15
votes
What percentage of Chabad still believes their Rebbe is the Messiah?
Having lived and studied in Crown Heights for several months--before which I believed that a significant proportion of Lubavitchers, perhaps 40% or half, did not believe the Rebbe was Moshiach--I have ...
- 19.5k
12
votes
Learning Chabad Sichos
There are two types of Sichos:
Sichos Kodesh / Toras Menachem-Hisvaaduyos.
From the early forties until the stroke in 1992, the Lubavitcher Rebbe would hold a Farbrengen (at least) every Shabbos ...
- 40.2k
11
votes
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Is learning the Tanya dangerous?
Seeing as how the group you are calling "mashichists" are a very recent group, and the Tanya was written more than 200 years ago, there is no reason to worry about that.
In regards to having a "...
- 126
11
votes
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What is the closing psalm at Chabad services about?
I believe that what you are referring to is part of the daily break-down of the Torah, Sefer Tanya and the book of Psalms that Lubavitchers refer to as Chitas (which stands, of course, for "Chumash, ...
- 18.8k
10
votes
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Why does Chabad use a diagonal branched menorah?
It follows the sketch that was attributed to the Rambam for the shape of the menorah like is seen in this link and at this link to the Temple Institute.
This was the result of instruction of the ...
- 13.9k
10
votes
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Why is Hashkiveinu not considered a hefsek between Ga'al Yisra'el and the Amidah (Chabad)?
As I wrote here, the Talmud states that Hashkiveinu is not an interruption between geulah and tefillah because since it was ordained by the Sages as part of the blessings for Keriat Shema it is as if ...
- 48.9k
10
votes
Source for story of how Lubavitcher Rebbe returned a letter with all the "I"s circled
In one of his weekly essays, Rabbi Sacks says he heard the story about the Rebbe:
In 1968 I met the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel
Schneersohn, of blessed memory, for the first time. While ...
- 1,661
9
votes
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Is there any basis for Chabad minhagim regarding tallit gadol?
I emailed Rabbi Eliezer Zalmanov (from Chabad.org) about your question. Here's what I said:
B''H
In most Ashkenazi communities, the custom is that bochurim do not wear a tallis. However, when a ...
- 18.3k
9
votes
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Difference between Chabad mikvaos and other mikvaos?
It's not politics (at least not purely); it's a matter of construction. Suppose you have a big pit in the ground that collects rainwater; everyone agrees that pit is a mikvah. Fine. Today, people want ...
- 130k
8
votes
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Lubavitcher Rebbe on the Shoah
B"H, the photos of the original follow. It was published at Kfar Chabad in 1977 based upon two talks of the Rebbe. One from Simchat Torah 1970 and the other from 11 Nisan, 1973.
This is the link to ...
- 13.9k
8
votes
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How did the Lubavitcher Rebbe react to the Crown Heights riot?
Chaim Miller, in his biography Turning Judaism Outward (p. 396-397), discussed the Lubavicher Rebbe's response to the riot when Mayor David Dinkins publicly met with the Rebbe, surrounded by members ...
- 11.2k
7
votes
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Lubavitcher Rebbe on Techelet from Murex trunculus
Actually, the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, did give a response which can be found in his Igrot Kodesh when he was asked in the 1960's (might have been early 1970's). He said that he had ...
- 13.9k
7
votes
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Shulchan Aruch HaRav and the Gra
The Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe wrote:
Once, Reb Pinchas was deeply engrossed in a handwritten notebook. When Reb Henoch saw his son studying the manuscript so intently, he assumed that it must be a ...
- 40.2k
7
votes
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How does the Siddur Torah Ohr differ from the Siddur Tehilas Hashem?
As is common with most older siddurim, in Torah Or, things aren't duplicated, just printed once, e.g., the weekday Amidah. There's no separate Minhah provided, you would use the Amidah printed in ...
