Latecomers Skipping For Tefillah Betzibbur - The Chasm Between Chasidim & Non-Chasidim

 I have long been aware, of course, that the issue of skipping parts of davening to catch up to and daven "שמונה עשרה" (aka "the amidah") with the tzibbur, is a case where Chasidim and Non-Chasidim differ. Non-Chasidim follow the Shulchan Aruch in אורח חיים סימן נב, which prescribes omitting specific sections for latecomers to catch up to the congregation. Even the Chasidic Shulchan Aruch, the Chabad-Lubavitch שולחן ערוך הרב, of the first Rebbe of the group, also says that one should skip in such a case. 

However, practically speaking, widespread Chasidic practice differs from that, holding that the regular order of tefillah should be followed, even at the cost of davening Shemoneh Esrei alone, missing that תפילה בציבור. They claim that changing the order is מהפך הצינורות (cf the old Yiddish expression פארדרייט די יוצרות).

I just learned more about this issue via a recent post at a Chabad-Lubavitch website. There, not surprisingly, it is reported that they staked out an extreme position on this, encouraged by their late last leader, who gave a reason for it based on a teaching in the foundational Tanya work of their faith, that claims that in later generations tefillah is the main avodah and its details are more important to be followed.

Of course, non-Chasidim, generally stick to the Shulchan Aruch on this. This idea that tefillah is the main avodah now is not theirs, and they don't change halachah for such a notion. They stand firm for the old hierarchy of values, with תלמוד תורה maintaining its high and central position, along with קיום המצות. Thereby they gain the koach of תפילה בציבור, and also align with the teaching in שולחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן א, that טוב מעט בכוונה מהרבות בלא כוונה. Intent and understanding is prioritized above verbiage.

Summing up: While Non-Chasidim stress basic traditional tefillah betzibur and kavannah, Chassidim, to a great extent, prioritize Kabbalistic theories about prayer.

In this zechus of proper תפילות, may we be זוכה that they be accepted favorably on high.

כתיבה וחתימה טובה

Openly Messianic Lubavitcher Installed as Chief Rabbi of Moldova, Elaborate Cover-up Follows

An openly meshichist follower of Chabad-Lubavitch, wearing a yechi yarmulka, with a messianic paroches in the background, with a photo of his late Rebbe on display describing him as King Moshiach (in Russian) was recently installed in a public ceremony as chief rabbi of Moldova, by Rav Kalman Ber, and Lubavitcher shluchim director R. Mendy Kotlarsky.

True that Moldova is a poor backwater, but for a רב הראשי of מדינת ישראל, and R. Mendy Kotlarsky to be part of it? What a joke, makes a mockery of purported opposition of such figures to the Chabad-Lubavitch messianism that maintains that their long deceased (over thirty years) Rebbe is Moshiach now.

This can be seen clearly here, in this report, in the video and photos. 

1) New Rav with yechi yarmulka at ceremony.

2) Messianic paroches (top part is so as well, has yechi on it, can be seen elsewhere).

3) Display of photo of late Rebbe with Russian script describing him as Moshiach.

Note as well all the yechi yarmulkas among the attendees, that didn't happen accidentally.

It could be that Rav Bar was blindsided, didn't realize what he was getting into until he arrived, but Kotlarsky knew, Chabad Moldova is a longtime messianic hotbed. Even now, Chabad.org doesn't seem to have a report on the event.

What was quite interesting was what followed later. The story was carried at some other sites, e.g. YWN, COL Live, and as paid jcn publicity, but with a big change, great difference. These later versions were scrubbed of these open messianic manifestations! Some propagandist evidently "cleansed" the coverage to avoid complications.

As the saying goes, however, you can't fool all of the people all of the time. This site is not fooled and its readers should not be either.

Beware of the Chabad-Lubavitch fraudsters, don't fall for those scam artists, say no to Chabad con men.

From One Folly to Another - TYH Hero Rebbe Shows Us Where His Foolish Path Leads

 Update: Links fixed (sorry, there was an error involving the links earlier, now corrected and usable). 

