Toite Chassidus

B"H

There is nothing worse than a chassidic group without a Rebbe.
Just take Breslov and Chabad as an example.
A chassidic group without a Rebbe is like a dead fish. The group might be still active but something is missing.

The last Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, died in Crown Heights on June 12, 1994. The Rebbe had suffered from a stroke in the early summer of 1992 and since, he hasn't been too present anymore. Eventually his Chassidim got used to an inactive Rebbe.

The first and last Breslover Rebbe, Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, died in 1810 and since, the Breslov movement has been without a real spiritual leader. After Rabbi Nachman died, nobody felt like being good enough to replace him. Not even Rabbi Nathan Sternhartz. However, Rabbi Nachman left a complex Chassidut with his work "Likutei Moharan".

Nevertheless, many Breslover Chassidim have distanced themselves from the hardcore and instead founded their own directions (Rabbi Israel Odesser). Today, Breslov includes many different fractions within Breslov. At least in Israel.

Many times I asked a colleague of mine how the Breslover celebrate Shabbat. My colleague is a member of Chassidut Breslov and she always invites me to their great synagogue in Mea Shearim Street. She even wanted to drag me to their Mikweh. So far, I haven't been into the synagogue but will definitely go one day. However, when I asked her, she keeps on responding that Breslovers have their own private chassidic Tish at home.

This is true but you shouldn't forget that there are bored Breslover Chassidim. In Mea Shearim they see all the other Chassidim going to Tishes and they have nowhere to go. As a result, many Breslover Chassidim go to other Tishes such as Kretchnif or Toldot Avraham Yitzchak. The same with Chabad. I have seen many Chabadnikkim at different chassidic groups.

Chabad is also split into two groups today:

1. The Meshichistim

and

2. the others.

One group cannot stand the other one and everybody believes to me more important. A Chabadnik told me that the Meshichistim even started to call their own group opponents "Mitnagdim". The "Mitnagdim" are those Chabadnikkim who do not see Rabbi Schneerson as the Meschiach.

Who leads Chabad today ?
Apparently everyone does his own thing in the name of the Rebbe.

Until today, Chabad keeps the Farbrengen – custom. Farbrengen is Yiddish (verbringen – to spend) and is a kind of a chassidic Tish. Without the Rebbe, of course. A Chabad – Rabbi sits together with Chassidim and guests; the eat, drink, sing and tell each other stories about the Rebbe.

Personally I prefer a chassidic group with a clear chassidic concept. I need a Rebbe who decides and keeps the group alive and active. Why should I follow a "Toite Chassidus – a dead Chassidut" ? The Rebbe is important and simply belongs to a group.

Chabad has failed to appoint a successor and eighth Rebbe.
After Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson took over leadership from his father – in – law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, in 1951, he succeeded in pushing away his opponents. He used great tactics and maneuvered himself into the pole position. At the same time, he started a cult about himself, Chabad had never seen before. Chabad founder Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi supported a Rebbe ideal of a spiritual guide. The big change came with the past two Lubavitcher Rebbes who started a new cult about themselves. The peak was Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. The only problem was that he never announced a successor or spoke publicly about leadership after his death. Maybe he considered himself as the Meschiach but what about his own idea that his father – in – law, Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak, might be the Meschiach ?

A chassidic group can only be called alive with a learned charismatic Rebbe and I prefer that much more than a movement based on illusions and cult.

At least the Breslover have kept their concept. They have the old original followers of Rabbi Nachman in Mea Shearim, as well as the new movement for the newly religious. Rabbi Shalom Arush and Rabbi Eliezer Berland do a great job with the newcomers.