by Moshe Haber for COLlive
When the news came about the corruption of the judge in the Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin case, I immediately e-mailed someone ‘in the know’ in Crown Heights and asked him if anything positive had happened recently.
Did they finally take the mesira all the way out of court? I asked.
The answer was stunning. I was told that the new Vaad Hakohol had met the night before and voted to take it out of court.
If we didn’t believe completely, when the Rebbe said that what happens in Crown Heights affects the world, and needed a wake-up call, this was surely it. It is a lesson we can ill afford to ignore, and its ramifications are enormous, as we approach the election of a new rov in less than two weeks.
Elul is the month of introspection. Let’s not forget that as we seem to be so strongly focused on this election campaign and everything that comes along with it. The number of comments on COLlive.com is unprecedented, and I think it’s appropriate to air some thoughts on what it means for the future of Crown Heights and the future that the Rebbe has prophesied for us.
That Crown Heights has become such a hotbed of machloikes should surprise no one. Since “what happens here effects the rest of the world,” is it any wonder that the Satan is focusing so much of his koach on us?
The problem has infected everyone, beginning inside the Rebbe’s inner sanctum 770 and rippling out from there.
Now it has reached the point where young children challenge Roshei Yeshiva for not getting out of the “Rebbe’s way” fast enough when he enters or exits the shul. People in the community stay away from 770, and people from outside the community love to repeat to their “olomishe” friends the latest “mishugas” that they encounter there.
In the famous Sichah of 2 Adar 5748, also known as “The Tzva’ah,” one that for years no one would transcribe because no one wanted to put it out in the air, the Rebbe states clearly and unambiguously that it is the Bais Din of Chabad Rabbonim in every location that will have the final authority.
Is it any wonder then that the Bais Din of Crown Heights, ‘kan tziva Hashem es habracha,’ should bear the brunt of the Satan’s efforts!? And we respond by taking sides!?
It is an axiom of Chassidus that when one sees things he should look not outside, but inside.
Why am I seeing this? What has this got to do with me? When are we going to fully understand that we can only change ourselves, and nobody else? We all know who we think the villains are, and as we go after them; in comments on websites, in op-ed pieces, when we accost them in the street, the Satan dissolves in hysterical laughter and everything the Rebbe sought to accomplish is put at risk.
If “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” let’s focus on the real enemy – the Satan, who is the enemy of every Jew, and is working to destroy everything the Rebbe has built. We need to start to mend fences with each other and build bridges. Feelings won’t change overnight, but who cares how we feel. “Action is the essential thing” and the need of the moment is to defeat the Satan.
If we truly believe in the things the Rebbe taught us – even without yet coming to the level of feeling as the Rebbe felt about them – at the very least we ought to know how not to conduct ourselves.
As someone who has been involved in community affairs as an original Ntzig (representative in the body of local Shuls) in 5746 and as a member of the executive board of the Ntzigim for many years, I am and have been a participant in these machloikesin.
It doesn’t matter anymore that I consider my involvement to be defensive in nature, forced to make a choice because of things others were up to. It simply isn’t important anymore. There are bigger issues at stake.
The Rebbe doesn’t need us to fight over our idea of his kavod (honor). A recent HaYom Yom talks about the value of fighting offensive battles. How blind do we have to be to not see that this is all just a re-enactment of what went on with Rabbi Akiva’s students, lo aleinu.
It’s time to just say no:
No to verbalizing negativity,
No to continuing machloikes,
No to waiting for the other person to change,
No to anything but positivity and chassidishe varmkeit and ahavas Yisroel.
I don’t care how naïve this sounds. Maybe, just maybe, if we do this in a sincere way, everything we’ve been fighting about will just vanish as the obstacles Avraham Aveinu A”H encountered on his way to the akeida. And we can do it even if we don’t feel like it.
Chsiva VaChasima Tova, LShana Tova Umesuka.
Correction from the CHJCC: Mr. Haber was apparently misinformed about what he mentioned in the beginning of his op-ed. The stipulation was signed by both sides and filed in court on June 11, 2010 (before the run-off election).
yes we do!
wow! you chabadnikim people really really care about your community- beutiful 🙂
a sweet year to all
What ARE you talking abou!??? Never mind the erev rav, you must have yichus to Arafat. You sound like someone whose whole metzius is machloikes.