We have written here multiple times about the serious error of the so called "Nikelsburger Rebbe" and his TYH and other followers, promoting the incorrect, and absurd notion that "every Yid is a big tzaddik". This dangerous naivete (charitably speaking - it could deserve a stronger description) is not even fitting for the tots that he used to teach, let alone adults. It displays and advocates a deliberate and shocking lack of הבדלה, the spurning of that so important ability that we seek with the דעת that it goes together with, which we daven for regularly.

עבירה גוררת עבירה, שטות גוררת שטות

This summer we saw where such foolishness can lead. As reported at YWN.

This fool then didn't suffice with erasing and blurring the distinctions between different levels among Yidden, but he proceeded to do so between different faiths as well, Jews and non-Jews, by chanfing (חנופה ר"ל) an outside visiting liberal soft on crime politician, the type of which we suffer from, ר"ל, showering him with multiple brachos that were made for כלל ישראל (see video).

This so called Rebbe should step down, announce that he is no Rebbe. He needn't disappear, he can say that he is a שמש instead, that way he can continue to serve kugel, chulent, other refreshments, and direct parking in the Catskills, but spare us the confused ideas, and lack of Torah discernment displayed.

In the zechus of appropriate הבדלה may we be zoche to additional דעת from above.

Niggun Limud of Rav Boruch Ber זצ"ל

 לכבוד חמשה עשר באב 

Enjoy some old-fashioned Litvishe נגינה. 

א פרייליכען יום טוב

h/t HV

Chabad Drinking Culture: Camp Version

Anash.org raises the alarm to fellow Lubavitcher "Chasidim".

Chabad-Lubavitch Alcoholic Culture (cont.) - Breathalyzers Campaign, and Girls Drinking

 If you didn't believe what has long been known and revealed (here and elsewhere) of the deep and historic connection between Chabad-Lubavitch "Chassidus" and hitting the bottle, here are some additional illustrations that just came to light to consider.

1) Breathalyzer project:

A campaign has been launched to distribute breathalyzers to Chabad centers in advance of the upcoming thirty second death anniversary of their late leader on 3 Tammuz, later this week.

The Chabad-Lubavitch drinking culture is very revealing of the sect.

2) Female Chabadskers joining in:

The problem is not limited to male members of their faith (!).

This is not some outsider making this up, this is coming from insiders of  Chabadianity, longtime practitioners of Lubavitchism.

ב"ה, thank G-d I was raised Jewishly, with traditional Torah attitude in this area.

Prominent Chasidic Author/Speaker Pleads for End to Chabad-Lubavitch Drinking Culture

Chaim Dalfin, a prominent Lubavitcher author/speaker/propagandist recently issued and disseminated impassioned, forceful pleas against the deep-rooted major problem of drinking and drunkenness in the Chabad-Lubavitch faith, among his fellow "Chasidim".

Exhibit #1

Exhibit #2

You can see from how he speaks how deep rooted and widespread the problem is. Even when their late leader tried to reign it in, he was not successful.

Note the large amount of comments and heated reactions as well.

Will a sect of bearded drunkards bring Moshiach? Would you be interested in an investment opportunity in an old landmark bridge in Brooklyn perhaps?

Interestingly, Dalfin's family is relatively new to the Chabad-Lubavitch faith, having converted from Vizhnitz Hasidism in the post WWII period.

May הקב"ה open our eyes and guide us in the proper Torah way, and may the confused, both individuals and sects, return to true Judaism.

Every Yid IS NOT a Big Tzadik - Rabbis Issue Public Warning About Predatory Scammers

Prominent rabbis, Litvish, Yekkish, Chasidish, speak out clearly in warning.

 More fallout from false and dangerous fantasies spread by TYH group and others, notions that lay the ground for predation and victimization of the naive, G-d forbid.

Follow the old Torah and true Rabbis, reject the dangerous new TYH presudo-Judaism nonsense.

Chabad-Lubavitch hosts Ramadan Iftar Seudah

 How low has Chabad-Lubavitch fallen? How low will they stoop for some PR and politicking?

I was quite surprised to see that no less than an official spokesman for them, who tweets with the handle @Chabad Lubavitch, recently hosted a Ramadan Iftar meal in Crown Heights. Now I understand wanting good relations with other groups, that is admirable, however, it is our way to maintain a separation in the religious sphere. 

