ZIONISM, COLLEGE & (BIG FINALE) WE'LL SELL THAT TOO

Posted at mentalblog.com / Thread: The zal is no longer the only forum in which Lubavitch teens are educated:

#1. Zionism: [A commenter, Schneur, wrote:] "Surely in name the Rebbe was not a Zionist, but in fact he was not an anti-Zionist."

This statement is factually accurate and not debatable. You can forever discuss the "whys", but Schneur stated the indisputable "what".

berl, crown heights 05.18.05 - 10:29 am / Link:#

A commenter (JMO) wrote:
While the Rebbe did not support secular Zionists, he was certainly very welcoming to secular Zionists and cared very much about the country. No other anti-Zionist acted as he did. In fact, as everyone here well knows, many anti-Zionists considered the Rebbe a Zionist.

Again, I agree the Rebbe wasn't a Zionist. However, one wonders if his father-in-law or his grandfather-in-law (Is there such a word?) would have acted as he did.
JMO Homepage 05.17.05 - 7:54 pm / Link: #

Berl responded:

JMO, The Previous Rebbe did act in exactly such a way. The very warm Zalman Rubashev [aka Shazar] connection was actually his; there is other reliable anecdotal evidence surrounding the events of 1948 to suggest more of the same friendly disposition later made famous by the Rebbe. As to the Rebbe Rashab, given the Previous Rebbe's legendary devotion to his father's approach to everything, you can safely assume his father would have acted the same way. It would be silly to assume that any outsider has a better grasp of the precise nature of the Rebbe Rashab's opposition to Zionism in the early 1900s than his son and spiritual successor!

berl, crown heights 05.17.05 - 8:14 pm / Link: #

And I cut this out of an unrelated comment (see link below):

Moreover, [the Rebbe Rashab] explained his opposition Zionism by saying that it will prevent such students from doing תשובה. Need references with page numbers?

berl, crown heights 04.11.05 - 2:05 pm / Link: #

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#2. College:

The Rebbe's view of college is not as simple as the cookie-cutter mashpeim make their mushpoim believe. There are all the anti-college statements, to be sure. But if the Rebbe's daas is all that matters (and not a desire to happily fit the Rebbe into the narrow charedi definition), then those statements should never be taken out of context. Also, surely you know that there were people whom the Rebbe encouraged to go to college. Who will take on the role of advising someone in with a similar need today?

berl, crown heights 05.17.05 - 6:14 pm / Link: #

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Can you, for example, imagine a situation where what was "unique circumstances" yesterday is common-place today? Or another example - an attitude about college that was common place yesterday being unique today? Neither of those possibilities is far-fetched today! We need to be careful not to making blanket statements in the Rebbe's name!

berl, crown heights 05.17.05 - 6:34 pm / Link: #

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We should avoid cookie-cutter-one-size-fits-all-out-of-context pronouncements on the Rebbe's behalf. In matters like this, an individual can, with a help of a thoughtful chassidishe mashpia understand the Rebbe's kavono for their particular situation. I am truly sorry this approach is not neat enough for the "Heimishe Yidden" debating society.

berl, crown heights 05.17.05 - 6:59 pm / Link: #

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( #3. And, sure, We Sell That: )

[But,] if what you are trying to do is recruit converts to Lubavitch that still need to be reassured the Rebbe is part of the "medina and college are treif" crowd, just tell them he is. I would in a blink. און תוך שלא לשמו בא לשמו ... :-)

berl, crown heights 05.17.05 - 7:18 pm / Link: #