Monday, April 3, 2023

Yeshiva University Neo-Chasidic Leaders Gather at Last Chabad-Lubavitch Rebbe's Tomb

Yesterday, members of the Chabad-Lubavitch faith around the world marked the 121st birthday of their late last spiritual leader, Rebbe M.M. Schneerson. Many of them did so by visiting his grave in New York City.

While that serves as a pilgrimage site for Lubavitchers, it also receives other visitors at times, who come for various reasons, such as politicians, who kowtow to the Chasidic sect in that manner in hope of winning political support, as well as friends, sympathizers, and fellow-travelers of it. Chabad-Lubavitch promotes visits to the tomb by the public at large as well, by framing it as a holy place, through which people can attain various types of salvation and good fortune. The more people that go there, the greater the PR for Chabad and their Rebbe that Lubavitch toils so diligently at.

Recently, a group of people affiliated with Yeshiva University made such a visit (a while ago we wrote about the relationship of Neo-Chasidus & Chabad, which we characterized as a relationship of closeness & distance). Among those making the trek were YU mashpia and Neo-Chasidic leader Rebbe Moshe Weinberger, Aish Kodesh Rebbe of Woodmere, NY, YU Judaic studies faculty member R. Reuven Boshnack, a protege of his, R. Efrem Goldberg, of BRS, prominent YU alumnus, with a group of his congregants, who were visiting the NY area then, and (surprisingly), R. Aryeh Leibowitz, of the RIETS/YU semicha program.

It is part of an increased closeness between some of the Modern Orthodox/YU comunity and Chabad-Lubavitch in recent years, fed by a sustained Lubavitch PR campaign trying to convince the MO that they are closer to Lubavitch than they actually were in the past.

Examining the photographic record of the visit can shed some light on the state of YU/MO-Chabad-Lubavitch relations now, as well as additional other matters.

Here we see Rebbe Weinberger at a tisch at the Chabad-Lubavitch tomb complex with the visitors.

Here we see some of them at the actual gravesite.

What is noteworthy is that basically, the YU/MO group is keeping to itself, staying apart from the Lubavitchers at the site. As if they are genuflecting to the late Rebbe, but staying apart from his living followers there.

It was interesting to see Rebbe Weinberger at the tomb. As we noted previously, he personally has deep connections with Lubavitch going back many years, and spent much time at their 770 headquarters years ago, including at gatherings with their late Rebbe. On the other hand, his congregation, which fairly often hosts other Hasidic speakers, leaders, performers, and personalities, such as R. Mottel Zilber, a Stuchiner Rebbe, R. Tzvi Meir Zilberberg, various people connected to Breslov, among others, seems to have a total lack, or at least a dearth of Lubavitchers so featured, the lack of which is quite telling.

R. Efrem Goldberg of BRS, who led the interesting BRS Mevakshim tour that brought his group there, although typically thought of as a prominent MO rabbi rather than a neo-Chasidic leader, has close ties with Rebbe Weinberger, whom he enthusiastically promotes, in addition to longstanding ties with the New Square Chasidic sect, and Chabad-Lubavitch, among others.

Another quite notable aspect of the gathering was, when Rebbe Weinberger and his entourage turned to enthusiastically sing and dance משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה there, in a departure from ordinary accepted behavior at the location. I guess it is related to Rebbe Weinberger's doing and encouraging such at other cemeteries and graves in his travels with followers a few months ago, which can be clearly seen in videos posted (for example, in Tzfas, in Teveria, and elsewhere). Is Rebbe Weinberger trying to normalize such a radical break with age-old tradition, to normalize singing and dancing in cemeteries? Perhaps he should try it at the resting place of the Satmar Rebbe R. Joel Teitelbaum, to whom he also had some sort of connection allegedly, as well, and see how the natives receive it there. Personally, I don't think such actions are wise, as Shlomo Hamelech warned, ופרץ גדר ישכנו נחש.

As we approach Pesach, a time where מסורה, tradition, and מנהגים are so central and emphasized, we should keep in mind that those categories are integral and vital to Yiddishkeit as a whole, year-round, and not just to that great יום טוב.

In the zechus of staying faithful, may we be zoche to a great Yom tov.

חג כשר ושמח

7 comments:

  1. I'm just speculating so don't hold me to this but I'd like to take a stab at why YU seems to be allying itself with Chabad. Much of the Yeshiva world distances itself from YU, treating that institution and its Rabbis as pariahs. Then you have Chabad which promotes universal acceptance and it's only natural that YU would be attracted. I know a YU Rabbi who's a tremendous Talmid Chacham and no fan of Chabad, but he called the Rebbe an Adam Gadol. I pointed out some things about the Rebbe and it got him thinking. The problem is that most people aren't interested in taking the time to learn the truth. It's like when a Kol Koreh is written, if Rabbi A signs it everyone else signs without even studying the document.

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    1. I would say that there is something to your thesis. On the other hand, however, it should be noted that that was more so in the more distant past. More recently, tensions between "the yeshiva world" and YU have greatly lessened over recent decades overall.

      R. Efrem Goldberg of BRS, is a good example of this. His recent BRS Mevakshim Fly-in 5783, (https://youtu.be/bzl9nzmKwRM), featured in the above post, met with a wide range of figures. It is not like they were only welcomed by Chabad-Lubavitch.

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  2. Lubavitch is baiting YU and Its dismaying to see them fall for the bait. The idea that YU somehow shares common ideology with Lubavitch is a lie .RIETS has always modeled itself as a genuine Litvishe yeshiva, an American itiration of Volozhin. And it always has been. In a way they even stick to tradition more than other yeshivas of today who do not have English department , while back in the day every single one did.


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    1. Another factor is Rabbi Sacks. He's considered an icon to the MO YU world and so his ringing endorsement of Chabad carries a lot of weight. People in general like for others to do their thinking for them. I'll give you an example. Some years ago I spoke to a friend about Chabad. He stopped me mid sentence," I believe that when great people argue, we don't get involved." I told him that this wasn't his opinion, it was Rabbi Miller's, but to no avail.

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    2. It is sad when certain great personalities appear to overlook, or have blind spots with regard to certain problematic matters. But they are human beings as well, and the תורה הקדושה tells us כי השוחד יעור עיני חכמים. In the case of Rabbi Sacks and some other rabbis, they worked with Lubavitchers and saw them as allies in promoting the faith. It is understandable that rabbis who are under pressure out in the field, who may not see the full picture of things, may harbor such feelings, when they receive what appear to be generous favors from Chabad, not realizing the figurative strings attached, and hidden agendas lurking.

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  3. While ideologically different, R YB Soloveitchik had a good relationship with the Lubavitcher Rebbe. YU has always sort of not in a great way tried to straddle a middle ground in mainstream Judaism and this is the 2023 iteration of it. Part of it is due to a void within MO circles that when they go to Israel they get attracted to different chasidish sects. It is troubling when they just blindly follow the Messianics

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    1. You make valid points which I'd like to expand on. It's well known that Rabbi Miller is viewed as having endorsed Chabad. In fact he made sure to point out that he had good feelings about the group because a Lubavicher taught him Kesubos without charge when he was in his teens. That's a far cry from having fully investigated the movement as did Dr. Berger. Similarly, it seems that the Rebbe and Rabbi Soleveitchik liked each other. Look, they were approximately the same age, both super geniuses, both ultra Orthodox and studying at the same
      university, so it stands to reason that they'd develop a friendship, but that doesn't mean that YU as a whole is obliged to give carte blanche to that movement. Unfortunately, most people are only able to see things in black and white. Chabad is either perfect or an abomination and that's simply not the case.

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