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For those that hold that Chabad are heretical in one way or another (see Rav Shach's speech, Rabbinical Council of America (1996) etc.), would a woman that was given a Get from their beis din require another get in order to remarry?

There are those that will not eat the wine or meat of a Lubavitcher etc.

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    A link to Rav Shach's speech would be excellent.
    – Shimon bM
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 1:38
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    Who holds Chabad in general to be heretical?
    – Daniel
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 2:20
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    wouldn't they hold the kiddushin is also problematic?
    – sam
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 3:07
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    @sam Depends who was Eidim at the wedding; it's not always the same people as the divorce. Even then it might still be worse then Reform weddings in terms of Daas Koneh with Eidei Yichud and Hein Hein.
    – Double AA
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 3:24
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    Can someone please link to the speech?
    – Moshe
    Commented Mar 3, 2015 at 16:31

1 Answer 1

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More about this here (with sources) and here.

While there may be other opinions, here is what I have seen/heard from Rabbi Yehuda Herzl Henkin, Rabbi Hershel Welcher, and others:

Category A. Many Lubavitchers believe that perhaps Rabbi Schneurson was a candidate to be the messiah, but for whatever reasons, God chose for it not to work out that way. Such Jews are easily 100% kosher, and in fact that was basically Rabbi Akiva's theology post-Beitar. ("Bar Kochba could have been, but it didn't work out.")

Category B. Those that believe that Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneurson isn't really dead, or that he gets a second coming to be the messiah, are wrong, and this belief is very dangerous as it can spin into all sorts of other problems. As such, the Rabbinical Council of America does not want members with such a belief. Some would argue that it's best to avoid associating one's self with people (or at least communities or institutions) who believe this. Rabbi Shach was concerned of this danger even while Rabbi Schneurson was alive, and called for people not to associate with such believers. However, such a belief is not so wrong as to void one's halachic status as a witness, or invalidate a Gett, meat, wine, or cheese.

Category C. Unfortunately, there are those who took the next step and blurred the line between Rabbi Schneurson and God. Such a belief (e.g. referring to the rebbe as "above all space and time", or "he controls what happens in this world"; or more simply, "we're bowing to a picture of the rebbe because he totally nullified himself to God") would render one's Gett, conversion, cheese, meat, and wine all not kosher.

So this leaves us with the contemporary questions:

  1. What's the best way to approach Category B Lubavitchers?

  2. How many Lubavitchers are in Category C? And what category should I assume (or fear for) if I have incomplete information?

I believe you're confusing some of the rhetoric between those questions.

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    Rav Ahron Feldman also makes such distinctions in a letter to Gil Student: identifyingchabad.org/feldman.pdf Commented Mar 10, 2015 at 12:08
  • @Shalom Category B is the problem. Rav Shach apparently said its forbidden to be in shul if they sing etc. Thus, would'nt it be the same thing if they sign a get?
    – warz3
    Commented Mar 22, 2015 at 6:27
  • @warz3 All I can gather from what I've heard from Rav Shach is that Category B is incredibly dangerous and you should in no way associate yourselves with them. (Similarly, the RCA doesn't want rabbis in Category B.) That doesn't necessarily mean that their halachic actions are voided.
    – Shalom
    Commented Mar 22, 2015 at 7:36
  • @Shalom read the last comment on the main post, there's a link there (i think the 1st) that says the sichos contain "cefirah"
    – warz3
    Commented Mar 22, 2015 at 7:42
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    @warz3 group C invalid. Group B valid at least according to Rabbis Hershel Welcher, Hershel Schachter, and Yehuda Herzl Henkin. (That doesn't mean we recommend associating with Group B folks.)
    – Shalom
    Commented Mar 23, 2015 at 14:53

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