Chabad & Heresy

Rabbi Saul Zucker

(The following is in response to a Chabad Rabbi saying, "The Rebbe runs the world until he comes to take us out of golus now")

There is no doubt that the statement in the video is heresy. What is shocking is that the rabbi who made the statement is the head of Chabad of California. To my knowledge, there has been no statement of criticism or censure or retraction from Chabad. This raises a serious question against those from within Chabad who have continued to proclaim that the messianists or the deists within Chabad are the exception, not the rule, "on the fringes" and are a non-influential and insignificant minority. The head of Chabad of one of the biggest and most populous states in the country is hardly insignificant. I would now be in doubt about any claims that even "mainstream" Chabad makes about denying messianism or deism with regard to the entire movement. One last word -- it is not a valid "excuse" to say that the speaker was in a state of extreme pain and shock due to the tragedy of the situation of the Holtzbergs, Hy"d. All of Klal Yisroel was and is in a state of pain and shock. Our hearts all went out to the family. It was and is an unspeakable horror for ALL Jews. But this is no reason to promulgate heresy. Tragedy should not beget lies and rebellion against HaShem; on the contrary, it should cause us to turn to HaShem and cling to Him with all our might.