- 4,881
7
votes
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Chabad beginner visiting a Modern Orthodox shul
You won't find too many differences other than some changes in the Nusach and the siddur.
Most MO shuls tend to be Nusach Ashkenaz from what I've seen, but you should inquire. That's not a given ...
- 69.9k
7
votes
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Why is the final Heh in Ha'Shem's name different in K'thav Chabad/Alter-Rebbe?
Good eye! You're noticing a Kabbalistic practice called כתיבת השם בחילוק writing God's name by parts. I won't begin to pretend to understand it, but those who practice it write the different limbs of ...
- 96.9k
7
votes
The Lubavitcher Rebbe and the name Nimrod
According to the Israeli Chabad website, the person in question is R' Nimrod Chefetz who recounted this story during an interview at Chabad Online. His account is brought here.
- 24.3k
6
votes
Lubavitcher Rebbe on Techelet from Murex trunculus
The Lubavitcher Rebbe never saw nor was presented with any techelet coming from the Murex trunculus.
His letter from 1956 is only talking about the Rashab rejection of the cuttlefish as the source of ...
- 313
6
votes
Does chabad eat gebrochts?
“Gebrokts”: Wetted Matzah goes into detail on the provenance of this minhag and explains why chabad does not use it. While speaking with baalei batim who are members of chabad, I have been told that ...
- 42.8k
6
votes
Rav Shach and Lubavitsher Rebbe
In his letters printed in michtavim umaamarim (Simanim 534 and 535), Rav Shach responded to an accusation of disliking chasidim in general. He vehemently denied this, stating as proof that there were ...
- 33.2k
6
votes
Significance of reciting Baruch Shem out loud during the Shema
You are asking about midrachim reported regarding the special halachic status of BSKMLV and additionally you are asking about people who are reciting it in an audible way everyday.
First, the ...
- 22.6k
6
votes
Sending letters to the deceased
The Minchas Yitzchak 8:53) was asked if one is allowed to write one's name and leave the paper on the grave of a Tzaddik (The Chasam Sofer, in that case).
He wrote that Bach and the Maharil forbid ...
- 40.2k
6
votes
Visualizing the Rebbe during marital relations
I can attest to what Rabbi Slifkin claims. I took my kallah classes from a Chabad rebbetzin and was shocked and bothered when told I must think of the Rebbe during what they refer to as "the Mitzvah"...
- 69
6
votes
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"HaRachaman hu yevarech es avi mori..." - Questions
In Sefer HaMinhagim for Chabad, it states:
The words, avi mori baal habayis hazeh v'es imi morasi ba'alas habayis hazeh, are said by everyone, even by a guest or by one whose parents are no longer ...
- 464
6
votes
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Is the Baal Hatanya being too harsh with his definition of Rasha?
It sounds to me that the reason you are getting upset about putting most Jews into the catagoty of "rasha" is that you associate that term with evil people (pick your favorite, hitler, stalin..,).
...
- 1,700
6
votes
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Doing Rambam using audio shiur?
Chabad provide two audio shiurim for one perek a day here which strongly suggests that they feel that it fulfills the requirements of the Rebbe zatzal.
- 46.9k
6
votes
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Who wrote Piskei Hasiddur?
The Sefer Piskei Hasiddur was written by Rav Chaim Naeh, and it's based on the writings of the Alter Rebbe. So both statements are true.
As you can see in the picture below, under where it says פסקי ...
- 3,839
6
votes
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Chabad nusach for Birkat Hamazon
See page 30 of this pdf: http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/kitveyet/pardes/pardes19-s2.pdf
Basically, he brings many different versions, and posits that at the time of the Alter Rebbe there was not yet a ...
- 43.7k
6
votes
Is the Tanya only for those that are a Benoni?
The Tanya uses the word rasha and beinoni in different ways than most of us. When this is understood, it becomes clearer that the Tanya actually is a manual for how to become a beinoni.
In the ...
- 45.6k
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