mentalblog.com comments:
Jewish history is replete with honest Messianic hopes. These includes many Zaddikim who as the rebbe understood that this world could not continue for long. Such people included the Shinyaver rav Rav Yecheskel Shraga Halberstam. who predicted Moshiach would arrive in 1902. The Minchas Elozor of Munkatch a serious Halachic decisor as well as Hasssidic master (ironically his father opposed the efforts of the Shinyaver rav) also orchestrated a Messianic campaign after World War 1 and travelled to Israel in the 1930's to meet the fabled kabbalist Rabbi Alfandari the Sova kaddisha in order to unite the 2 oroth of Mizrach and Maarac as rabbi Or haChaim hakadosh Benattar and the holy Baal Shem Tov were supposed to meet for the same goal.
The holy Koshnitzer rebbe Hofstein Reb Arelle also begged G-D for Moshiach or there would be no Jews left to greet him. In our time the sauintly Lelever rebbe wanted an Atomic War in 1962 as the world had no right to exist.
Among Mithnagdim the Chofetz Chaim and heilike Oshmener rav Rav Mordechele also initiated Messiainic campaigns. How fast we forget about the Chofetz Chaim's campaign to welcome Mashiach. He established the Kodshim Kollel in Radin for this purpose s well as other peulos.
So the response of the 6th and 7th rebbe's to the Holocaust was not only proper but in line with Jewish tradition.
Its the rest of the frum world who had gotten so comfortable in the gashmiyuth of the West that forgot the Messianic imperative.
Others in the Mizrachi pinned their hopes on the new jewish state. Still other gedolim put mashiach aside and concentrated on Torah Lishmo etc.
But the rebbe was no imposter or fraud. He was raising the centuries old Jewish hope for geula. because it could not go on.
It was many foolish Lubavitchers who taking advantage of the Rebbe's illness proclaimed HIM to be the Messiah. Halvai bechayav. But alas it was not meant to be. We await a new "sanigeron shel israel " !
Schneur - very good posts. However, were the misnagdic and Hassidic messianic campaigns the same ? It seems from your description that the Hassidim went further, to the point of making specific predictions, for one thing, while the misnagdim didn't. It seems that the misnagdic campaigns were less common or frequent and more conservative. Maskim ?
Needs further research. But my point is that Mashiach was on the agenda. Its the Messiainic image of 1 person that got many upset.
The 6th Lubavitcher rebbe never put himself forth as mashiach.
Is it wrong to have a Messiainic initiative. In my opinion the answer in nothing wrong. In Lubavitch though we have a candidate and one who is not alive. That begins to spell problems.If just in the issue of Lo Sisgodedu...
The Rebbe zy"a has given us a blueprint to follow, which are his teachings found in the Maamorim, Sichos Kodesh and Rashimos.
Chabad like any living body has its challenges but it is a very vital entity in a bleak world.
The Shluchim are found on every continent which only occurred due to the inspiration of the Rebbe.
We do not have a monopoly on Torah, however hopefully oue efforts will help bring the Final Redemption, may in be soon in our days
By the grace of G-d
Shalom uBrocha!
Schneur.
I just read an interesting quote from Maor Einaim . The Chernobyller Rebbe writes there that Moshiach will 1st play the role of Eliyahu haNovi by awakening the thirst for Moshiach and then he himself will be revealed as Moshiach.
The Chernobyller Rebbe then also describes the stages of revealation and concealment and subsequent revelation of Moshiach the way this now apears to our phisical eyes.However when the Rebbe King Moshiach Shlit"a himself talks about this he describes both the aparent reality and the true halachik reality that Moshiach has eternal life but will simply be temporarily concealed.
be'kavod u'brocha
Ariel Sokolovsky
PS:Lo Sisgodedu... when there are two schools of thought it doesn't apply when one party is relying on Nevua see also http://www.psakdin.net
I'm surprised that a talmid choham like yourself didn't see that point before posting.
Long Live our Master our Teacher and our Rebbe King Moshiach Forever and Ever!
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