I am not an expert in Chabad Chassidus, not even close. I am a BT (baal teshuva) who has spent lots of time in Chabad circles over the past 16 years - including short stays learning in the beginners' programs at Ohr Temimim in Kfar Chabad, the Morristown Yeshiva and Hadar HaTorah; learning privately with several Chabad shluchim and yeshiva students; davening and attending classes at various Chabad Houses and participating in the many social events and activities that Chabad Houses offer.
Even though I once had tremendous respect and admiration for Chabad for all of the good they have done, I unfortunately still feel obligated to put up this website.
My whole intention in putting up the site is not to vent grievances, bash or spew hatred, but rather for the sake of BTs and converts who are thinking of becoming more involved with Chabad, particularly with Chabad yeshivos, to provide them with the information that will help them to make a more informed decision [1].
Although the beliefs discussed on this website are not held by every single Chabadnik, they are tolerated and even openly taught in mainstream Chabad yeshivos today. Also, most shluchim I have met are completely tolerant of these beliefs even if they don't teach these things themselves [2].
Because I have experienced these things myself, I feel a personal obligation to do what I can to help my fellow Jews be more informed about what they are getting into[3].
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Since the time of Avraham, the first Jew, almost 4000 years ago, Judaism has been G-d-centered, not rabbi-centered or even G-d/rabbi-centered.
This is perhaps one of the reasons why our Sages mentioned Moshe's name in only one instance throughout the entire Passover Haggadah ("And they believed in the Lord and in Moshe His servant " [4]). They felt it necessary to downplay Moshe's role in the redemption due to a certain danger.
Amid all of the miracles surrounding the Exodus, for which Moshe served as an "intermediary" between G-d and the people, there was a danger present that the masses would end up giving too much credit to Moshe for the events of the redemption.
This over-focusing on Moshe may have led to their making him the center (or co-center) of their divine service or ascribing to him in a literal sense a level of power and importance that should be reserved only for G-d.
And perhaps this is why the one place in the Haggadah where Moshe is mentioned is a verse that emphasizes that he was G-d's servant (the verse could have said, "And they believed in the Lord and in Moshe" but this might have blurred the roles of G-d and Moshe).
I believe that the distinction between the roles of G-d and the Rebbe are becoming increasingly blurred in Chabad today [5]. And students in Chabad yeshivos are suffering for it.
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Not always in the Chabad Houses but in the Chabad yeshivos [6] students are either directly taught or pick up by osmosis the belief that their Rebbe is perfect and infallible; that everything he ever said was tantamount to prophecy and everything he did was perfect.
The students are taught to believe that he is still the supreme leader of our generation in the literal sense - "the Moshe of the Generation" - guiding the Jewish people and the entire world the same as when he was alive; that the only way to FULLY connect to G-d is through the late Rebbe [7] ; that all blessings - material and spiritual - come only through the late Rebbe.
And they are taught either explicitly or implicitly that he will immediately be revealed as the long-awaited Moshiach [8].
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You must do the research and find out what other forms of traditional Judaism hold and have always held on the following issues. After you do so, you will realize that Chabad is alone in their beliefs regarding:
- A Second Coming (they won't call it a Second Coming because they admit there is no such thing as a Second Coming in Judaism; they have come up with some fascinating ways to explain why it isn't a Second Coming even though they believe the Messiah already came and will come again to complete the redemption.)
- The actual leader of the entire Jewish people (the "Moshe of the Generation") is a deceased person (i.e. the Rebbe).
- One MUST nullify oneself to and obey a specific deceased rebbe (i.e. the Rebbe) in order to fully connect to G-d and receive all the spiritual and material blessings.
- The Rebbe was the Essence and Being of G-d placed in a body when he was alive (nobody really knows what this means, but the idea has led to some other unusual beliefs and behavior). And he still is according to those who believe he never died.
- The Rebbe is everywhere. He is watching each one of us no matter where we are. Therefore, we can turn to him wherever, whenever and ask him to help us in any situation.
You need to ask other kinds of Jews if they hold any of these beliefs or have ever heard of them outside of Chabad. Will you do this?
All of the above beliefs stem from mainstream Chabad interpretations of the Rebbe's own words - not from teachings outside of Chabad.
The overwhelming majority of Orthodox Jews know and feel that these beliefs are against everything that Judaism stands for.
I hope and pray that one day you will have the strength to do more research and see what is going on outside of Chabad.
Your life is not dependent on Chabad or on the Rebbe.
And other Jews who are critical of Chabad for these reasons are not despicable "snags [9]" filled with sinah (hatred), contrary to what Chabadniks are taught to believe about anyone who is critical of their beliefs. They are good Jews who care about the fate of the Jewish people and the Torah.
This is what you will find if you go to or send your children to many (or most?) of the Chabad yeshivos. And you may even find this in the Chabad Houses.
I only put up this website so you'll know what you're getting into if you're thinking of becoming more involved with Chabad.
Even though I have mixed feelings about Chabad, I try to never let it get in the way of my brotherly feelings for the individual Lubavitcher, my fellow Jew.
Always remember that there are other Jewish paths that can provide you with the spiritual nourishment you are seeking.
Chabad. What am I really getting myself into? (Click here for Russian site.)
[1](back to text) It is a mitzvah and an obligation to relate negative information in order to save someone from physical, spiritual or emotional harm. In such a situation, it is not evil speech (lashon hara) but rather constructive speech. See the book "Chafetz Chaim - A Lesson A Day" (Artscroll, 1995, pg's. 130-278).
