Is Chabad Today a Breakaway From the Past? Has Chassidus Lost Its Way? - By Rabbi YY Jacobson

The Debate Between the Baal HaTanya and his Collegues on the Destiny of Chassidus
Has Chassidus Lost Its Way? Have Chassidim Lost Perspective of what Chassidus Came to Accomplish? Is Chabad Today a Break Away From the Past? The Debate Between the Baal HaTanya and his Colleagues -- and Its Results Today.
This discussion was presented during Rabbi YY Jacobson's morning Chassidus class, on 6 Av, 5776, August 10, 2016, at Ohr Chaim Shul, in Monsey, NY. It came as a response to a question by one of the students who wondered why many of the fundamental ideas of the Baal Shem Tov and Chassidus were not (at least from his experience) being taught, practiced and implemented in Chassidic communities today.

[@yh-wq7hp]

You are the twin of Simon Jacobson?

[@methuseling]

A poilishe chagas chasid came to the rebbe complaining that his chabad friend puts down chagas chasiddus. The replied go an d tell him that just as a person needs a head he also needs hands. Vehameiven yavin.

[@shalomeli1]

Unbelievable

[@The_Temple]

why is his kippah not centered

[@Youandme-kd3ic]

And where in Halacha says that it needs to be placed in a certain way?

[@The_Temple]

who suggested there would be? it's sloppy & distracting@@Youandme-kd3ic

[@Youandme-kd3ic]

Yeah? How is it sloppy? I am not sure if your chabad, but chabad doesn’t put too much emphasis on dressing rather we focus on penimi not chatzonious

[@nedalfred6132]

Did the Alter Rebbe in fact send shluchim to Berlin and Paris to spread Hassidus? Not that I’m aware of.The Tzemach Tzedek spent his life fighting haskalah - not trying to bring the maskilim into the homes of his hassidim.Sorry,but the “shlichus “is a chiddush of dor shevii,and it has taken a huge toll in the. Chasidishkeit and erlichkeit of the Lubavitcher movement.

[@stevestevestevesteve6466]

Just by making this statement, you misunderstand the whole idea of outreach. It's not for the benefit of Chabad. That's like saying, "Why do you give tzedakah when you don't gain?" You give tzedakah FOR THE POOR, not for the one who gives. Chabad sends emissaries not for the benefit of themselves, but FOR THE JEWS WHO ARE IN NEED OF THEIR SERVICES. The point is, what did it do for Yiddishkeit? Would anyone argue that shlichus didn't help the whole Jewish world? Complain all you want, but Chassidim aren't the only Jews who matter. Who was changing the minds of the maskilim? The ones who shut them out, or the ones that spoke to them? In your world where Chabad doesn't do kiruv, what happens to the thousands of Jews who became frum because of them, the MILLIONS of Jews who got a better connection to Yiddishkeit in general? Are the couple of hundred thousand Lubavitchers the only ones who deserve to have a chance to practice Judaism? Should the maskilim not have a chance to fix their ways, should the Jews who don't know never get a chance to know? So fine, no more shlichus, then the secular Jews will never get to put on tefillin, come for shabbos lunch, sit in the sukkah etc, and thereby forgo their chance at having some observance in their life. You are on the wrong side of history. Ahavas Yisroel is a MITZVAH. Part of loving Jews is having the common courtesy to speak to one.

[@apollocreed1000]

I have read that the 6th Lubavitcher Rebbe was opposed to raising money to save non-observant jews from the holocaust or being mechalel shabbos to meet with US senators etc to get help for the Jews in Europe. Rav Kotler and Rav Kalmanowitz didn't differentiate between observant and non-observant jews and they were prepared to even make efforts on shabbos and travel to meet senators as it was a case of saving lives (Pikuach Nefesh). This was accomplised via their "Va'ad Hatzalah." So I would suggest that the 7th Rebbe, Rav Menachem Mendel Schneerson, felt that he had to make a Tikun/atonement for the lack of effort that his father-in-law did in saving Jews from the holocaust, and his atonement was to dedicate his life to helping and saving Jews of all backgrounds and levels.