Hinduism: Details about 'Lubavitch'
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Chabad Lubavitch, also known as Chabad (חבד) (a Hebrew acronym for "חכמה Chochmah- בינה Binah- דעת Da'at", "Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge"), or Lubavitch (ליובאוויטש) (Russian: "town of brotherly love") after the town that served as the movement's headquarters for over a century, is one of the largest branches of Hasidic Judaism and one of the largest Jewish Orthodox organizations worldwide, especially in the United States and Israel. Founded by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi in the late 1700s, it has had seven leaders or Rebbes, the seventh being Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994), the son of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak Schneerson (1878-1944). Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson was fifth in a direct paternal line to the third Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (known as the Tzemach Tzedek after his book by the same title). Its adherents, or Chasidim, known as "Lubavitchers", or "Chabadniks", are Orthodox Jews belonging to Hasidic Judaism as defined by the Chabad traditions. Like all Hasidim they follow the teachings and customs of Chasidut as taught by the Baal Shem Tov, based on the Kabbalistic works of Rabbi Isaac Luria (also know as the Arizal). Chabad also daven or pray according to the rites established by the Arizal. One of the more popular editions of the prayer book is the Sidur Tehillat HaShem.
The Leaders of ChabadThe movement originated in Belarus in Eastern Europe. Chabad traces its roots back to the beginnings of Hasidic Judaism. The founder of Hasidism, Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (1698-1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov, started his nascent movement in Mezhibozh, Ukraine. His successor was Rabbi Dovber of Mezeritch (d. 1772), his leading disciple, who was well-versed in the Lurianic Kabbalah and developed the movement further.
Origin of nameChabadThe names Chabad and Lubavitch each have a history. Chabad is a Hebrew acronym for Chochma ("wisdom"), Bina ("understanding"), and Da'as ("knowledge"), that was chosen early on by its founder, the first Rebbe, Shneur Zalman of Liadi. The name Chabad reflects the intellectual accessibility of the mystical teachings of the Kabbalah. In the seminal Hasidic work, Tanya, Rabbi Shneur Zalman defines "Chabad Hasidism" as "מוח שולט על הלב" (the mind rules over the emotions). This is distinguished with other forms of Hasidism sometimes referred to as "Chagat" for the emotional attributes of Chesed ("kindness"), Gevurah ("power"), and Tifereth ("beauty"). Chabad is sometimes written as Habad in English, and in all the phonetic equivalents of the name in all the countries they operate in. Thus, as an example, Jabad is the Spanish form, particularly important to the Jews of Latin America, most notably Argentina, which has the largest concentration of Spanish speaking Jews anywhere in the world and therefore has a large Lubavitch presence as well. LubavitchLubavitch is the name of a small town in Russia meaning "town of love". It was Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi who founded the movement, but his son established court in Lubavitch, and the name stuck. In Hasidic Judaism, a dynasty normally takes its name from the town in Eastern Europe where it was born and originated. The followers of Lubavitch place great emphasis on the value and meaning of their group name and town of origin. They say that this evokes, symbolizes and embodies who they are. History of the movementIn 19th and 20th century Russia Chabad had a large following and had a sizeable network of yeshivoth called Tomchei Temimim. Most of this system was destroyed by Bolshevik governments and the German invasion in 1942. Rabbi Joseph Isaac Schneersohn, who was the Rebbe then, was exiled to Warsaw, Poland. With the lobbying of many world leaders, Jewish and non-Jewish (among them the U.S. Department of State) on his behalf, and reputedly with the help of Admiral Wilhelm Canaris head of the Abwehr, he was finally granted diplomatic immunity and given safe conduct to go via Berlin to Riga. He eventually moved on to New York City where he arrived on March 19 1940. His son-in-law and cousin Menachem Mendel Schneerson, who had been living in Paris, France, since 1933, escaped from France in 1941 and joined his father-in-law in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York City. Nowadays, Chabad can be found pretty much wherever there are Jews. The worldwide headquarters of the Chabad movement is 770 Eastern Parkway in the neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, referred to as "770" by Lubavitchers who deem the number to have great mystical significance. Chabad todayEmissariesMenachem Mendel Schneerson, after becoming Rebbe, and following an initiative of the previous Rebbe, spurred the movement on to what has become known as shlichus (outreach work). As a result, Chabad shluchim (emissaries, sing. shaliach) have moved all over the world with a mission of helping all Jews, regardless of denomination or affiliation, with all their needs, physical assistance and spiritual, to learn more about their Jewish heritage, and Judaism as practiced by Chabad. The movement, following Rabbi Schneerson's