionist movement. If the Elohistiim were to become the prevelant voice in Chabad, openly purporting to lead an halachically observant "variant monotheism"--worshipping over here G-d of Israel, and over-here Man-G-d King Moshiach, and saying so as openly as your post--I don't think the result would be Jewish appreciation as to the essential validity of Christian faith but an organizational crisis within a Chabad under siege.

[Haim]

Ariel, your beliefs vis a vis the late Lubavitcher, put you into the status of a 'mumar' i.e beyond the pale and who's wine for example would be considered 'yayin nesech'
Do you want to take that step?
It may not be your fault, i.e as a ba'al teshuva, with no Jewish backround you have been fed this crud by Lubavitch, that however may be a good excuse in the heavenly court, but doeS not change your 'mumar' status

[Rebbe-G-dourRighteousOne(Yeremia [Jeremia] 23:6)click to read]

By the grace of G-d
Shalom uBrocha!
Dear Reb Haim with all due respect you are such an am haaretz you don't even know the differnce between a "mumar" and a "min"...
Now 1st go read the "anti-Chabad" site identifyingchabad.org and their book to see that this are not my beliefs but Rebbes beliefs moreover they are Alter Rebbe's beliefs moreover they are the beliefs of the holy Baal Shem Tov the Maggid and the 4 generations of my (and the Lubavitcher RebbeKing Moshiach (Messiah)'s) holy ancestors the Rebbes of Chernobyll among others (interstingly it has been pointed out to me that my "Rebbe-Moshiach-G-d?" article was published on the 11th of Cheshvan which is the Yom haHilulah (Yortzait) of the 1st Chernobyller Rebbe which is also be Hashgocha protis as he was a major "Elokist" in his generation said that Rebbe is "G-d" :-) (email me RabbiAriel@Moshiach.TV and i'll send you a PDF file in Hebrew with this and similar quotes from various Rabbis and Rebbes) so according to pshat- simple meaning it would seem we have been have a polytheism (multy G-d system:-P ) at least since the advent of Chassidism but in some cases during the time of Talmud and also similar staments are in the Zohar...
That would also make me G-d's cousin (in English or the G-d's great nephew in Russian of Hebrew:-) which is of course a complete meshugas ...
But since you guys are inclined to believe I'm already a meshuginer why would that be so surprising?
If you ewally want to understand the issue from halachik kabbalistic and chassidic perspective you are welcome to call me or visit me here in beutyfull Portland Oregon where I'm dwelling now for almost a year already or if you daring and courageous type you can invite me to speak somewhere...anyway please email, call or im my Moshiach Info Center 617-372-2312 anytime 24/6 (except Shabbos and Yom Tovs)...
Yechi Ye-hovoh Tsidkeinu!

[Paul Freedman]

Well, yes, the authority for Elohistiim proof-texts in Chabad theology is what is disputed--the authority of the interpretation and the authority of the chassidic proof-texts to begin with, particularly given the circular article of faith in the Rebbe's infallibility--an infallibility that is taken as an axiom not to be contested by Elohistim. Those who are not Elohistiim, or Chabad, could, for example, state that the Rebbe might have made a paticular statement in error--the statement is not its own authority, etc.

[Paul Freedman]

As in, why Messiah-G-d A and not Messiah B? Because R. A says he is? Because his followers say so? So we get heaps and heaps of prayer, commentaries, rulings, soferiim that have no evident reference to the belief that R. A is, for example, G-d. The usual method is then to scour sources for general citations that might be interpreted to allow for a Polani to be Messiah (G-d[?]) and then--and this is the big "move"--to assert/demonstrate that A, in particular, must be the candidate and sole candidate for the job. "He said he was" is the weakest possible argument for this ("He is a prophet etc.) because it is completely circular--if we dispute this and say, no, if he said this he is wrong due to a, b, c, then, sure, we also are led to believe that "he was not a prophet".

[Paul Freedman]

An example of a problem for the Messiachistiim and their sources--the need to demonstrate that the Rebbe's statements are not themselves most reasonably understood as the Rebbe expecting Messianic redemption in his physical lifetime--offering no hint that he expected a "detour" through Gimmel Tammuz. etc.

[ma rabbi]

to Paul and other readers:
Chabad people do not believe that the Rebbe is G-d. I myself am a Chabad rabbi and have hundreds of Chabad friends all over the world. Nobody believes this. What we do believe is that the Rebbe was the greatest tzaddik of the past fifty years and has done more to spread Yiddishkeit than anyone.