Your invoking of the phrase “to each his own” is exactly why people become frum. We live is an absolute world, you live in a relative world. You couldn’t be more out of touch with reality than to invoke those kinds of sentiments.I for one can’t make head or tails out of the other comments you make. Do you understand what you’re saying???
I accept your request for mechila wholeheartedly and without reservation.
.BTW It’s HAber, not HEber.
And I’m not a rabbi.
I am not naming any names, so no one should accuse me of campaigning for this one or for that one. Certainly no one can think that it’s bad thing, to suggest that we all vote for whoever seems to be the Biggest Yerey Shomayim. Whenever there was elections in Israel the Rebbe would suggest that we (Chabad) don’t get involved in to Politics, rather the Rebbe suggested that we all go out an vote for “the most frum candidate”, the Biggest Yerey Shomayim. Let everyone look at all the candidates and decide whom he thinks is a true Yerey… Read more »
# 60 has it backwards. All the Machlokes in CH is made by people who write such type of articles in the name of kaviyochol “ahavas yisroel” and in the name of (fake) “peace”, actually they are spewing hatred with a Tainted and fake flag of “peace”. True peace includes first and foremost, that the “peace-maker” not criticize anyone for anything. If anyone acted in any way different than what Haber Thinks is his unilateral “T H E – O N L Y – R I G H T – W A Y” – then Haber should realize that “to… Read more »
You’re pretty intelligent, right?
B”H For everyone who is disagreeing or dismissing what the author wrote, you should all know that you are saying exactly what a kofer does. You are letting your “great human intellect” tell you that you are smarter than Hashem CH”V. You are saying that the goal of being an ahavas yiroel yid is too complicated and so we might as well let ourselves get overrun by the many steps involved. That is what teenagers say as they battle with their parents and Hashem for every tznius skirt, every day putting on tefillin, every bracha, every trip to the mall.… Read more »
i wrote comment 12 and following comment 27, responded with 33.
if i hurt you in any way by the comments, i ask your mechilah.
i disagree with you politics in allot of issues, and i do NOT like this article at all.
but i do respect the fact that you did what YOU thought to be for the best of our community, and hope that you can see pass the disagreements and say the same of you opponents.
dont forget that everyone thinks they are right.
i wish you well on all your doings.
ksiva vachsima tova
Rabbi Braun is very young and a real cool Rabbi, who is not to old to be able to understand and relate to our ever growing younger population of CH. The younger generation is disenfranchised with all of the blankedy blank coming out of the older communistic regime who don’t relate to the younger generation and just tell us to shut up and listen to whatever they dictate. But the younger generation doesn’t just lay down and shut up. Instead they respond with “respect” telling them what they think of them and how highly they “respect” them. A Cool Rabbi… Read more »
You write:
“Are we looking for a beis din that will engage the young familys of crown heights, to aspire to the higher calling of a chasidic life
non of the above. ”
I wouldn’t be so sure about that. I met Rabbi Braun the other night, based on what I’ve seen and heard I think he’ll be great at “engaging the young families of CH to aspire to the higher calling of a chasidic life”
Correction from the CHJCC: Mr. Haber was apparently misinformed about what he mentioned in the beginning of his op-ed. The stipulation was signed by both sides and filed in court on June 11, 2010 (before the run-off election).
You hear that??? Again, and yes, I’m shouting: DO YOU HEAR THAT????
I don’t know what kind of criticism it is to write a piece that others call ” totally one -sided.” Obviously, my opinions are not going to sit well with everyone. I am saying that I’m no longer interested in perpetuating this machloikes and that’s all . Those of you who see an agenda in this, that’s your problem. I had no intention to attack anyone, though it has never been a secret as to where I was holding in all this. The body of the article speaks for itself. That I feel a need to respond to certain people’s… Read more »
goodness enough!! what are you all a bunch of children???
its elul forgive and forget!there is no use writing nasty comments. it wont make life any better and def. not the community! goodness the man is asking forgiveness! andwhat do you do? attack him??? you should be ashamed! just put your your own pride down a bit for a change, it cant hurt!