[2](back to text) Many Chabad House shluchim also believe these things but have chosen to keep it under wraps. For example, the shaliach may believe the Rebbe is the messiah, but he will not tell you that he believes it. Instead, he will merely explain to you how it is possible that the Rebbe is still a candidate for Moshiach but that other rabbis both living and deceased are equally good candidates. But the truth is that he believes the Rebbe is Moshiach. He will try to prove to you using the Torah itself how there can be a kosher Second Coming (e.g. because the Rebbe was never officially declared the "definite Moshiach" before he passed away, he is still in the running; that is, he was only the "presumptive Moshiach"; but if he had been declared the "definite Moshiach" before his death this would make it a non-kosher Second Coming. They have come up with some other fascinating ideas for why the Rebbe would be in the category of a kosher type of Second Coming.)
[3](back to text) For a Torah proof of my claim see the words of Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik (link below). Chabad accepts this rabbi as a great halachic authority and they often quote him as ruling that there is nothing wrong with believing in a deceased Messiah. But they are only quoting him partially. When you read all of the rabbi's words you will see that he held that even though this belief may not be heresy, it is "repugnant" and would render any group who believes it a "cultist movement". Click here to see what the rabbi really held.
[4](back to text) This verse (Exodus 14:31) is not saying that the Jews believed in Moshe as if he were equivalent to G-d; nor is it saying that everything they believed about G-d they believed about Moshe. Rather, they believed that Moshe was truly sent by G-d and all of the commandments, prophecies and messages that Moshe gave them in the name of G-d were to be believed.
[5](back to text) For example, Chabad yeshiva students are taught that: all material and spiritual blessings flow through and are dispensed by the late Rebbe; the Rebbe is everywhere; he is watching each one of us no matter where we are; we can therefore turn to him wherever, whenever and ask him to help us in any situation.
[6](back to text) There are a couple of Chabad BT yeshivos that will also hide these things from their students because they have decided to conduct themselves like the Chabad Houses with regard to these matters in order not to scare people away.
[7](back to text) If a Chabadnik tells you this is not true, please write to me and I will provide you with proof that this is a common Chabad belief.
[8](back to text) It is true that there are a tiny number of legitimate Torah sources that say it is possible that Hashem may choose Moshiach from among the resurrected dead, but not in the following scenario: Moshiach comes and begins his mission, then dies and is buried before the redemption; then later comes back in a resurrection to complete his mission. There is no place in Judaism for the belief that he can come once, start his mission, die and be buried before the complete redemption, then come again to finish the job. Even though it is possible in Judaism that Moshiach can come from the resurrected dead, there is still no Second Coming in Judaism (i.e. a messianic mission with an intervening death) even according to Chabad. It is a purely Christian invention. Ask any Christian and they will tell you that for 2000 years Jews have rejected the idea of a Second Coming until Chabad started believing in it in the summer of 1994[note 8a].
Even though you and I might not know of any cases of conversion that were facilitated by the missionaries appealing to Chabad messianism, I know for a fact that missionaries are appealing to it in their literature. They feel that we Jews have lied to them for 2000 years by rejecting the idea of a Second Coming because after the Rebbe’s passing in the summer of 1994, Lubavitchers all of a sudden began claiming that it has always been a kosher way for the Messiah to come.
It is one of the best known facts about Jews that we have always rejected the very concept of a Second Coming as something completely foreign to Judaism; not just a Second Coming for the Nazarene, but a Second Coming for the real Messiah.
Therefore, because I know for a fact that they are appealing to Chabad messianism in their missionary literature, I need to assume that they are using Chabad messianism as ammunition in their war to steal Jewish souls. If anything, it is adding to their ammunition, even if you and I are not aware of any specific cases.
[9](back to text) An epithet for misnagdim coined by Chabad and used only by Chabad
[8a](back to note 8) Here are some excerpts from Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan's book "The Real Messiah: A Jewish Response to Missionaries":
"The Jew refuses to accept the excuse that the major prophecies concerning the Messiah will only be fulfilled in a 'second coming'. He expects the Messiah to complete his mission in his first attempt." Pg 8
"The Jews had one major objection to the xtian Messiah, and that was the fact the he had been unsuccessful. Judaism had always taught that the Messiah would redeem Israel in a political sense, and j had failed to accomplish this." Pg.30
"Still, there were many Messianic prophecies that j had failed to fulfill. The early xtians therefore taught the he would return to the world again in a 'second coming'." Pg. 34
"Since j did not fulfill the most important Messianic prophecies, they expected him to return to complete this task in a 'second coming.'" Pg 35
"First of all, the Jews had a tradition, well supported in the teachings of the Prophets, that the Messiah would bring about major changes in the world. The 'spiritual kingdom' did not in any way fulfill these prophecies. The Jews were furthermore unconvinced by the answer of the 'second coming', since it was not even hinted at in Biblical literature." Pg. 36
"The idea of a second coming is a pure rationalization of j's failure to function in any way as a messiah, or to fulfill any of the prophecies of the Torah or the Prophets. The idea is purely a xtian invention, with no foundation in the Bible." Pg. 55
"However, the missionaries never mention the most important prophecies concerning the Messiah that j did not fulfill. The main task of the Messiah was to bring the world back to G-d, and to abolish all war, suffering and injustice from the world. Clearly, j did not accomplish this. In order to get around this failure on the part of j, xtians invented the doctrine of the 'Second Coming' (Hebrews 9:29, Peter 3). All the prophecies that j did not fulfill the first time are supposed to be taken care of the second time around. However, the Jewish Bible offers absolutely no evidence to support the xtian doctrine of a 'Second Coming.'" Pg. 71
"We still await the true Messiah who will accomplish all this in his first attempt." Pg. 72
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This page was last updated: June 29, 2008