[Amatzyahu]

Atzmus umahus , what language is it ? What faith ? Not in the Torah or the Talmud or the Shulchan Arukh .
What is it then ? Sfirot , shmirot , what are those ? Who gave you permission ?
Time for a complete ban on this nonsense . Time to expose all the proponents of mahs atzmus and other tools of idolatry as the idolaters that they no doubt are .
Who is propagating this trash ? Where is it from ?
Those who devised these ideas , 200 , 300 years ago ? Are Choteem umachateem .

[Rebbe-G-dourRighteousOne(Yeremia [Jeremia] 23:6)click to read]

B"H
Amatzyahu
Forget about Chassidim Atzmus uMehus look in Bava Basra 7b discussing the Yeremia 23:6 it says that people will call Moshiach "G-d" also look over there on the right side margin commentary of the none other than Rabbeinu Gershom Maor haGolah who takes this literaly and adds the word "mamash" to stress this...
the article linked from the top of ChabadTravel.com has the actual Talmud page you can read.
Now ask yourself this...
If people will call him Hashem Tzidkeinu some many will actually believe that literally...
Don't you think?
Few people have time or desire to read the "fine print" about tzimtzum being "lo kepshuto" and thus the whole thing being somewhat alegorical...
If people will say and believe that Moshiach is G-d (G-d incarnate, atzmus umehus arangeshtalt(ha'melubash) be guf-"essense and being of G-d placed in a body" in whatever terminology you choose to put it) and the Rabbi Yochanan brings this down as a positive fact and there are no arguements in the Gemorah this clearly proves along with a number of other quotations from Midrashim, Rishonim and Acharonim (The Rebbe even notes this in a footnote in a Hadran al Harambam...)(that I'm translating and will publish in addition to my "Rebbe-Moshiach-G-d?" article)
What right (from the perspective of Torah law) do you guys have to be so riled up?
So it does seem to contradict the Rambam's 13 Ikrim but so did the Ravad , Rav Moshe Taku, Shadal and many other Rishonim and acharonim "Rabbeinu" Gil Student finds logical reasons to deny some of the Ikrim (in a discussion on avoida mailing list) ...
You know the same Gemorah says that they'll proclaim "Holy holy holy" in front of Tzadikim like angels proclaim before G-d perhaps it will calm your jealousy of the glory of Moshiach-Almighty if we send you a delegation of people proclaiming "Holy holy holy are you Amatzyahu" :-)?

[Rebbe-G-dourRighteousOne(Yeremia [Jeremia] 23:6)click to read]

B"H
sorry for the typo I meant to write Bava Basra 75B

[http://moshiachtv.blogspot.com/2005/11/rebbe-moshiach-g-d.html]

B"H
"Rebbe-Moshiach-G-d?" article mentioned above click on the link bellow to read it now to understand this issue better as presented in Tanach, Gemorah , Halocha and Chassidus. Enjoy...

Ma rabbi--Thank you for your reply--note however the "B"H" posts--yes, this is one person's passionate advocacy, but they do not arise "ex nihilo". Rebeljew has written on "rationalism vs. mysticism"--I think we could also think about the difference between "mysticism" and what psychologists call "magical thinking". With the deepest respect, I think Chabad would best publish, somehow, all widely-held attitudes concerning Moshiach to one side, an unequivocal, insitutional and "bright-line" ruling on this issue.

[Amatzyahu]

to Rebbe...ighteousOne(Yeremia [
This is all hevel varik .
with all due respect , we d o n o t learn halakha from agada in gemarah , nor from Ravad , or Rav Moshe Taku, or Shadal thoughts .
No , we do not , not from them or the stream flowing backwards or the walls of the beis midrash , or even a bat kol no. Not then in talmudic times nor in these days - al achat kama vekhamma .
Certainly not from the later proponents of heresies in generations past or our generation . Not from the rishonim nor from the Acharonim .
They all better desist , or they would be left @ the mercy of the zeal of the kannaeem . (not me).