Not only that, he was joined by Belzer and Agudath Israel representatives at the event as well.

This shows the hefkeirus in Chabad-Lubavitch nowadays. No living Rebbe, איש הישר בעיניו יעשה. Where is Yudel Krinsky, Shemtov, etc.? A lone voice protested online, but otherwise there seemed to be just silence along with support from a major Chabad-Lubavitch outlet.

Does Agudath Israel not exercise oversight over its representative? Belz? It's true that their participation raises serious questions as well, however, it seems that they just joined, while Chabad-Lubavitch was the driving force behind it.

Get together with others, work together for good things, sure. But there are still certain boundaries set by our faith and rabbis, that stay in place.

Does anyone think that the late Lubavitcher Rebbe would endorse such a thing?

What will Chabad do next? Host an Easter egg roll on the lawn of 770?

May we be zoche to תשובה שלמה and שלום על ישראל בקרוב.

The Contempt & Condescension of Chabad-Lubavitch for Non-Chabad Yidden - Bombshell Revelation from Teachings of their Rebbes

 The massive Chabad-Lubavitch propaganda apparatus endeavors to spread among the population various deceptions, such as 1) Chabad-Lubavitch is normative Torah Judaism, 2) Chabad-Lubavitch is normative Chasidism, 3) Chabad-Lubavitch is the vanguard, the leaders of Judaism/Chasidism, 4) Their leader is the leader of the Jewish people (נשיא הדור), 5) They respect, love, get along with every Jew, etc., etc. The truth however, is at variance with these claims. 

Let us just examine now one of the multiple, or should I say manifold, Chabad deceptions.

Let us see how Chabad-Lubavitch views Jews that do not belong to their sect, in the words of no less than the sixth and seventh leaders of the Chabad-Lubavitch faith, their late Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson, and his predecessor and father-in-law, their late Rebbe Joseph Isaac (Yosef Yitzchok) Schneerson.

The context of this revelation is a book of guidance for matchmaking and marriage based on Chabad-Lubavitch teachings, in which the following appears under a heading inquiring about there being Possibly Someone Better Non-Anash (meaning non Lubavitch)?

Question: What about a Non-Lubavitch shidduch/match? 

Answer of Rebbe Mendel Schneerson, seventh Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe - 

There is a well known saying of my father in law, the previous Rebbe, that our ziburyos (worst) is better than their idiyos (best).

The Hebrew - Yiddish version can be seen here, letter 673.

So there you have it. The contempt of Rebbe Joseph Isaac Schneerson for non-Chabad, echoed by his son-in-law Rebbe Menachem Mendel.

Despite all the propaganda, whether old or new (like a recent hagiography by Chabad-Lubavitch propagandist David Eliezrie on Rebbe Yosef Yitzchok), beyond the noise, the PR made for naive and unknowing outsiders, the words written for insiders reveal the true face of the beliefs of the sect.

Know the truth and don't be duped by the Chabad-Lubavitch fraudsters.

א גוטען חודש

Real Yidden Counter TYH Mishugas With Flair - Great New Torah Swag & Animated Music Video

Boruch Hashem, I have seen more and more people speaking out and sounding off lately against the distortions and perversions of Torah Yiddishkeit emanating from the neo-Chasidic camp, with a particular focus on the TYH Nation outfit of suburban NYC that we posted on here some time ago. Hey, I know it can take time for some people to recognize the danger of some of these things that we may discern at an earlier stage בס"ד with our penimiyus-penetrating hard core Litvak radar. There is a tendency for people to try to ignore them, wish them away, bend over backward to give them the benefit of the doubt, to judge them favorably. But after a while, the truth emerges, and more people understand.

Here are some impressive, more recent, laudable initiatives by talented people to provide classical Torah based alternatives to TYH swag and swagger that have just come to my attention.

They may be cute and clever, but there is deepness and authenticity as well.

1) JUST LEARN TORAH SWAG (full version at Instagram - click both ways, back and forth, for full selection).

JLT website (when I went there previously I saw a wide line of great messages, but now it seems to be only showing one. If that is what you are seeing, check them out at Instagram for fuller version, over ten different ones, as above).

