mentalblog.com comments:
Not to be a stickler, but it's the third time I've seen this comment, and I just gotta mention that as far as I know the correct title is "Sefer Haarachim Chabad."
R. Yoel is being used. I suspect he refrained from speaking out despite undoubtedly numerous requests. But recently they got to him by throwing him out of 770. So he was provoked in a personal way. This is how those things work.
TA, I was thinking along the same lines, but I seem to remember R' Yoel saying more-or-less these same ideas in Kfar Chabad magazine about 7 years ago. I might even still have the issue somewhere...
I respectfully disagree with Berl; good at it or not, R’ Yoel is the only voice with any clout to make such a statement – a long overdue statement - and he should do so (and should have done so in the past) – moreover, I hope this might lead to others making stronger statements. But since the bottom line of the article has no clear message stating that there must be a zero-tolerance policy, R' Yoel’s supposedly scathing piece is completely irrelevant on it’s own – just another case of too little, too late.
Berl's comments are a little harsh but they do have the ring of truth. Yoel is a theoretician of chassidus. Like many others, he damaged his own credibility by placing hishkashrus ahead of everything else. I doubt whether his recent statements about the Frankenstein he helped to build will restore the status of Chabad or himself. (BTW, can anyone verify whether he was speaking in Lakewood as claimed on one blog site?)
Most of the comments made here are to the point.
Let's not forget that Yoel had the "bretel" after the rebbe's stroke and used it , not to gently prepare Chabad for the future , rather to do the exact opposite --- to deny the future and reality.
Had he actually spoken and written in a normal manner , he would be the top honcho, but if he could do that the Rebbe would never have kept him around.
Yoel was the formulator of the whole Messianic nonsense and without his "prestige" it would have gone no where.Lubavitz needs to decide if they are a Chassiduth or a organization dealing with jewish education and other social and cultural programs.
If they still wish to be a Chassidic group, they need a rebbe and?or leader.
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