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Theology and Migration between Tradition, Modernity and Post-Modernity (Van Leer)
Third meeting, 14 March 2012
Summary of presentations by Dr. Alon Dahan and Prof. Yoram Bilu
The Ten Exiles of Lubavitch: Reflections on Chabad as a Global Movement
Dr. Alon Dahan, Hebrew University
Discussant: Prof. Yoram Bilu, Hebrew University
I will break Alon and Yoram’s complex discussion down into three main topics: Chabad’s
theology, history (as it relates to the theology), and practice.
Chabad’s Theology
The theology is based on a two-tiered myth attributed to Rabbi Luria, a 16th century mystic.
“The breaking of the vessels”:
In order to create something through which He could express benevolence and compassion,
God had to limit himself (as He is infinite). To do so, God poured His divine light into
vessels, but on the first attempt, the vessels shattered, and sparks fell into the depths of matter
and were imprisoned.
“Adam’s sin”:
Had Adam not sinned by eating from the Tree of Knowledge, the divine sparks would have
risen by the first Sabbath day following creation and human exile would have been
prevented. Instead, the sparks of goodness (nitzotzot) and evil matter (kelipot) combined to
form a mixture of domains into which humanity is exiled. According to Alon: “Adam’s sin
perpetuated the exile and created the need for the task of Tikun (world-mending) imposed on
all creatures and upon the Jewish nation in particular.”
Chabad’s Mission: Mending the World
Together, these two myths give the Jewish people the mission of purifying and mending the
world (Tikun ‘Olam), transforming the world into God’s sacred abode. According to Alon:
“The imprisoned sparks of divine Light are actually extremities of the Shechina suffering in
exile. From here on, the Jew is commanded to use Jewish practices in order to redeem the
Shechina from exile. Judaism, in its entirety, is transformed into a central means of this
redemption and the Jew is transformed into a divine emissary. … [The task of purification]
places upon the Jew the task of sorting and separating good from evil, which merged as a
result of Adam’s sin.” To complete this task, “the Jewish nation is ordained to live in
dispersion, indeed in exile, so as to fulfill its lofty mission.” Thus, the spiritual calling of the
Jew is to be out of place, i.e. a kind of missionary.
Chabad’s messianism is related to the Rebbe’s conviction that the work of Tikun—the
redemption of the sparks and the task of purifying the world—is on the verge of being
completed.
Theology and Migration between Tradition, Modernity and Post-Modernity (Van Leer)
Third meeting, 14 March 2012
Summary of presentations by Dr. Alon Dahan and Prof. Yoram Bilu
Chabad’s History (in relation to its theology)
Chabad’s history has been dominated by dispersal: the group was exiled ten times. Yoram
Bilu contrasted Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak’s experiences with that of the Rebbe, Menachem
Mendel: The first was sentenced to death in Russia and exiled to Warsaw, where he
witnessed the invasion of Poland in 1939. The second witnessed changes in the political
climate, in which for the first time in history, orthodox Jews could practice their faith freely
in public. As a result, Menachem Mendel developed and amplified the messianism inherited
from his predecessor, transforming it into a messianism of success (rather than of failure).
Despite his message of missionarism, Rebbe Menachem Mendel, upon settling in the Crown
Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, USA, only left once: to visit the grave of
Rabbi Yosef Yitzhak in Queens. Why did he not travel more himself? And why did he not
move to Israel to settle? The question has not been fully answered, but the Rebbe gave a
possible explanation by distinguishing himself from his disciples. This was related perhaps to
a self-perception of himself as messiah, in which he would only come to Eretz Israel if he
could bring with him the entire Jewish nation at the time of its complete redemption. He may
also have believed that once he reached Eretz Israel, he could never leave it, thus abandoning
his flock in the diaspora. Another possible reason proferred by his disciples was that the
Rebbe refrained from leaving Crown Heights in order to fulfill what was stated in the
Talmud, that the Messiah is to be found at the gates of Rome—today’s Rome being New
York.
Chabad’s Practice
Chabad adheres to a messianic theology, which by definition is universal. Thus, although
missionary work intended to convert others is foreign to Judaism, Chabad emissaries do not
limit themselves to working and helping only other Jews. For example, Chabad manages a
rehabilitation program in the jails in the U.S.; it has also helped during times of major crises,
with the understanding that Jews must do good deeds and that their message is universal.
Chabadniks were pioneers in implementing new technologies in their projects.
Epistemologically, they don’t distinguish between technologies such as the fax machine and
the internet, because Chabad interprets this technology as God’s invisible hand. Media is part
of spreading the words of the Torah. Torah is not just text; it contains some of God’s light,
and the belief is that when a Chabad emissary brings the Torah to the far ends of the earth,
even without speaking to anyone, he has helped purify the air. Thus the media, too, helps
Chabad spread the words of God to purify the air.
Technology is one way, arguably, that Chabad can survive Rebbe Menachem’s death (or
disappearance). Now, however, Chabad is beset by a paradox: Access to the Rebbe, a scarce
Theology and Migration between Tradition, Modernity and Post-Modernity (Van Leer)
Third meeting, 14 March 2012
Summary of presentations by Dr. Alon Dahan and Prof. Yoram Bilu
resource during his lifetime, is now readily available after his death, via video and the
internet. This creates a problem for a leaderless community: the Rebbe is more accessible but
decentralized, putting Chabad’s hierarchy (what remains of it) in danger. (However, it is
worth noting that another Hasidic group, the Breslevim, has continued for over 200 years
since its spiritual guide, Rebbe Nachman, passed away.)
Questions:
How flexible is the dogma?
Yoram and Alon differentiated between Christianity’s flexible praxis and Chabad’s strict
observance of praxis, governing daily routine of Chabadniks. Chabad is a very dogmatic
Hasidism. Chabadniks are fully committed to a certain way of life that dictates what they
have to do every minute of every day.
Is there an ideal type of a Schliach (emissary)?
Chabadniks must be fully devoted to the mission. This is required because they are
sometimes sent to far away places for life. Strong belief and commitment are necessary. They
have no room for doubt. Paradoxically, because they are sent away, they cannot spend their
lives in a Shul learning the Torah.
How are the Schlichim recruited and elected?
Alon: While the Rebbe was visible, he knew by looking at a person’s face where the person
should go to locate sparks. Today, it is more complicated, but the Rebbe, in one of his last
talks, democratized the process of choosing Schlichim by allowing people to use the title
“tsaddik” if they could bring themselves to the proper spiritual level. The emissaries now
have a greater level of independence; they have the writings and video of the Rebbe, and
although they have to report back, they do so less than before (since there is no real central
authority to which to report back).
Yoram: The more acute messianists are found in the more exotic places, and the old
emissaries are found in the big American or Russian cities where they have tremendous
importance (especially political). In the future, we will possibly see growing autonomy of
influential emissaries.
How does Chabad reconcile exile with its belief that Eretz Israel is the Holy Land?
Theology and Migration between Tradition, Modernity and Post-Modernity (Van Leer)
Third meeting, 14 March 2012
Summary of presentations by Dr. Alon Dahan and Prof. Yoram Bilu
Chabadniks believe that exile is conditional and time limited. Its purpose is redemption,
which is defined according to traditional Judaism: when the world is ready, the tribes of
Israel will be gathered in the Holy Land.