Crown Heights is again in the grip of election fever. After reading this blog and others I have come away with great reasons NOT to vote one way or the other. I have yet to see one article that will examine why we need a Bet Din at all. I think that only if we can find a good answer to this question will I be able to make a choice as to who would be a better Rov. Are we looking to set up a credible bet din to do gerus, gittin, arbitration for business conflicts. Then I will… Read more »
I am the guy who has been heckling him here all along. I think it’s time to lay off him and his article. He said he’s backing out of this machlokes (Hashem yishmor!) and that that this article is a last dying grunt, if you will. That’s fine. He’s entitled. So long as he really backs off, that is.
writes a piece totally one sided, badmouth’s and maligns a bunch of people in the process and has the audacity to insult the intelligence of COLLIVE readers with a platform and a mantra of and for peace. Then he tries to defend his idiotic garbage with kakameme bubeh maises. A kop ken men nit aroifshtelen.
You are rght. After many years of putting up with all this nourishkeit you will allow me to vent. For too long I have played the game . Hinting at what was going on to those in the know, and leaving everyone else in the dark. At this point. there s nothing to withold. So, as I withdraw from confrontation, I feel a desire to “let it all hang out”, so take your best shot and let the chips fall where they may.
Your’e good. Straight and to the point
You should never read—never mind respond to—the comments and feedback on your writing. It will give you anxiety, and it makes you look foolish and lose face (which should be clear to you now). Just write what you want to write, publish, and listen to friends’ critiques. Listening and responding to me will just raise your blood pressure. You wrote what you wrote, I have my opinions about your article, and I shared my opinions with my fellow readers. To the extent that you must read, the lesson is to take note and heed some suggestions. So if people say… Read more »
Stop revelling in the fact that nobody knows who you are. Identify yourself and then we can start a dialog – if you want one. It’s no chidush for you to hide behind a cloak of anonymity and crtiticize others.
BTW I don’t what you are interpreting as threats that I am making. Please clarify
Let it go, you lost big time in the public forum and that’s that.
Don’t be a sore loser. Let us remember you with your head held high instead of a groveling rachmonus case.
ALL THE BEST
So how can you hav e a hava mina that I was talking about u??? You didn’t see through anything, because there was nothing for you to see through. In this week’s chumash chitas, the Torah talks about that which is ours to see and that which is not. How do you come to assume I’m talking about u???? If you assume there is a “my way or the highway aspect to what I wrote, you are projecting your own mishagas onto all this. I know very well who I was speaking to and so do they . It’s no… Read more »
David W. Erev Rosh Hashonoh god and the Rabbi will deal with you soon
CORRECTION: Frankel Shul tonight, Monday 8/30/10 at 8:15 PM! Marive at 8:00 PM
Anyone who doesn”t agree with you is familiar? If you can’t stand criticism, don’t dish it out. Don’t go sniveling about if you can’t stomach being told that your wrong. Who asked you to write? And please, in your own words, do us all a favor and drop out.
Ksivah Vachasimah Tovah
An outrageous lie, I am far from a farbrenter Meshichist, I daven in 770 and have never been accosted or told to move out of the way for the rebbe coming into the Shul. It’s bad enough without having to spread malicious lies about the matzav.
I have only one word for the writer of this article.
HIPOCRITE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Your threats are terrifying You have no idea who I am, so cut it out. My point is the same. We all want peace and I trust you probably do as well. But when you write an article like this, which (and this is advice on writing if nothing else) rambles incoherently and clearly reveals passive aggression (which came to light quite clearly in comments 27 and 34) about the sattan, messirah and getting out of the Rebbe’s way. If you have a point to make, make it. If you want peace, write about it. If you believe your political… Read more »
Come hear Rav Braun
Tonight, Monday 20 Elul, 9:00 p.m.
AT: Frankel Shuel, 1699 President Street.
you will be able to ask Questions after the shiur.
I wonder if your chuztpah stems from ignorance or from stam partisan politics. Your article wholly engages in character assasination of those that don’t see things your way and you accuse poster 34 of it. With people like you I’m afraid there will never be a solution. Take my advice, step aside from this whole mess, let people who truly want the betterment of the SHCHUNAH take charge.