[haim]

We are seeing in front of our own eyes the dawn of a new religion.Lubavitch.Not unlike Christianity, we have a similar 'trinity' God,Lubavitcher Rebbe,Previous Rebbe(or something like that)
Dr David Berger, did an unbelievable service with the writing of his book.
I obviously understand that this poor soul Sokolvsky, is not all or most of Lubavitch, however,they will not come out against thiS crud and instead attack Dr Berger!!!!
The Meshichist group is a very large percentage of Lubavitch, they believe the late Rebbe is alive and the Messiah,it is from this group, whose relationship to traditional Judaism is tenuous at best, that Sokolvsky 'graduated' from.Watch for many more to join .
Interesting to note:Sokolovsky a young man in his early twenties never actually knew the Rebbe.When he became religouS in his ealy teens, the Rebbe had fallen ill

[http://moshiachtv.blogspot.com/2005/11/rebbe-moshiach-g-d.htmlhttp://moshiachtv.blogspot.com/2005/11]

By the grace of G-d
Shalom uBrocha!
5th Rebbe of Chabad Rabbi Sholom dov Ber Schneerson teaches that Moshiach is from the atzmus elokus -essence and being of G-d and at this level there is no differnce between life and death...
Gimel Tamuz the day when Yehoshua ben Nun "stopped" the sun as well as the day when the previous Rebbes death sentence imposed by Shmarya like Jewish communists was lifted the day when in 5754 the Rebbe King Moshiach Shlit"a was concealed from our eyes (or as some Chabad fundraisers would say passed on...) has the gematria 456 which is equal to Od Moshiach Chai -Moshiach is still alive and also equal to Yamut (he will die) and the psalms and parsha and tanya and haiom yom for the day all contain allusions both to eternal life of Moshiach (Psalms) corronation of Moshiach (Haftorah) Faith above logic (Tanya) Jewish groan lifting the person out of depths of depression (Hayom Yom) and "like the red cow purifys so to death of a tzadik purifies (Baal HaTurim on the Parsha) The Rebbe told Chassidim in the Sicha that he has eternal lifewith temporary concealment of the "face of Hashem" (see Issiah 54: 7 and 8 and explanation how it fits into Gimel Tamuz 5754 in my article "Timeline of Moshiach (Messiah) and redemption." and that ultimatly he is Hashem but to Rabbis Yudel Krinsky and Avremel Shem Tov he gave a will that among other things says "in case of my death (notice he no word concealment...) put up a gravestone paid from my personal funds distribute my assets to Aguch (Agudas Chassidei Chabad) etc. In the Sicha about Barry Gurary stealing books from the Rebbes library the Rebbe-Almighty says that the previous Rebbe is and has been alive for last 35 years soul in a body no matter what anyone says even a rabbi a doctor an expert or even a participant of the funeral... and the only reason people are saying the opposite is to make money... and the only type of person who would say it is someone who is immersed in phisicality and materialism ... now note the teo guys the Rebbe-Almighty gave the duty to execute his will Yudel-the one responsible for fundraising and Shem Tov who was responsible for dealing with "the lowest forms of life":-):-( (see Tanya and elswhere) - the politicians...
Want to learn more and get footnotes for the above please contact me at Moshiach Info Center 617-372-2312 (24/6)
With respect and blessing
Rabbi Ariel Sokolovsky
Moshiach Info Center
BostonChabad.com
Bais Moshiach Chabad Lubavitch Center of Greater Boston and Portland
5102 SW Scholls Ferry Rd
Suite F 201
Portland Oregon 97225-1636
Long Live our Master our Teacher and our Rebbe Yehovah Tsidkeinu (G-d our righteous one)...!

[nev]

more dis-info for the masses

[David Avraham Daoud]

This is what happens when deranged Chasidus is left to its own devices. But what do you expect from a movement based on cult of personality? This is just the beginning. Watch as this repeats itself with other Chasidic movements. Sorry, you streimel-wearing freaks, your "rebbe" is just a man, and nothing more. He isn't going to pull rabbits out of his streimel. And to Chabad, Schneerson is DEAD! ROTTING! And to Gehennom with him! Rav Shach zt"l called this man an evil trouble and exposed Chabad-Chasidus as apikorsus. This is exactly what the Gr"A warned against, and his WORST NIGHTMARE would not even have compared to this. Shabtai Zvi's heretics did not even go this far.

[Deborah Shaya]

1. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn tz”l, known as, ‘The Rebbe,’ was NOT the Mashiach.

Those who erroneously believe him to be the Mashiach that Am Yisrael is waiting for today, are bordering on Christianity, and committing the grave sin of Avodah Zarah, Idolatry.

