mentalblog.com comments:
the socialist M. Gurary, hmm...
I've always felt that the Chabad concept of "bittul" has never been adequately translated into English. It conjures images of not being an individual, of being some robot who has no will or personality but God's. But that can't be the pshat. There's too much narrative evidence against that way of looking at it.
This is the great Zalman Schachter? I am disappointed. I expected someone more compelling.
Zalman is a crafty fellow - he knows the crowd he is playing to - a group of megalomaniacal narcissists ho bang their drums all in the name of spirituality (anything for the buzz - that warm, gooey feeling) he has to dance at tzvai chasunas - keeping enough of the concept of bittul to establish his street cred as a chossid but eviscerating it enough to render itt totally devoid of any tachlis to satisfy his self-adoring oilam
you people are attack dogs and this is what most of Chabad become, attack dogs with cat brains.
what shifted you into attack mode? He's obviously a brilliant guy but the video clip is disappointing nevertheless (he pulled off a cool coup in "The Jew in the Lotus" by riffing with the Dalai Lama) but not every inane comment he makes is moshale mipi hag'vurah. If renewal rings your bells, gay gezunte heit but these pieces are hardly strong showcases
BTW He's not completely enamored with how the movement he spawned mutated into a feel good do your own thing ersatz spirituality lovefest - why should you be
Jew in the Lotus was written by a friend of mine Rodger Kamenetz.
I've been told that JEM did an incredible interview with ZS about his relationship with the Rebbe, which includes memories from a meeting in the South of France in '40.
"south france" in the 40s
please get your chronology straight, the Rebbe was out of Europe by then.
Tzemach, the Rebbe travelled to France in 1947 I think and spent some time there. He went to France to pick up his mother. That might have been the same incident. I don't have that straight. But he did return to Europe after the war.
FWIW, I like both clips.
As the Rebbe was fleeing France. Tu bishvat. Synagogue. Marseilles. 1940-41.
By 1947 reb Zalman was already in NY.
Reb Zalman wrights in his 'kuntres Yishmru Da'at' that he heard some 'teireh' from the Rebbe in Marseilles, France on tu bi'shvat in 'tov shin alef' (1941).
(That would turn think in to correct fact.)
I'm not Jewish or even particularly religious, but this is a wise and kind man. He is worth listening to.
Commenting by HaloScan