call, has trained and ordained thousands of rabbis, educators, ritual slaughterers, and ritual circumcisers, who are all accompanied by equally motivated spouses and typically large families, all of whom aim to fulfill their mandate of Jewish outreach, education, and revival. They look for and recruit Jews back to Judaism, encourage Jews to strengthen their commitment to Judaism, and assist in supporting the religious needs of hundreds of thousands of Jews worldwide. Emissaries have commented on various occasions that "wherever there is Coca-Cola, there is Chabad". Chabad specifically does not involve itself in conversion to Judaism by gentiles and generally refers interested parties to other courts of Jewish law. The Chabad HouseA Chabad House is a Jewish community center, the nerve center of all the educational and outreach activities of a shliach. Often until the community is big enough for its own building, the Chabad House is the shliach's house, with the synagogue being their living room. The term originated in California with the creation of the first such outreach center on the campus of UCLA by Rabbi Boruch Shlomo Cunin. There are over 4,000 Chabad centers in 70 countries serving the needs of the local Jewish communities worldwide. Mitzvot campaignsChabad is also remarkable in its openness to non-Orthodox Jews; in fact, it aims to attract them to do mitzvot, and believes this part of the process to bring the Messiah. This practice is called "mivtzoim" - meaning "endeavors." The Rebbe issued a call to every Jew: "Even if you are not fully commited to a Torah life, do something. Begin with a mitzvah - any mitzvah; its value will not be diminished by the fact that there are others which you are not prepared to do." The Rebbe believed even one act of goodness and kindness is incomparable. The Rebbe also suggested ten specific mitzvot - that, because of their centrality to the Torah's guide to life, are ideally suited for a first experience of the mitzvah connection.
In addition to the above campaigns, Schneerson greatly emphasized spreading awareness of the coming of Moshiach and preparing for his imminent arrival. Some of the points Schneerson stressed in his teachings include:
Often when asked what remains to be done to bring Moshiach (the messiah), Schneerson answered that we need to perform "Acts of Goodness and Kindness," now a popular catchphrase. Rabbi Schneerson intended that Moshiach awareness be an essential part of everything we do, and thus it is unusual for any Chabad function to be without mention of the desire for the immediate Redemption. Outreach ActivitiesActivities:
Customs of ChabadChabad has specific minhagim (customs) that distinguish it from other Hasidic groups. For example, in contrast with other Hasidic sects, most Chabad hassidim since moving its headquarters to America do not wear shtreimels (fur hats worn) on special days and occasions. However, some Lubavitcher Hasidim in Jerusalem continue to wear a shtreimel, as is the old custom of Jerusalem. Many Chabadniks from Russia continued to wear the Kasket, a Russian cap, even after their arrival in the United States or Israel. American Chabad hassidim pronounce Hebrew according to the Ashkenazi dialect, with the vowel cholem sounding somewhat closer to /ey/ than the Modern Hebrew /o/ and the Ashkenazi /oi/. However a lot of Israeli native Chabad hassidim pronounce Hebrew according to modern Israeli dialect. Like many other Hasidic groups, Chabad attaches importance to singing Hasidic nigunim (tunes), either with or without words and following precise customs of their leaders. However, they do not sing traditional Sabbath zemiroth (hymns), unlike all other Hasidim and many other Jews in general. Chabad customs are many times in accordance with the traditions of Kabalah, similar to the customs of other Hasidim and of the Ben Ish Chai. Many examples of this can be found in the wordings of the Siddur Tehillat HaShem. One well-known example is the wording for the Kedushah section in the musaf prayer, which according to the Chabad tradition commences with keser (crown) in accordance with Kabbalistic sources, in contrast to the general Ashkenazi custom of commencing with nakdishach. Influence on the Jewish worldChabad has had a notable influence on Haredi entertainment. Singing rabbi Shlomo Carlebach who was once affiliated with Chabad, and popular singers such as Avraham Fried and children's entertainer Uncle Moishy attract sizable crowds on their tours and have popularized many melodies for various Jewish occasions. Chabad pioneered the post-War kiruv ("outreach") movement which spread the message of "authentic Judaism" to many assimilated Jews worldwide, leading to a substantial number of baalei teshuva ("returnees" to Judaism"). Chabad was one of the first Jewish outreach organizations to use the World Wide Web as outreach tool.This has also spread to campus activities. The Mitnagdic world has learnt from Lubavitch on Campus in their outreach activities. Professor Ferziger of Bar Ilan university said "The individual who enters is given the opportunity to interact with a knowledgeable Jew on a level that is rare in a large, established congregation.. Questioning is encouraged and the tenor of the discussions, often peppered with raucous Hasidic melodies, is motivating, but generally nonjudgmental." This he says non-Chabad