Here is the response from a discussion on this topic on Lazer Brodys site:
http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2011/06/the-lubavitcher-rebbe-on-faith.htmlB"H
Avigail,
I was deeply saddened to read your posts against Chabad on Rabbi Brody's website. Unfortunately, the internet makes it possible for any person to go onto a beautiful blog such as Rabbi Brody's, and 'very publicly' smear an entire group of tens of thousands of Jews in one quick shot. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of Jews got smeared in one shot by your posts, if you consider all the Jews somehow affiliated around the world with a Chabad Shul. There are enough hate groups and anti-Semites on the web. And in recent times, mainstream media outlets in many countries are attacking Jews and Israel all over the internet like never before. It's not helpful for Jews to attack other Jews.
Please watch the video posted by Rabbi Brody again, and focus on the wonderful, inspirational message about emuna & bitachon (and thanking Hashem for both good and the seemingly bad), which the Lubavitcher Rebbe so eloquently spoke about in the video. Please don't turn Lazer Beams, which is a beacon of Light for all Jews, into your personal forum against tens of thousands of Jews across the world who follow the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. You obviously have an axe to grind against Chabad, but please keep this negativity to yourself. Rabbi Brody often teaches about how important it is for Jews to love all other Jews, even the ones we disagree with, and/or the ones whom are different on the surface. For example, Ashkenazi & Sephardic, or religious and not religious. In reality, we are all one. So let's have Ahavat Yisrael!
On Rabbi Brody's Emuna CD "Pipes of Abundance" he talks about how we have to be careful never to speak Lashon Hara against any other group of Jews, or any rabbi. The Lubavitcher Rebbe was one of the main people (whom you can count on one hand) responsible for reviving Judaism around the world from the ashes of Auschwitz. And he truly loved all Jews. And he taught his shliuchim to also love and accept all Jews.
Your first post against Chabad was extremely harsh, calling ugly names like "cult movement" and "breaching Halacha" and all sorts of other ugly stuff. Chabad is actually very strict about following all of the Halacha, by the way. Someone took the time to politely respond to your posts (you thought it was Rabbi Brody himself but it wasn't), and the intelligent response didn't settle it for you. It only launched you into some sort of "debate" with Rabbi Brody, and you wrote a much more vicious attack on Chabad, and G-d forbid it seems you may have been attacking the Lubavitcher Rebbe himself. The Lubavitcher Rebbe was one of the Torah giants of modern times. Almost all Jewish scholars agree on this. And it doesn't take a Torah scholar to know that he was one of the leaders of an entire generation, for our people. He loved ALL Jews and in one of his famous comments, he compared each Jew in the world to a diamond. You obviously have an axe to grind with Chabad, and everyone is entitled to his/her opinion, but please consider how much it damages Klal Yisrael when Jews attack other Jews, in any form.
When I watched that video the first time, what struck me most was how similar the Rebbe's message was back then to Rabbi Brody's own message today. B"H I feel the Lubavitcher Rebbe would be VERY proud to have Rabbi Brody and Rav Arush spreading the message of Emuna to the current generation.
Furthermore, everyone should know:
The first Rebbe of Chabad, the Alter Rebbe (the Baal HaTanya) defended Rabi Nachman and supported him in the machlokes against Rabi Nachman and said: "Rabi Nachman places himself in nisyonos, he is a great man, a mighty warrior." (Beis Rebbe)
Also:
* When R’ Nachman returned from Eretz Yisroel he went directly to the Baal HaTanya in White Russia (quite a distance out of his way) arriving before Shabbos Chazon (9 Av 5559 -1779) in Liozna. When the Chassidim found out that R’ Nachman had come to town they received him with great honor and came out to greet him dressed in their Shabbos clothing. The Alter Rebbe was overjoyed to welcome R’ Nachman, and they showed each other great closeness and love. They spoke for many hours, and after R’ Nachman declined to speak publicly, the Alter Rebbe delivered a maamar for six hours without stop.
* Once, the 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe (R’ Yosef Yitzchok), visited Teplik. Upon his arrival, all the Yidden came to greet him and brought kvitlach - and among them was a Breslover Chossid named R’ Elimelech Tepliker. The Rebbe Rayatz told him: “Everyone has seforim in their home, but when traveling, one only brings along the seforim that he uses regularly.” While saying these words, the Rebbe showed him that he had brought along his Likkutei Moharan.
* Also, the Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe (Rebbe Rayatz) had a sefer Likutei Halachos on his desk at the time of his passing.
Avigail, even the other Torah giants of our time such as the Baba Sali had the greatest respect and admiration for the Lubavitcher Rebbe. And these two great tzadikim used to communicate with each other in ways that you and I cannot even understand.
Let's not focus on whether the Rebbe is the mashiach or not, which you seem preoccupied with. As the person who responded to you on Rabbi Brody's site explained to you, most Chabad rabbis today do not focus on this. They are about making positive ACTIONS happen in the world today, and spreading Torah & Mitzvot to all Jews.
Perhaps the greatest legacy to the Rebbe is all the great work done around the world by his shliuchim. Applaud them for this. Don't knock down other Jews. If you visit Thailand or India or Tazmania or any number of far out places in the world, try getting a Kosher meal without going to a Chabad House, Avigail. :) The numerous families known as Chabad do many wonderful things in Chutz La'aretz and in Eretz Yisroel. They think of themselves as "Jews" first and foremost, and they are there to serve all Jews.
The oldest charity organization in Israel is Colel Chabad, which has been caring for Israel's needy since 1788. They have numerous programs around the world, helping Jewish prisoners, helping Jewish soldiers in the US Armed Forces, and on and on.
http://www.Chabad.org is one of the largest places on the whole internet helping Jews to connect to Hashem in every imaginable way. See for yourself. There is no mention there of the Rebbe being the mashiach.. on any part of that huge site.
From Israeli backpackers in their twenties hiking through Thailand and Colombia when they come out of the army, to Satmar Chasidim traveling through China on business, Chabad helps Jews all over the world in any way they can! The murderers who killed the people at the Chabad House in Mumbai didn't go looking for "Chabad" in there.. they went hunting for Jewish blood. And is is often the case, a wide variety of Jews just happened to be visiting inside the Chabad House at the time, and therefore were murdered together as Jews, may their souls all have an aliyah with Hashem.
Breslev and Chabad are both doing a phenomenal job of reaching out to ALL Jews in the world today. They are amongst the most successful at this, which is unfortunately why they both get attacked so much. In spite of all the attacks, both Breslev and Chabad keep growing and growing in almost miraculous ways! B"H
Let's love each other as Jews, and drop all the labels. In the end, we are all simply Jews. B"H And in the zechut of Rabbi Brody, let's keep 'Lazer Beams' happy and positive for all Jews. :)
Kol tuv.
Respectfully,
david