2) Emeseh Yid presents REAL YIDDEN (great video, song with animation).

Absorb and enjoy!

H/t to the friend who shared relevant link with multiple others the other day, where more, along with some discussion, can be seen.

Note: There is room for improvement and tweaking of messages at the recommended sites linked to, I would express some things differently, but nevertheless, overall, they are great additions.

Scathing Exposé on "Frum" Affinity Fraud

 The 5TJT paper out of the NYC area has just published a very detailed hard-hitting exposé-update related to the extremely serious problem of "frum" affinity fraud, in which Chabad-Lubavitch features in multiple roles:

1) The fraudster featured prayed at a prominent Lubavitch congregation, Chabad of the Five Towns, headed by a son in-law of the late Chabad-Lubavitch leader Moshe Kotlarsky. 2) Chabadskers were victims of it (among others). 3) 5TJT publisher Larry (ארי' לייב) Gordon, a Modern semi-Lubavitcher, has, to his great credit, exposed and pursued this (and related) cases, keeping pressure on, using his powerful platform to call for justice.

We have written here in the past about the great danger of the faux-Jewish notion, promoted by some (particularly among the neo-Chasidic as well as some of the old Hasidic, and some of the plain naive), that "every Yid's a big tzadik", and how such fantasies can lead to great danger, by making people more vulnerable to various scam artists and fraudsters.

Kudos to Larry Gordon for his great work in this area, on this issue. הלואי more people would follow him in this regard. 

ארי' שאג, מי לא יירא - We encourage Larry (Leibel) Gordon to continue acting like a lion here, in pursuit of justice and restitution for the many victims. He is not buying the "new religion" of "every Yid's a big tzadik". He's been around the block enough times to know that it is also a scam.

חזק חזק ונתחזק

Rav Miller's Torah Rx: Good Sleep & Fresh Air

Once again, in last week's Toras Avigdor booklet, Rav Avigdor Miller זצ"ל shared fundamental, immensely valuable guidance for healthy and successful living, physically, and spiritually. In case you missed it, here is a synopsis:

Feeling down? Open a window, go outside. Fresh air is medicine that will change your attitude and make you happy (p. 9).

Feeling nervous? Make sure you get enough sleep. That's the first medicine for you (back cover).

How much time, grief, money, pain, etc., could be spared and avoided, and how much more successful people could be, if they would only follow such sage advice, time-tested wisdom. 

Rav Miller lived into his nineties, with minimal medical intervention. He must have known something about proper, healthy living.

Live the Rav Miller high life way, you won't regret it.

ישמע חכם ויוסף לקח

Related prior post 

Losers Visit Ohel of Chabad-Lubavitch, Winner Stays Away From Tomb - NYC Election Report

 One of the things that the Chabad-Lubavitch faith does is promote visiting the grave of their late leader, in Queens, New York City. They expend great effort trying to get both Jews and non-Jews to visit it, promoting it as an act that will bring success. They endeavor and toil to bring prominent personalities, including politicians, to it, as part of the Chabad-Lubavitch propaganda campaign, promoting the crypt of their late leader as the Jewish place to visit (as part of their longstanding effort to promote themselves as the leaders of the Jewish people, and their late Rebbe as the leader of the Jews), and the site to kowtow to Jewish voters. Should some politician visit it and later have some political success, such as being elected, or otherwise, Chabadskers refer to it in way of explanation. Of course, they don't similarly publicize when such visitors lose.

With that in mind, let us look at what happened recently in NYC, where a radical anti-Israel candidate just won election to the mayoralty. 

Andrew Cuomo, the candidate backed by many Orthodox Jews and Hasidim, visited the crypt of the Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe before the election. So did his Republican opponent Curtis Sliwa. As did the current Mayor, Eric Adams, who has visited there multiple times. What was the result? They all went down to defeat, in a big way.

On the other hand, the election winner, Zohran Mamdani, did not visit the Chabad-Lubavitch tomb, yet emerged with a stunning, historic victory.

Takeaway: Losers visit the Chabad-Lubavitch crypt. Don't be fooled by the Chabadsker fraud campaign.