outreach groups are trying to mimic. ControversiesHistory of controversySince its inception, Hasidism was the center of much controversy within the Jewish community. The founder of Hasidism, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov was a populist preacher and Kabbalist virtually unknown to the accepted Rabbinate at the time. His quickly growing popularity and novel interpretations of the Torah and halakha (Jewish law) quickly caused a growing backlash by established Rabbis who called themselves mitnagdim (lit. opposers). Hasidim were falsely accused of idolatry, false messianism and laxity in observance of halakha. This opposition was led by Rabbi Eliyahu Kramer, known as the Vilna Gaon. After the death of the Baal Shem Tov's successor, Rabbi Dovber of Mezeritch; Hasidism split into many groups. Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi is believed by Chabad Hasidim to be the rightful heir and successor of Rabbi Dovber of Mezritch. During the lives of Rabbi Shneur Zalman and his son Dovber, the controversies between the Hasidim and Mitnagdim intensified in many ways. Subjects of the disagreement were the rules for ritual slaughter and the conduct and phrasing of prayers, but rapidly involved many other aspects of Jewish life. As a result, Rabbi Shneur Zalman and his followers were subjected to bans and persecution. Finally, a prominent member of the mitnagdim informed the Russian government that Rabbi Shneur Zalman was encouraging his followers to send money to Palestine. Palestine was a part of the Ottoman Empire, which was at war with Russia. Rabbi Shneur Zalman was arrested for treason. His subsequent release on 19 Kislev is celebrated by Chabad Hasidim as the New Year of Hasidism and divine vindication of the movement. There was brief rapprochement between Chabad, other Hasidim and the mitnagdim during the tenure of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn, the grandson of Rabbi Shneur Zalman. However, controversies continued throughout the generations. Controversy During the Seventh Rebbe's LifeRabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the seventh Chabad leader, took the reins of the movement shortly after World War II and became their Rebbe. At the time, many believed that Orthodox Judaism was about to die. Schneerson announced that the world is on the threshold of redemption and the coming of Messiah. At the speech where he accepted leadership, he proclaimed the defining theme of his tenure. He stated that his purpose as the seventh Rebbe, and the Chasidim as the seventh generation, was to complete the work of bringing the Shechina back into this world, and bringing the Jewish Messiah. He further stated that the previous Rebbe had not finished this work, but because of the unusual character of his self-sacrifice was still present to lead the charge in bringing about the Messianic Age. "Beyond this, the Rebbe will bind and unite us with the infinite Essence of God.. When he redeems us from the exile with an uplifted hand and the dwelling places of all Jews shall be filled with light.. May we be privileged to see and meet with the Rebbe here is this world, in a physical body, in this earthy domain - and he will redeem us" (). Schneerson renounced the traditionally insular or assimilationist way of life espoused by many Jews in the United States. He encouraged growing untrimmed beards, women wearing wigs and other overt signs of religiosity. His followers held public Hannukah celebrations, encouraged secular Jews to put on tefillin in public and made themselves highly visible in their Jewish observance. This caused a backlash from both liberal and traditional factions of the Jewish establishment. The County of Allegheny with the support of Chabad defended itself in court all the way to the United States Supreme Court from the ACLU in County of Allegheny v. ACLU over the display of a public Menorah owned by Chabad. The American Jewish Congress and American Jewish Committee both filed amicus curiaebriefs opposing the menorah. Many prominent Rabbis, primarily in the mitanigdic camp, were staunchly opposed to allowing secular Jews to wear tefillin, as they believed it to be a desecration. The controversies over the role of a tzadik and the coming of the Jewish Messiah continue to rage. Relationship Between God, the Rebbe and his FollowersBased on the teachings of Rabbi Isaac Luria, the Baal Shem Tov and the Ohr ha-Chaim, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi taught in the name of the Zohar that "He who breathed life into man, breathed from Himself." Therefore a person's soul comes from the essence of God. According to kabbalah, a tzadik is someone who has completely nullified himself and his desires to God's will. His soul, which like every Jewish soul is part of God, is revealed within him more than it is in people who have not completely nullified themselves to God. However, Judaism does not believe in the Tzadik being like God. In 1951 the seventh Rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson said a similar statement to those statements discussed in Tzadik, (Lekutei Sichos Vol 2 pg 510-511) saying regarding the practice by Hasidim to have a Rebbe act as an intermediary with God on their behalf, by explaining that "the Rebbe is completely connected with his Hasidim, not like two separate things that connect, rather they become