mentalblog.com comments:
Marketing, it's called marketing, just like yekke's are always punctual, Ameri-Jews need a commerical.
BTW, I was somewhat shocked to see in Nshei Chabad magazine a 1/2 page add for Kabbalah-Yoga by Yoga-Guru (something or other).
Haven't you noticed the intense amount of non-mainstream non-scientific homo-therapies / health products / nutritional products / etc on sale in the frum and Chabad community? Manis Friedman even has a tape out mixing the two, the "kabbalistic and homeopathic" or something like that.
It's one thing to sell the kool-aid, it's another to drink it yourself.
BTW, I was somewhat shocked to see in Nshei Chabad magazine a 1/2 page add for Kabbalah-Yoga by Yoga-Guru (something or other).
There was an article about the guy that DIDNT make it in though (- only the ad).
I dont think you can compare homeopathic remedies to yoga... and Manis Friedmans tape is called the "Holistic and Kabbalistic".
It makes me cringe to see some apologist comparing frumkeit to the nonsense of magic medicine. Freidman and Freeman and company need to beware of the people they drive away with this claptrap.
Never mind yoga, which is actually a foreign religious worldview. What next, Judaism and its parallels in Christianity?
Well said Rebeljew. Torah doesn't need pseudo science and quackery. As for your second comment, since large parts of Christianity were filched from Judaism this comparison would make less absurd than the yoga comparison. But it's not going to work as a marketing proposition.
sorry ot break it in for you but a large part of Chabad is aready "Christianity".
But it's still not going to work as a marketing proposition for klal Yisrael.
TA
But they would never say that openly. But they would have no problem with yoga classes right next door to 770.
rebeljew, what esle is a sister to do? walk up and down the parkway?
Chabad as other Jewish outreach groups have to follow the latest trends . So Kabbolah it is.
What a change from the days when the Rebbe and Chabad set the agenda for many American Jews.
dude, its simple. sizzle sells not the steak. Shluchim are not out to bring the people to the truth. they are in a business looking to make a buck. they are marketers selling sizzle but they have no steak.
I remember all the threads discussing the fate of those who had tsouris having joined frum communities (Chabad and non-Chabad) after through kiruv exposure to mashpiim. But if you take a group of young Jews on a Kabbalah Heritage Ski Trip or have a Secrets of Kabbalah e-mail program or adult enrichment program where are you going with this?
One can only wonder why the Shluchim are not pushing Chabad philosophy. Why not study kabbalah through the eyes of chabad which is the way the typical Chabadnik studies such. No zohar or Lurianic texts. Certainly no practical kabbalah. Could it be that "Kabbalah" is easier for everybody involved. That is neither side understands what they are talking about, but exactly that makes it sound important.
Shneur, from my experience, that's exactly what they do. They teach Chabad and call it kabbalah.
What is your problem. Anything good about Chabad, or for that matter anything more successful than you ever can plan to be bothers you. Quit being a baby and face reality. Bashing chabad does not work for the other groups out there,and it sure as hell wont work for you. You are a low person, I dont understand how your wife handles you.
Chabad was teaching chasidus (or kabbala) much before the trend. They have been teaching from day one. This is why they are successful. Going were no other jewish group has gone before. They feel this is an essetial part to the modern jew. Where as in the past one could have lasted whith out. This is not just one finding a great way of marketing. This is how they veiw God and Judaism. All of those commenting above seem to be new comiers to chabad. Or perhapt no little about chabad and judaism in general.
In my experience, Chabad is opposed to people learning Kabbalah unless it has been prepackaged via Chabad. The exponents of this view are very keen to emphasize the difference between Chassidus and Kabbalah. I think this opposition is muted with earlier sources but sharper against later sources. The recent pressure to popularize Kabbalah came from market pressures; not from above. Your mileage may vary but it's easy enough to find a card-carrier verify or defute the observation. Ask for an opinion on the Kalach Pischa Chochmah or the Sullam if the subject doesn't respond. You could also ask if they have read the works under discussion...
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