Idolatry is forbidden in the Torah, and is the Second of the Asseret Hadibrot.
Similarly in the case of Breslov with Rav Nachman tz”l.

2. There should be NO MEDIATOR between a person’s tefillot and Hashem.

If a person chooses to use intercession instead of praying directly to Hashem, this is completely Assur.

If the leaders of Lubavitch/Chabad encouraged people to use the “Igrot” /(“Igros”) - including Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, tz”l - they were wrong. Using the Igrot is using intercession. Similarly the practices of

(1) "reading out the Igrot request to a PICTURE of Rabbi Schneersohn tz"l" is direct Avodah Zarah. We are only allowed to pray to Hashem.

(2) sending faxes to the Bet HaChaim should be stopped immediately.

(3) Praying directly to the Tzaddik at the Bet HaChaim is wrong. It causes tremendous tsaar to the Neshamah of the Tzaddik in Shamayim. We pray only to Hashem – directly ourselves. NO mediator is permitted.

These practices are abhorrent and against the Torah. They are assur and forbidden, and should all be stopped.

If the tzaddik advised that people do this in his lifetime – he was wrong. And this must be corrected. Speedily.

TESHUVAH to Hashem should be done speedily instead - by the whole of the Lubavitch organisation especially. The whole of the Lubavitch organisation is currently all refusing to do Teshuvah. Similarly in the case of Breslov, with those who go Uman to pray directly to the Tzaddik – instead of directly to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.

“Intercession” and “mediation” is against the Torah.

The Torah cannot be mixed with Avodah Zarah. This is twisting the Torah, and the Torah must remain straight.

[Deborah Shaya]

2a. There should be NO MEDIATOR between a person’s tefillot and Hashem.

Hashem likes to hear the prayers, tefillot, from our OWN mouths. Even if all we know is how to recite the first 3 letters of the Aleph Bet: Aleph, Bet, Gimmel... Our very own tefillot TO HASHEM, are much more precious than anything else.

By going to the Bet HaChaim (cemetery - incorrectly referred to as “the Ohel” by Lubavitch), and lighting a candle, praying, making a request, and then going home – such a person is “leaving it all to the tzaddik” who is not physically alive. You can’t leave it all “to him!”. This is completely Assur and forbidden.

We too, can be tzaddikim – and be like the tzaddik. The tzaddik has already made all his tefillot to Hashem in his lifetime. And these are very precious to Hashem. The tzaddik has now passed on.

Hashem is now waiting for US – to make our OWN tefillot to Him.

We pray to Hashem – at all times. If a person is insisting on praying to one of the creations of Hashem, instead of directly to the King Himself, Hashem will say to us, "You are meant to pray to ME!"

Remember that Hashem, our G-d, is a very "JEALOUS G-D" who demands "EXCLUSIVE WORSHIP." (2nd Commandment of the Asseret Hadibrot.)

What is your logic in going there?

The Ashkenazi tradition has encouraged people to do this, and it is very wrong. Teshuvah to Hashem must be done quickly.

3. The Jewish People is a “Holy People.” “Am Kadosh.”

We are referred to as being Hashem’s special “Treasure.” We are a “Holy Nation,” and so holy, that we are to emulate the Cohanim, who are of a much higher stature than the rest of the Jewish People. One day, we will all be on the level of a “Kingdom of Priests.”

Hashem has told us, “.…Ve’atem tiheyu li Mamlechet Kohanim ve’goi kadosh…” (Yitro, 19:5-6)

“…And you shall be to Me, a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS, and a HOLY NATION….”

The Benei Yisrael must follow the example of the true Cohanim. We should emulate the Cohanim in our daily lives. The Cohanim are not allowed to go into any cemetery (Jewish or not Jewish), as they cannot come into contact with ANY meitim whatsoever. We too, should emulate the Kohanim in our daily lives, and be pure like them.

We too, should not be coming into contact with meitim where we can help it.

Hashem has told us, “.…Ve’atem tiheyu li Mamlechet Kohanim ve’goi kadosh…” (Yitro, 19:5-6)

“…And you shall be to Me, a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS, and a HOLY NATION….”

A person’t tefillot, prayers, from the Kotel, or from his or her own house are truly delightful to Hashem. A person can also go to the Kotel to pray, and make the journey there, to pray to Hashem. Hashem’s Presence is always there.