May G-d lead us in the path of truth and save us from scam artists, even those who pose as religious and holy.

Remembering our great leader Rav Elazar Menachem Man Schach זצ"ל on his 24th Yahrzeit

 Today, ט"ז חשון, the sixteenth of Cheshvan, is the yahrzeit of one of the great leaders of Klal Yisrael in recent times, רבינו הגדול רב אלעזר מנחם מן שך זצללה"ה.

He was a great מרביץ תורה, a great spiritual leader of the Jewish people. 

In addition to so many decades in his long life (reportedly over a century) of spreading Torah and Yiddishkeit, in his old age, when he was weak and infirm, he stepped up to lead a very important battle against a dangerous, deceptive, power-hungry, PR-crazed messianic sect from Brooklyn, NY, USA, and their false Messiah, משיח שקר. He was (and still is) viciously hated and attacked by them for that, but as a great leader, Rav Schach did what needed to be done, במסירות נפש, with great dedication and self-sacrifice.

Here are some selected pieces to remember this great man.

Rabbi Pini Dunner's fond portrayal. (article)

Good general visual overview (video)

General Israeli perspective. (video)

Rav Schach speaking in Yiddish to a yeshiva (video)

A famous public address in the streets of Bnei Brak (video)

Remembered by a former Israeli chief Rabbi (video)

May we follow in the great ways of Rav Schach, and thereby merit genuine redemption speedily in our days, and the downfall of all frauds and imposters.

א גוטען שבת

Chabad-Lubavitch Tishrei Madness in the News

The seat of the Chabad-Lubavitch faith, Crown Heights, is a disaster area. People elsewhere, inundated by Lubavitch propaganda that tries to obscure this obscene and dismal reality, don't realize this often. So to show you what you have been missing, with the help of some of their less controlled media sources, we will enlighten you. As we just ended the month of Tishrei, we share some of the craziness that you may have missed.

Exhibit #1 - Is This the Tishrei the Rebbe Envisioned? (the comments are as important, if not more so, than the piece itself)

Exhibit #2 - Chabad-Lubavitch doesn't decorate their Sukkahs as others do, don't sleep in them, eat in them in the rain, due to the great holiness of the Sukkah they say. Yet they desecrate them by using them to promote their long passed last leader as Messiah. For example, in the giant mobile Sukkahs they sent out in NYC.

In the photos you will see the Lubavitch messianic mantra of יחי displayed on both the outside and inside of their jumbo Manhattan mobile sukkahs in Hebrew (Interestingly it doesn't seem to be there in English. Seems they recognize it would be a turn off to their prospective clients, but since the ignorant Jews that they target are often not Hebrew literate, they will not notice the offensive material if it's in that language).

Do they need to corrupt the Sukkah too with their delusional messianic lunacy/heresy? 

3) Corruption of שמחת בית השואבה - 

On Thursday night of Chol Hamoed at the Simchas Beis Hashoeivah in Crown Heights, the Tzivos Hashem (Chabad-Lubavitch children's organization) director calls up young children (note: these particular kids are from Toronto - not NYC - shows you that when they claim it is just some fanatics in Crown Heights it is a lie) to the stage where they yell out יחי...three times for others to echo in response.

How can any self-respecting normative Torah Jew support such a group?

In the zechus of separating ourselves from such people, and refraining from supporting them, may we merit a גוט געבענטשט יאהר.

א גוטען שבת און א גוטען חודש

Tehillim Recitation Stops Tomorrow - MDY

Renowned marbitz Torah R. Eli Stefansky שליט"א has announced that throughout the world people will stop saying Tehillim בציבור after davening tomorrow, with the official end of the Gaza war (hopefully).

While some might quibble with the statement (note: no one is saying to stop davening in general, and those so inclined can add Tehillim on their own), I say kudos to R. Stefansky for raising this important issue.

To keep piling more and more upon people, with no end, when there are already great problems with concentrating on just regular davening and learning, to increase (ח"ו) the terrible problem of מצות אנשים מלומדה, rote, mechanical davening, learning, עבודת ה', מצות, is a real travesty. We have a concept of יצא שכרו בהפסדו.