completely one. And the Rebbe is not an intermediary which separates rather he is one that connects. Therefore by a Hassid, he with the Rebbe with God are all one.. Therefore one can not ask a question about an intermediary since this is the essence of God Himself, as He has clothed Himself in a human body". In recent years some critics, notably David Berger, Chaim Dov Keller and others, have expressed the concern that this is a Chabad innovation that deifies the Rebbe, which would be contrary to accepted Jewish theology. Chabad writers counter that these reactions are based on a misunderstanding of the Kabbalistic terminology used by Schneerson, and that similar expressions can be found throughout non-Chabad Hassidic and Kabbalistic literature. As Berger laments in his most popular work, few leaders within Orthodox Judaism have publicly levelled such charges or taken steps towards ostracising Chabad. Various Forms of MessianismDuring the later years of his life Schneerson's teachings were interpreted by many to mean that he was claiming to be the Messiah. The development of this messianism and its impact on Chabad in specific — and Orthodox Judaism in general — has been the subject of much discussion in the Jewish press, as well as within the pages of peer-reviewed journals. There are various expressions of the Messianic message:
Vociferous opponents of the "meschichist" ("messianist") approach were some of the prominent roshei yeshiva (deans of Talmud colleges), such as the late Rabbi Eliezer Menachem Schach, dean of the Ponovezh yeshiva in Israel, who had long opposed Chabad before any of the recent controversies were at issue. He was the leader of a group that had historically been at odds with all Hasidim, including Chabad, although from the 20th century onwards they worked quite closely together in organizations such as Agudath Israel, and Schach himself had not criticized any other Hasidic group in this way. Schach may have had additional enmity because of what he felt was a betrayal regarding political dealings that brought down an Israeli administration he supported. It is noteworthy that many roshei yeshiva, including the late Rabbi Moses Feinstein and Rabbi Abraham Pam (essentially from the same camp as Schach) held Schneerson in the highest regard and did not take a stance vis a vis the Messianic stirrings. The most vocal critic in the Modern Orthodox camp has been Rabbi Dr. David Berger, professor of history at Brooklyn College. In his 2001 book The Rebbe, the Messiah, and the Scandal of Orthodox Indifference, he criticizes the movement's Messianistic teachings, the perceived belief by many followers that the Rebbe was indeed the Messiah, and the incompatibility of these beliefs with traditional Judaism. He urges the Orthodox community to distance itself from Chabad. At the request of Berger, the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA) resolved through a majority vote that “"In light of disturbing developments which have recently arisen in the Jewish community, the Rabbinical Council of America in convention assembled declares that there is not and has never been a place in Judaism for the belief that Mashiach ben David will begin his Messianic Mission only to experience death, burial and resurrection before completing it."” Additonally Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University, and major leader in the Modern Orthodox community, Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, has gone on record criticising the messianic tendencies within Chabad. In contrast, Berger's claims have been attacked as false and misleading by several books written in response to his claims. Moshe Idel, the Max Cooper Professor of Jewish Thought at Hebrew University, considered the world's foremost academic authority on kabbala, or Jewish mysticism, disagrees with Berger's key point, that Judaism abhors the idea of a messiah who rises from the dead. He pointed out that this notion is not as foreign as Berger would have readers believe. After all, the professor argued, the late King David is considered in Jewish literature as a top candidate for the post of Messiah (Yanover). Rabbi Ahron Soloveitchik expressed concern for voices attacking Chabad. At the time, he had authorized publication of a letter in which he urged respect for Chabad, expressed praise for its work and stated that its beliefs are not outside the realm of Orthodox Judaism. Likewise, Professor Aviezer Ravitzky, chairman of the department of Jewish philosophy at Hebrew University, strongly disputes Berger's claims that new Chabad teachings amount to heresy; however he does not believe that such beliefs are correct. In regards to those who wait for Schneerson to return from the dead as a messiah, Ravitzky stated "Torah does not prohibit a person from being stupid." Earlier responses from other various Jewish spokespeople had been also been aimed specifically at the last two expressions of messianism. Longtime critics Allan Nadler (2001) and Rabbi Chaim Dov Keller (1998) warned that Chabad had moved its focus from God to Schneerson to the point that they "worship him", but their criticism did not have the impact that Berger's work and subsequent campaign. References and further reading
News sitesOther links
Chabad Mouvement Loubavitch חסידות חב"ד ליובאוויטש
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