[Deborah Shaya]

4. Why was the place of Moshe Rabeinu, the very greatest of all the Prophets, kept hidden from us? Precisely so that Moshe would c”v never be worshipped. So that people would never pray to Moshe, c”v, instead of directly to Hashem, themselves. The Torah states very clearly:

“…velo yada ish et kevurato ad hayom hazeh” (Vezot Haberacha 34:6) “…and no man knows the place that he was buried even to this day.”

If people are praying to a tzaddik, who is finite – and of far lesser stature than Moshe Rabeinu – instead of to Hashem – who is Infinite – that is avodah zarah.

If people wish to go to the Kivrei Tzaddikim to pray to Hashem from there, that is their choice. Far better, is to encourage people to go instead to the most holy place in the world – the Kotel. Hashem’s Presence is always there.

The Kotel is where people should be going to pray to Hashem. Not the Bet HaChaim.

5. If people want to pray to anyone else, and make requests of any being other than Hakadosh Baruch Hu, they might as well join Christianity.

When Moshe Rabeinu prayed, he prayed to Hashem. He did not pray to any Malachim or any celestial beings. These are all the creations of Hashem.

We are not allowed to pray to the creations of Hashem.

Similarly, with regard to the Selichot, and the Neilah prayer for Yom Kippur in the Ashkenazi tradition - they include direct Tefillot and requests to Malachim.

The Malachim are the creations of Hashem.

We are not allowed to pray to any Malachim.

This is completely assur and causes very great damage and harm. I emphasise that this is something very grave which needs to be rectified as well - speedily.

The Selichot and the Neilah Tefillah for Yom Kippur should be amended speedily to remove all prayers and requests to Malachim.

[Deborah Shaya]

6. The false argument used by Lubavitch to permit intercession on a person’s behalf, is the act of Calev ben Yefuneh praying at the Cave of Machpelah in Chevron. He prayed for success in his mission of “spying out” the Land, Eretz Yisrael.

No one can use this as a precedent for asking the Tzaddikim - and specifically, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn tz"l - who are no longer alive physically on earth, to pray on a person’s behalf. This causes them tremendous suffering in Shamayim.
This is twisting the Torah, and the Torah cannot ever be twisted.

The reason Calev’s act cannot be used as a precedent, is that NO ONE, can be compared to the supreme Kedusha of the Avot, of Avraham, Yitzchak ve’Yaakov Avinu.

We pray the Amidah 3 times a day, and we always recall the great merit of the Avot in the very first Beracha. What can be greater than that when we pray to Hashem?

This does need to be corrected very quickly, to be in line with the Torah.

7. When people need help, why doesn’t Lubavitch teach people to look inside the Torah, which is Eternal and Infinite - instead of letters written to other people by Rabbi Schneersohn tz”l during his lifetime?

Why doesn't Lubavitch choose the very greatest of all prophets, Moshe Rabbeinu?

8. Moshe Rabeinu is the greatest of all prophets, and no other prophet was equal to him.

“Zichru Torat Moshe Avdi” we are told in Malachi (3:22)

There simply is no comparison between Moshe Rabbeinu and Rabbi Schneersohn tz”l, although Rabbi Schneersohn tz”l was a Tzaddik and a very righteous and good man.

Moshe Rabbeinu was the greatest of all prophets, and we do not even pray in the name of Moshe. Neither do we pray in the name of David Hamelech, whose descendent is the Mashiach.

However, in the very first Beracha of the Amidah, the silent prayer to Hashem containing our requests, we recall the merit of the Avot: “…..Elokei Avraham, Elokei Yitzhak Velokei Yaakov….” “….The G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzhak and the G-d of Yaakov…”
The beracha is concluded with “Magen Avraham.

In summary:
(1) We pray to Hashem – at all times.

(2) There should be NO mediator between Hashem and a person’s tefillot – otherwise this is Assur.

Therefore the practice of using the “Igrot” /(“Igros”) for "requests" and "guidance" should be stopped. Similarly the practices of sending faxes to the Bet HaChaim, and praying to the tzaddik at the Bet HaChaim instead of directly to Hashem ourselves - should be stopped immediately. They are abhorrent and against the Torah.

The reason for this is that these practices use intercession. And the use of a “mediator” or someone to “intercede on a person’s behalf” to Hashem, is assur.
Teshuvah to Hashem must be done - very speedily.