The Messiah Of Crown Heights

Like many other young men in Crown Heights, Itzik Balulu studies the Talmud and other Jewish texts from early in the morning to well into the night.

But you should see his ride. When he's not ensconced in 770 Eastern Parkway, the center of the Chabad-Lubavitch universe, the 26-year-old Israeli and his crew drive around in a blinged-out Cadillac, a regular kandy-kolored streamline baby. Oy vey.

The Caddy, which they bought a few years ago, is bright yellow and covered with enormous decals featuring a "King Messiah" crown and a picture of the messiah himself: Rebbe Menachem M. Schneerson. A dollar bill is attached to the upper right corner of the windshield—a symbol…

… of the rebbe's practice of handing out dollar bills to his visitors to give to charity.

Among Lubavitchers, the rebbe is more than revered. Officially, he died 14 years ago. But to many Lubavitchers, dead he's not, and the messiah—not just for Jews, but the entire planet—he most certainly is.

When they aren't studying, the yeshiva boys doggedly tool around the city and install yellow flags in homes and businesses. The flags look a lot like the images on the car: a crown and the words "Long Live the King Messiah Forever and Ever." Balulu installed seven last week and just ordered a thousand more from a factory in China. He plans to go to India next year: The rebbe, he says, has advised him to be a Chabad emissary.

For now, Balulu goes to Union Square every Friday afternoon to hand out Chabad materials and to "bar-mitzvah" non-observant Jews. He and the boys usually set up shop beside an Amish cheese vendor at the weekly farmers' market. They tend to get into friendly discussions with passersby, like a recent confab they had with a teenage Korean Christian missionary and the Pennsylvania Amish vendor over the meaning of Orthodox Judaism. Their target, however, is secular Jews. From behind their table festooned with (what else?) yellow flags, the boys ask Jews to pray with them—specifically to repeat, word for word, a prayer referred to as the Yechi chant, which identifies the rebbe as the messiah. Yes, the Messiah.…[Continue reading.]

Village Voice: The Crown Heights Lubavitchers: Ecstatic Jews, a messiah proclaimed, and the consequential divisions

Video of the Messiah-mobile.

Village Voice Chabad Messianism.pdf

Comments

[uncle joe mccarthy]

this is just too sad

i wonder if in another generation, chabad will be jewish at all

[Rachel Batya]

Of all the things about this that creep me out, that huge picture of the rebbe is at the top of the list. Looks distinctly like Big Brother to me.

[Garnel Ironheart]

What's the alternative? They could be sitting out on street corners doing drugs and attacking people for money.

Yes they're misguiding and annoying but at least that's all they are.

[Rachel Batya]

--What's the alternative?--

They could practice Judaism.

[steve]

This case sounds like the one discussed on Hikind's radio show:

Satmar Teacher Sued By Former Student For Sexual Abuse

http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a13292/News/New_York.html

[steve]

ANOTHER PERVERSION OF HALACHA. BRESLOV WOMEN TO BE LOCKED IN SYNAGOGUE GALLERY UNTIL MEN LEAVE!

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3587545,00.html

[Shmarya]

This case sounds like the one discussed on Hikind's radio show:

Satmar Teacher Sued By Former Student For Sexual Abuse

http://www.thejewishweek.com/viewArticle/c36_a13292/News/New_York.htm

You're right. Same case.

[Garnel Ironheart]

> --What's the alternative?--

> They could practice Judaism.

Well yes, but then they'd have to stop being Chabadniks!

[Isa]

Sarcastically:

We need pictures of the Rebbe's mother so that she can intercede on out behalf...

We can even put pictures her all around...
with candles too!

Compose prayers for her too!
e.g.
Holy (name) mother of the messiah-pray for us etc etc etc

[Garnel Ironheart]

Hush Isa! You're just going to give them ideas!

[Antinomian]

So, wait, the woman ate food when she was supposed to be fasting?

With the Xian movement, very early some (e.g. Sol of Tarsus) believed the Messianic age did away with the Mitzvot. I have read the secret followers of Shabtai Zvi believed the same thing. So now Meshichisten in Chabad are starting to believe the Mitzvot are vanishing away too?

Can someone explain this phenomenon to me?

[Paul Freedman]

Chabad media now refer to the Rebbe in the past tense, "last Rebbe", "departed", "may his memory be blessed"--Xtian belief was openly professed--do we have any sources right now that Lubavitch institutions are teaching in any sense that he is not deceased just like the rest of us will certainly be or even Messiah? If this guy is hanging out at 770 Parkway shul that would make him a part of that very small yechi=Elohist minority.

Good for him.

What about the honchos?

[Paul Freedman]

Not to overpersonalize but does anyone think that the family participants in the other major topic here, AgriP believe the Rebbe is still "alive"?

????

Or even that Messiah is critical for their activities and world view?

[Shmarya]

Chabad media now refer to the Rebbe in the past tense, "last Rebbe", "departed", "may his memory be blessed"

Rarely. And when this is done, it is all done for EXTERNAL consumption.

Not to overpersonalize but does anyone think that the family participants in the other major topic here, AgriP believe the Rebbe is still "alive"?

All of Chabad believe the Rebbe is in some sense alive.

Some view that like the woman in this article, meaning alive just like anyone else on this earth.

Others understand this to mean the Rebbe is no longer chained by his body, and now is more alive than he was before. He sees everything and can be anywhere and everywhere simultaneously.

