The Rebbe And The Menorah, #2

 

The Lubavitch News Service propagandizes:

Millions are by now accustomed to the menorah display in their respective town squares, and, Jewish or not, they welcome the light, often joining in the festivities celebrating the message of Chanukah. After all, the menorah’s message is universal, which explains why governors and mayors and councilmen nationwide are eager for the chance to get into those ubiquitous cherry pickers and put flame to wick.

No. Not really. In fact, not at all.

First of all the mesage of Hanukka is not universal. Judaism does not endorse the freedom of polytheists to practice their religions. When the Maccabees took control of Judea, they did not allow (in the first years) polytheism to continue in the areas they controlled. No Temple of Zeus was endorsed by Judah Maccabee and he did visit any such shrine in a fit of "religious tolerance." Further, the later Maccabees became hellenized and were heavily criticized by the rabbis as a result.

Second, politicians light the menorah because it is a photo op and free publicity, two things politicians thrive on. But Chabad prattles on:

More than any other symbol, the menorah is representative of Chabad-Lubavitch and its efforts to displace darkness with light. When Chanukah was an unknown among the general American public, Chabad introduced the holiday. At the time, it didn’t seem to have much hope of ever competing with the pervasive and highly popular sights and sounds of the December holiday season.

Funny. I remember 40 years ago, well before Chabad's public menorah lighting campaigns, my local television stations reporting on Hanukka and broadcasting a menorah with the proper number of burning candles at the beginning and end of each commercial break. Our newspapers had front page coverage. Radio stations played a few Hanukka songs. Public schools mentioned the holiday. And I live in a metropolitan area with few Jews. And friends from around the country had similar experiences.

Yet Chabad writes: "When Chanukah was an unknown among the general American public, Chabad introduced the holiday."

What was unknown among the "general American public" and among Jews anywhere was the new Chabad menorah, which has become the trademark of Chabad-Lubavitch. For more on Chabad's misrepresentation of that menorah, see The Rebbe And The Menorah. For historical details on the story of Hanukka, read The Little Menorah That Didn't.

Comments

Lubavitch reaps a bonanza from all their menora lightings, including loads of free publicity, posing as the Macabees of our day, and honors to light the lights and go up in cherry pickers to hand out to their supporters.

They don't discuss the other side of their menora campaign, such as the distortions they disseminate when they claim that the menora is not a religious symbol and that Chanukah is the festival of religious freedom, the increase in Christian symbols in public in reaction to it, and vandalism against them by people who don't want them thrust in their faces.

[ea]

chabad are allways chaging the rules. for two thousend years jews have ben lighting in there houses not in city hall. but they will tell you that"s the way it shold have ben.there allways making the laws the way it sounds good to themselvs

What does "PIRUMEI nisa" mean...? Last time I checked the wordPIRSUMEI in my collegiate dictionary it said something like "publisize, promote, advertise, popularize, promote, talk up, boost, enhance, et al....

Don't try to change history. Perhaps in previous generations, without religous freedom and independece, publicly displaying Menorahs wasn't so feasable, for obvious reasons.

Today, when unfortunately, many Jews are unaware of the beauty and warmth that is part of their rich heritage, we ought to commend not condem Chabad for this illustrious work that no one else has the courage to promulgate. What do you do, other than denigrate the works of others, to promote the continuity of Jewish life in America?

I think you should be asahmed of this dispicable and repulsive post on your blog.

It would be more appropiate for you to discuss how to better guarnatee any jewish future and if Chabad, as it does, has problems, discuss ho to rectify them, not to unjustly and in ugly fashion speak badlyof them (though I doubt that any of your owrds has any impact on even one of those iron hearted Chabadniks...)

[Shmarya]

What are you talking about? Where do you see "PIRUMEI nisa" written?

[ea]

its nice that you decided that is what parsumey neesa is . most jews like to follow what the gmarah says to do for parsumey neesa.

[rebeljew]

Can we really fault the top salesmen of Judaism for using the tools of their trade? And claiming to have reintroduced chanukah is all par for the course. As I sat by someone's table, he and his wife waxed poetic about how, were it not for the FR, there would be no frum Jews in America. I reached for another drink and I felt much better. But they want to sell the product, albeit with a bit of puffery, kol hakavod.

[Jath]

kol hakavod ? !
but they are tainted .
they , don't eat others shchita , they want everybody else to swallow their toads , have their own rules , their own understanding even of the deity ?! , heir own sovereign , their own flag , their own menoras , their own interpretations of things that are as far from the pshat as kichok mizrach mimaarav .
how did the magid say ?
ulefi shehotziu et atzmam min haklal , kafru ba-ikar !
hashem yishmor !

While you folks quarel over this pathetic website, debating chabad's validity and authenticity... Yous ist in the comfort of your cozy nice home, wasting invaluable time on a computer, munching over your food (what hashgacha? bracha? maybe) and absurdly denigrating Chabad....

There are thousands of selfless Chabad Shluchim who are dedicated to keep the flames of the neshama alive.

While you seek to destroy Judaism. Chabad is buliding true Yiddishkeit throughout the world, even in places you wouldn't dare step foot, or bare the weather. Yet, Chabad remains dedicated with complete faith to the Almighty G-d, regardless of your non-sence.

Trust me, te average chabadnik has never heard of your baseless website. Neither would they care about the trash that goes on y the few time squandereres who meet here. This site's information will neither deter nor impact their activities in the slighjtes manner. So you just keep wasting your time, energy, money and resources here. While Chabad will remain focused on it's important mission of bring Jews to Judaism, while your try to distance Jews. Let us then see who succeeds and who fails...? It's no wonder why this webpage is dubbed "Failed" I guess that whoever is behind these wastefull pages has indeed FAILED>>>! Keep it up!

Shmarya,

By the way, the word that was intended above, as ostensibly you couldn't figure out, was PIRSUMEI NISA, and the message was quite clear!

[ea]

it sounds all nice ,with the shluchim and all the work they do. but if you think about it if they were so succesfull dont you think there would be alot more lubavitchers around with all the balteshuvas that they make. the problem is that they will never give you a answer for the question.they will just tell you a bunch of ghibber.

[Nachum]

Last week's Forward had a piece about how Christians are using the Menorahs to put up creches. I don't have a problem with that, but wish they'd take down the Menorahs.

[Moishe]

>the menorah is representative of Chabad->Lubavitch and its efforts to displace >darkness with light

Chabad does the opposite quite often.

[Jath]

Such a bunch of phoneys .
They go lighting Menoras with gentiles .
But do they tell them what they do in Nit'l Nacht & what that means to them.
And when that mayor , or Governor or Prime Minister does the lighting , do they tell him about the difference between a Jew who dons Tefillin and a monkey who does the same thing ?
And how about the Jew who lites the Menora vs a gentile who does so ?