B"H
FRUMLIFE has interesting information on the Lubavitcher Rebbe arriving in America.
Despite all enthusiasm of Chabad members I have to mention that, until today, there are rumours going around that either Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn or the later Rebbe and son - in - law, Rabbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson may have bribed the Nazi government in order to let him / them leave Eastern Europe.
B'H
ReplyDeleteI don't know what are your sources, but what I know is that "rumors" are not source at all, and to spread them without any substance is motzi shem ra!
There was no bribery involved in the matter, but it was just part of a deal the Nazis themselves negociated with the US to avoid the involvment of British and US armies in their war, as it was fully documented in a one-hour docmentary broadcasted on Channel 1, in Israel, three months ago by researchers who have NO CONECTION with Chabad. So between baseless rumors and a full documented report, the choice is easy.
http://chabad.info/index.php?url=article_en&id=22965
http://chabad.info/index.php?url=article_en&id=23003
http://chabad.info/index.php?url=article_en&id=22999
and by the way, the Lubaviycher Rebbe was not the only Rebbe to be rescued, Satmar Rebbe and a dozen of other Rebbeim were saved, either by Nazis themselves or Zionists, but nobody ever claimed they bribed anybody, and I never heard people claiming that the Satmar Rebbe bribed the Zionists to be rescued, but when it comes to Chabad (which was a very small chasidus at the time with no money, but which became a big chasidus after reaching the US shores), things are different. I wonder why?
B"H
ReplyDeleteIt is not because of Chabad but there are certain question. Questions also regarding the Satmarer Rebbe as well as the Belzer Rebbe.
I don't care so much about who bribed who in order to get out but I am more interested in what the Rebbes knew about the Holocaust taking place. The Satmarer as well as the Belzer Rebbe didn't tell their Chassidim to leave Europe. I have been collecting lots of material on that but the opinions reach from "The Rebbes didn't know" until "The Rebbes wanted to offer rescue once their were save".
B'H
ReplyDeleteThese are questions without clear answers, so it's a waste of time, as the answers will depend on who you ask.
If they knew, what could they possibly do? If they didn't know, how are they guilty of anything? They have been saved and thanks to that Satmar, Belz and Lubavitch reconstructed themselves in the US and the medinah.
And what about those who did nothing to save their lives and went like sheep to the butcher in the camps, whuile others were more conscious of what was awaiting them? We cannot understand what took place during that period, and so being judgmental leads to nothing. There was a spiritual athmosphere in the air that is above our reach. Only G-d knows better than us. And even if, let's imagine one second, those great Rebbes bribed the Nazis to be spared, what did the do wrong? And to say that they did nothing to save their followers and fellow Jews is false. The Rebbes tried hard but were unsuccessful.
And by the way, what did the Zionist did to prevent the Shoah? Almost nothing, quite the contrary! You should read Perfidy!
B"H
ReplyDeleteI read PERFIDY and liked it very much. However, there is endless material to collect on the Kasztner case and the problem is that you will hardly find the true answer after all those years. Although I am pretty much sure that the Germans must have documents. There is nothing going undocumented in Germany. Until today.
Esther Farbstein wrote in her book "Hidden in Thunder" that the Belzer Rebbe knew about Auschwitz but didn't warn his Chassidim before he left Hungary, as no one at this point (Jan. 1944) expected Germany to attack its allie Hungary. The person Esther Farbstein interviewed said that the Rebbe thought the Jews were save in Hungary despite the anti - Semitism of the Hungarian police force.
http://shearim.blogspot.com/2008/09/stealing-jewish-children-during.html
I cannot judge whether this is true or not. However, there is lots of material going around but, as you said, of different opinions.
Rabbi Weissmandel, and I have his booklet, describes in a very impressive way, how the Zionists behaved and sent their own people out of Eastern Europe to Palestine. They wanted a Mizrachi state and no haredi Jews.
B'H
ReplyDeleteIn France, nobody could believe that the Nazis would attack them, but it happened, the same with Belgium (which was conquered by the Nazis...in a single day). So, even if there were some Rebbeim who knew about the Nazis, there was indeed nothing to do, as even if Nazis were antisemites, NOTHING could really lead to a conclusive conclusion that an extermination was at hand.
But all the answers and theories really depend on who you ask. There are those who will say that Jews were too passive, and those who will say that we tried but we failed. So, we shouldn't speculate on the matter. What we know is that 6 millions of our fathers and mothers were massacred, and our mission is to think about the future of our people, to rebuild it and revive it. That is the best answer to the Nazis. As one of my Mashpiim, a Belzer Chosid, told me: When I see my 10 children and the large families among all the other Chasidic courts, I cannot say but "Boruck HaShem! Hitler, take it in your face! We are alive and you failed to destroy us!" I'd rather think about the future than the past. While everybody was sad on Tisha B'Av, Rabbi Akiva was dancing. When he was asked how could he dance while the whole people was weeping and mourning the Churban, he answered that just as it was written that the Temple would be destroy and it happened, it is also written that there will be a Third Temple and that Moshiach will come. If the bad happened as it was described, the good will happen also as it is described.
We cannot comprehend the Holocaust, but there is one thing which is certain: our future is in our hand.
What, praytell, might be wrong with bribing gentiles to escape an inferno? What are you suggesting by saying, "Despite..."?
ReplyDelete