And there are gradations of both beliefs.

Or even that Messiah is critical for their activities and world view?

The Rubashkins are messiansts whose understanding of the Rebbe's "aliveness" is similar to the second example I gave.

[Paul Freedman]

Shmarya--I'm seeing this as a routine reference in their book catalogue--as far as external vs. internal you might cite a few "internal" uses to make the case that passions haven't "cooled off" even in Chabad redoubts.

You realize that your second definition goes beyond Tzaddikhood to deification. Let me see if I can follow up. If I hear anything I'll let you know.

[Shmarya]

'm seeing this as a routine reference in their book catalogue

Which is used by non-Chabadniks and by people who attend Chabad Houses services and events.

[Rachel Batya]

--So now Meshichisten in Chabad are starting to believe the Mitzvot are vanishing away too? Can someone explain this phenomenon to me?--

Here's my take:

If your deceased rebbe is a demi-god, there's already a very deep disconnect with the core of Judaism. What did Akiva die for? What did the Jews of medieval Spain die for? They refused to bow down to human beings. They died for their belief in a divine force that is not like anything on earth, anything we can touch, or anything we can imagine.

This understanding of YHVH is the whole underpinning of the mitzvot--we can't *know* G-d, but we can do the *will* of G-d.

But once you think you've grasped G-d, why *shouldn't* the mitzvot go away? You've already put the core of Judaism in reverse, and everything else starts going in reverse as well. And if you think you've come face to face with the Divine in the figure of your rebbe, why do anything other than jump up and down ecstatically in front of your idol?

In general, I don't particularly care what people believe, but I'm finding it hard to be kind about this.

[Ariel Sokolovsky www.BostonChabad.com]

B"H

Not to overpersonalize but does anyone think that the family participants in the other major topic here, AgriP believe the Rebbe is still "alive"?

????

Or even that Messiah is critical for their activities and world view?

Posted by: Paul Freedman | August 28, 2008 at 12:17 PM

Moshe Rubashkin had "Yechi" -("Long Live our Master our Teacher and our Rebbe King Moshiach Forever and Ever!") printed on his posters for Head of Crown Heights JCC election. (nd as you remember he won)

[Paul Freedman]

Well, Areil, maybe "yechi" sometimes means "yippee!!!"

but with *feeling*

yippee!

[Isa]

Sarcastically:

In the name of Ha-Shem, The Rebbe and the Chabad Spirit...
our Rebbe , who art in Paradise, blessed is the Rebbe's name...

/sarcastically

The idol worshipers are worse than Reform

[rebitzman]

++But once you think you've grasped G-d, why *shouldn't* the mitzvot go away?++

Perhaps because "grasping G-d" isn't possible?

[Rachel Batya]

++But once you think you've grasped G-d, why *shouldn't* the mitzvot go away?++

--Perhaps because "grasping G-d" isn't possible?--

rebitzman, that was my point. We have the mitzvot because that's the closest we can possibly come to knowing G-d. The mitzvot are the fail-safe against avodah zarah.

The thing I can't fathom is how observant Jews managed to work around the fail-safe.

[rebitzman]

++The Rubashkins are messiansts whose understanding of the Rebbe's "aliveness" is similar to the second example I gave.++

If they thought about it at all - they'd come to realize how insulting that is TO THE REBBE.

There's a wonderful Chassidic tale about the how every night how the neshama of the Baal Shem Tov would leave his body and travel further and further and further from earth and close and closer to HaShem. One night he came to a wall - he could neither go over it, or around it. He understood that to go beyond it was a one way trip - but a trip that ended in the presence of the Kodesh Baruch Hu, and that if he returned to his body, he would never again get even this close.

The story ends with a woman screaming "Israel" in anguish.

I guess the Chabadniks would have us believe the Rebbe hit the same wall - chose to come back rather than pass beyond?

[Dave]

Rachel Batya,
You are right on !
Sadly many Jews have not internalized the understanding of Hashem's Uknowableness and Unity and Otherness. As the Rambam says, the Eternal is a Unity unlike any other unity.

[Carol-Ann]

Here's a Christian perspective from the gosple of Mark 21-23:

"And then if anyone tells you, 'This is the Messiah,' or, 'That one is,' don't pay any attention. For there will be many false Messiahs and false prophets who will do wonderful miracles that would deceive, if possible, even God's own children. Take care! I have warned you!"

[Ariel Sokolovsky www.BostonChabad.com]

B"H

Here's a Christian perspective from the gosple of Mark 21-23:

"And then if anyone tells you, 'This is the Messiah,' or, 'That one is,' don't pay any attention. For there will be many false Messiahs and false prophets who will do wonderful miracles that would deceive, if possible, even God's own children. Take care! I have warned you!"

Posted by: Carol-Ann | August 30, 2008 at 11:08 PM

Dear Carol Ann
Before you quote Christian perspective why don't you 1st prove your own Christian credentials according to the gospel of mark 16:17:

Mark 16
16He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

start by kissing a cobra and drinking some poison cast out a few devils and speak in tongues.
If you are not ready to do that it would clearly seem based on your Christian doctrines in the previous verse that you are not from among the sincere believers but from among the damned in which case it is unclere why you are bothering quoting Christian teachings which condemn you to damnation...:-)

[Ariel Sokolovsky www.BostonChabad.com]

unclear*