Let the plain and simple truth be known, Mr Haber attempts to come across as a benign person who wants peace but he hides the fact that he is entirely partial to one side. He does not play by the rules, nothing is sacred only furthering his agenda. Time and again he distorts the truth, and it was proven black on white that he testified FALSELY at the Din Torah.
You also sound familiar. Without trying to guess which one of the group you are, let me just say , what’s your point?? Are you saying that just b/c there are only 27 comments, my words are irrelevant, or are you just attempting another type of character assassination that you guys seem to be so good at?? I have a life that I am eminently proud of. I doubt seriously that you can say the same. And you are right, you are no macher, but you surely are not just an observer. If i am in the dark and you… Read more »
i was never a Netzig, and never in the Vaad Hakohol, really just a regular CH resident that sew strait through your one sided “my way or the highway” PEACE article, and called you out on it. but then (in comment 27) you went on a rant attacking the wrong people that you imagined had attacked you. thuse reveling your true colors. i now know how this Machlokes started, someone must have thought that someone looked at them crooked, when in fact he was really sneezing. i write this comment on the assumption that comment 27 is indeed you, if… Read more »
Now it has reached the point where young children challenge Roshei Yeshiva for not getting out of the “Rebbe’s way” fast enough when he enters or exits the shul.
1. Children need to be taught derech eretz and respect. But maybe you should be happy about this-it is a sure sign of Moshiach’s arrival.
2. The fact is that some believe the Rebbe is physically here and some believe he passed away. How is the position of all sides dealt with without infringing on others? The Rabbanim , vaad, or gabbayim need to address this.
the Rebbe wanted 770 to be made larger for more people to come no body did anything we are now in the last few days of the year 770 lets build now it will have a big impact on the whole community
You are absolutely clueless if you detect anger and frustration behind this author’s words. In fact, didn’t you write something similar to his last op-ed during the elecrtion campaign?
You look oh so bitter, with your oh so lofty article quickly (just 27 comments!) later morphed into bitter name-calling. Get a life. And PS: you have no idea who I am. I’m no macher, just an observer, and I observe that you’re in the dark here…
Come hear Rabbi Braun for yourself. Learn, be informed, and vote intelligently. Tonight, Monday 20 Ellul, 9:00 pm, Frankel Shuel, 1699 President Street. Questions after the sher.
I could probably identify each one of you by name; comments #s 3,6,10,12,13,14, and 18. In n’tzigim meetings or when you were on the vaad hakohol , you always sound the same. YS, you called me a low-life just last week. YH, you said if I learned more chassidus, I would see the truth, LN thinks its sinas chinom because what reason could ANYBODY have to be critical of him. YH, I don’t believe you ever read that letter I sent you after our discussion on the porch during the din Torah. There’s no dialogue with you guys because you… Read more »
Rosh Hashana is just around the corner. The hatred that some of you here have expressed is shocking!! Anger is one of the worst midos that there ever was. Take a piece of paper, write down everything that you are angry about and read it over and over and over again, get your frustrations out, feel better rip it up into little pieces and throw it out. If it doesn’t work do it agian and again. May the satan have no reason to come back to destroy our community and instigate one against another. If each and every one of… Read more »
Moshe, To well meaning people, both your words and intent ring quite clear. Unfortunately we live in times when the most innocent deed is deemed to be driven by the most nefarious of motives. To those with jaundiced eyes, his single reference to the behavior of a minority among a minority was cited only to demonstrate how p’nei hador ha’sh’vi’i has become p’nei kelev. (Comment#21 cites another proof.) As the author states clearly throughout his article, we are all guilty and we should be shamefaced enough to desist from anything that smacks of machlokes. If not, then we risk crippling… Read more »
Don’t let out your anger and frustrations in public!
If anyone out there thinks the election of a 3rd Rov such as Bogo or others will bring piece finally to our community is in for a rude awakening. Wake up CH, kick out all the so called ‘meyochsim’ i.e. the people who think the world is theirs because of a little bit ‘geja’. Vote for young blood a la Zaki Tamir.
Look at the sicha that was said about the Kahn bochur in 5746 who got killed
Rov Glukowsky was speaking
or trying to speak
IT IS LIKE WE ARE ALL ASLEEP
UNCONSCIOUS
OR SOMETHING.
HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO NOT BE QUIET WHEN A ROV IS SPEAKING.