הלואי people will have proper כוונה with just the basics, the old, fundamental recitations, and learning. We need עבודה שבלב, service of the heart, what tefillah is supposed to be, not עבודה בשפה, more lip service ר"ל. 

Quality > Quantity.

איכות > כמות

As the Shulchan Aruch says טוב מעט בכוונה מהרבות בלי כוונה, and, as Rav Yitzchok Hutner, RY MYRCB added, טוב מעט שלא בכוונה מהרבות בלי כוונה.

כשם שמקבלים שכר על הדרישה כך מקבלים שכר על הפרישה

א גוטען מועד, א גוטען יום טוב, און א גוט יאהר

Chaos Envelops Main Chabad-Lubavitch 770 E.P. HQ Temple for Rosh Hashanah-New Year

While their traveling agents spread out and preach to the ignorant, targeting the lost sheep of Israel, posing as respectable, normative Jews, and spiritual leaders, meanwhile, their base, their headquarters in Brooklyn, NY, remains torn and shattered by controversy and violence. 

Even before Rosh Hashanah, on the last Shabbos of the year (someone, presumably a Lubavitcher posted about it here too), and then continuing to Rosh Hashanah itself, madness reared up there. Damage control was attempted, but fell short.

This is the legacy of the last leader of the Chabad-Lubavitch.

Don't be fooled by the smooth talking snake oil salesmen that they send out. If you want to know what Chabad is, look to their seat, where their late leader presided, and take note of the state of affairs there.

How great were our gedolim such as the Brisker Rav, Rav Schach, the Vilna Gaon, and so many others, זכר צדיקים לברכה לחיי העולם הבא, who foresaw and warned of the great danger of this group.

May we merit the true משיח speedily in our days, and the dismantlement, dispersion, dissipation, and repentance of all false pretenders and their minions.

יה"ר שתחדש עלינו שנה טובה ומתוקה, שנת שלום ושלוה והשקט ובטח

Tzom Gedaliah - Beware Dangerous "Chasidus"

Learn the very important lesson of צום גדליה.

Rav Avigdor Miller זצ"ל teaches it to you.

Don't be a חסיד שוטה, a "pious fool".

No, every Yid is not a big tzadik, even if some fools, loudmouths, and scoundrels, some with songs and fancy, glossy publications, try to convince you as much.

לא תונו איש את עמיתו - את לרבות את עצמו 

Do not fool yourself. Don't be a fool.

(above vertel may be from Kotzker Rebbe, don't recall for certain)

Knowledgeable and aware Chasidic leaders also warned against dangerous naivete and pseudo-piety.

שנה טובה לקוראים ושומעים

Stop the Tashlich Circus - Keep to The Old Way

 What has happened with תשליך? 

In recent years it seems that more and more people, more and more places, are adopting newfangled (per)versions of this ancient מנהג. It didn't start last year, or the year prior, but it seems to have snowballed, gotten way out of hand among some. Some of the following I have seen myself, otherwise I have heard of.

For example:

Taking a large plastic container, filling it with water, plopping in goldfish, setting it in courtyard of Shul, presto, instant Tashlich location.

One guy I heard online was advertising that his Shul would be having an aquarium for Tashlich.

Open fire hydrants for a while to make a stream in the street (possible violation of דינא דמלכותא).

Open the sink inside, let it run, and start reading from siddur.

Is it that people are loath to walk a while to reach a regular body of water? Perhaps don't want to pass through certain areas? Walking is healthy.

I think people should not go for these new ways, but should rather hold out for a more old-fashioned תשליך experience, as in days of yore. If they can't do it on ראש השנה, some do it on following days, when travel is easier.

Make Tashlich great again!

P.S. Yes, it is brought that Tashlich should be said at a body of water that has fish. Okay. But that is not the only consideration. It is also brought that there is a remembrance involved of אברהם אבינו ע"ה, that en route to the Akeidah he passed through water up to his neck, and the זכות העקידה is being invoked. A small bucket of water with goldfish plunked in doesn't necessarily conjure up such an image, such a memory. So how about trying a natural body of water, and/or a permanent one. As in the proverbial good old days.