TO EVERY MAN WHO GOES TO 770
DO SOMETHING!
IT CANNOT CONTINUE!
It doesn’t matter whether the author is sincere or not; whether he is a hypocrite and really one-sided or not. What matters is that I spoke to a an litvishe askan, a well to do businessman who is a big BB for Agudah and happens to have a big heart of gold, helping many yidin, including Lubavitchers etc – who asked why there is such machlokes in Lubavitch. Why can’t we all get together? He was specifically talking about for the cause of Sholom Mordechai Rubashkin…but it was a general and sincere question: How are the greatest chassidim in the… Read more »
I agree with #16.
This guy’s one big lier!!!
If he really wants peace, why doesn’t he start with his article (by taking out all the loshon hara and one sided statements! ).
I hate hypocrites!
very nice article kol hakavod
a milanever
you can have the best ROV – if we dont drop uor own ego the best Rov wont help!
i agree with you 100%. the only, and i reiterate, only way to have true sholom in c.h. and in the world at large is to drop all of our personal gripes, and make sholom in a personal way with our fellows. btw, i did just that last shabbos and i feel wonderful about it. more than that we shook hands warmly and gave each other brochas. thanks moshe haber for helping to show the way. i sincerely hope that your wise, heartfelt words will fall on earnest ears, and have the positive effect that we all so deeply desire.… Read more »
No to negativity. Yes to vicious libels re imagined “messira.”
both sides will be writing “Sholom Op-ed’s”, with an underlining tone of how peaceful there side really is, and how the other side is “an obstacle to peace”
this pointless article being the first.
lets just wait and see who will win the election for the third Rov, and we will have peace!
please everyone come out and vote! that is what will really bring the peace!
you speak of “Peace” and Shalom and no negativity… but the whole start of your article is full of the regular blaming and demonizing! of course you Don’t mention names (your too smart to give away your real intentions) … but we all picked up to who you were referring. 1) you so casually called what the last Vaad did “Mesira”, “forgetting” that it was the Rubashkin Vaad that had taken then to court in the first place, but lost. (not to mention that it was a “subpoena” only, all Rubashkin had to do, was go to B”D – which… Read more »
we need Emes, integrity, honesty – we need to vote for Rabbi Y Braun.
And if you “a[re] and have been a participant of these machloikisim,” which this article about “peace” is clearly meant to advance, why are you writing this? What it the point? I read and re-read your article and find no useful policy suggestions (other than, presumably, to “take back” 770—and btw, other kraizen were coming to 770 in nun, nun aleph, etc., to hear what the Rebbe would come up with next and would snicker and laugh—even more, if anything). And if you’re so anti-machlokes, why do you perpetuate it? The recent din Torah found YOU guilty of breaking the… Read more »
The broblem beggins by bochurim shaving their beards!
It is better to have shtus DeKedusha in 770, over young bochurim getting drunk ,and shaving their beards.
Which is going against the rebbes takana!!! No No No No
Let us all men and women, come to a special shiur in honor of Chai Elul By With HaRav Yossi Braun (one of the candidates for Rav).
at 580 Crown Street
TODAY at 7:30 PM
All members of ana”sh (men and women) are invited to a special shiur in honor of Chai Elul“Tradition RevealedRecently Discovered Historical Artifacts and their Halachic Implications” With Rabbis Yossi Braun (one of the candidates for Rov of C.H.) at 580 Crown Street
There we go again.
the fighting just wont stop.
if i could share how much pain i am going through with my children. as a mother, i try to not react, and to still be there for them. as a i try ever so hard, digging into myself, yet into a deeper level, i see Hashem helps mamash.
Hashem yishmor our community.
in the merit of our efforts
Hashem please help us.
Let’s say Amen to your words, as naive as they may sound, there is a beginning to everything no?
What an utterly nonsensical oped. Full of fluff about varmkeit and a thinly concealed attack on mishichistim.
You talk of “nothing but peace and love” but then go on to call the actions of the old Vaad “mesira,” as if there aren’t two sides of the story, as if someone spent a moment in prison or under public investigation, etc. (clearly illustrating that you have no concept of the laws of messirah).
Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is and stop your own lashon hara?
You hit the nail right on the head. Yasher koach.