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The Chabad-Lubavitch Movement What you need to know about Chabad-Lubavitch: Key beliefs and distinctive practices to social, moral and political issues including education, the role of women, crime and punishment and war. Ways in which they are related to, differ from and influence mainstream Judaism. Ways in which they seek to reject, challenge, reform or revolutionise society and how far they are successful. Attitude History Chabad-Lubavitch is a movement within Hasidic Judaism. So we need first to look at the origins of Hasidism. Hasidism began in Eastern Europe in the 18th Century. It was founded by Israel ben Eliezer (who is also known as the Baal Shem Tov). Judaism at that time was seen by some to be too academic and focused on study of the Torah and the Talmud. The Hasidic movement was a reaction to this trend and centred on joyful spirituality and a personal experience of God, emphasising prayer, camaraderie and deeds of kindness. This was attractive to many ordinary Jews as it offered closeness to God through joy in daily life, without the need to be thoroughly educated in the Jewish law. Hasidism is not just one movement, but a collection of separate groups which share common features (those outlined above). Each group is called a Hasidic dynasty and is usually named after the European town where it originated. A dynasty is led by a rebbe, a spiritual leader whose role is passed down after the death of the original rebbe, usually to a family member. Each dynasty has its own distinctive principles, but all share the same common principles of Hasidism and of Judaism generally. There were once several hundred thriving Hasidic dynasties, but most of Europe’s Hasidic Jews were killed during the Second World War. The few surviving Hasidim gathered in the United States (particularly New York), and later in Israel. Rabbi M. M. Schneerson The Lubavitch dynasty began in the town of Lyubavichi in Russia, with the Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (17451812). His teachings focused on how the individual can use his mind in study in order to arouse inspiration and spiritual dedication in the heart (“The mind is the key to the emotions”). His movement became known as Chabad, an acronym made up of the initial letters of the Hebrew words for Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge. The leadership of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement was passed on through the dynasty, until in 1951 it was taken on by the seventh leader, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. He is often known by members of Chabad-Lubavitch simply as “the Rebbe”, or by others as “the Lubavitcher Rebbe”. Under the leadership of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, the movement expanded globally. He died in June 1994, but there has not as yet emerged a successor to him. 1 Key beliefs Although they obviously share the same basic beliefs as other branches of Judaism, some of the distinguishing beliefs of Chabad-Lubavitch movement are: Hasidism Because they are a Hasidic group, Lubavitchers have a mystical approach to spirituality. The word “mysticism” refers to practices that are designed to invoke in someone a personal experience of God. They stress the importance of joyful observance of God’s commandments, heartfelt prayer and outwardly demonstrating their love for God and the world he created. Chabad Synagogues have a small side room called a chabadnitze, where people can pray at length or meditate if they wish to. The Chabad movement has adapted the Hasidic approach to focus on how careful study of the Torah can result in this joyful, loving attitude to spirituality. The founder of Chabad, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, wrote a book of Hasidic philosophy called Tanya, and the Lubavitcher rebbe encouraged people to follow a cycle of reading the Chumas (first 5 books of the Torah) and Tanya over the course of each year. (This is known colloquially as “doing ChiTas”). Authority of Rebbes Again because they are a Hasidic group, Chabad-Lubavitch are led by a Rebbe. The rebbe of a Hasidic dynasty is the spiritual leader. The Rebbe will deliver inspirational talks, conduct religious ceremonies, and be a general guide, role-model and mentor. Rebbes are believed to be literally and physically aware of God, and as a result many seem to be able to “see the future”. Many Hasidim model themselves on the lives of their rebbes, and many Hasidic groups have developed everyday practices and traditions (of clothing style, for instance) in this way. Hasidim tend to be extremely loyal to their rebbe, and this is particularly the case with Lubavitchers, since the death of their rebbe. Messianism Messianism within Judaism is the belief that the Messiah will come, a holy person chosen by God (“the anointed one”). He will be a great king, a descendant of King David, and will lead the Jewish people through the messianic age. He will bring all the Jews back together and into their promised homeland, where they will live in peace. (Remember: the first Christians were Jews who believed that Jesus was the messiah. There have been many people who have falsely claimed to be the messiah. Jews don’t believe that Jesus was the real messiah, and so they are still waiting for the messiah to come.) Within Judaism, there are various different interpretations of messianism. Some believe that the messiah will literally be a person, whereas others believe the person mentioned to be representative of the messianic age. Hasidim tend to believe very strongly in the imminence of the coming of the Messiah, and of the ability of their actions to hasten his arrival. 2 Some Lubavitchers believe that their rebbe (Rabbi M. M Schneerson) was in fact the Messiah. Throughout his life, he spoke at length about the Messianic age, and during his life many followers of Chabad wrote articles declaring why they believed him to be the Messiah. After his death, lots of people celebrated because they believed that he would then return as Messiah. Some Jews within the movement, and most of those outside, deny that the rebbe was the Messiah, but still a significant number of Lubavitchers hold this belief. Scriptural requirements of the Messiah Most of the scriptural requirements concerning the Messiah, what he will do, and what will be done during his reign are located in the Book of Isaiah, although requirements are mentioned by other prophets as well. Once he is King, leaders of other nations will look to him for guidance. (Isaiah 2:4) The whole world will worship the One God of Israel (Isaiah 2:11-17) He will be descended from King David (Isaiah 11:1) via Solomon (1 Chronicles 22:8-10, 2 Chronicles 7:18) The Messiah will be a man of this world, an observant Jew with "fear of God" (Isaiah 11:2) Evil and tyranny will not be able to stand before his leadership (Isaiah 11:4) Knowledge of God will fill the world (Isaiah 11:9) He will include and attract people from all cultures and nations (Isaiah 11:10) All Israelites will be returned to their homeland (Isaiah 11:12) Death will be swallowed up forever (Isaiah 25:8) There will be no more hunger or illness, and death will cease (Isaiah 25:8) All of the dead will rise again (Isaiah 26:19) The Jewish people will experience eternal joy and gladness (Isaiah 51:11) He will be a messenger of peace (Isaiah 52:7) Nations will recognize the wrongs they did to Israel (Isaiah 52:13-53:5) The peoples of the world will turn to the Jews for spiritual guidance (Zechariah 8:23) The ruined cities of Israel will be restored (Ezekiel 16:55) Weapons of war will be destroyed (Ezekiel 39:9) Jews will know the Torah without study (Jeremiah 31:33) He will give you all the worthy desires of your heart (Psalms 37:4) He will take the barren land and make it abundant and fruitful (Isaiah 51:3, Amos 9:13-15, Ezekiel 36:29-30, Isaiah 11:6-9) 3 Anti-Zionism The Chabad movement is anti-zionist because they believe that when the Messiah comes, God will restore the nation of Israel to the Jewish people anyway, and will gather all the Jews up to live there in peace. There is no need to partake in political and often violent campaigns in order to bring this about- God is quite capable of doing that himself. Lubavitchers oppose Zionist organisations, because although the idea of Israel being the Jewish homeland is Biblical, they see the campaign to protect and expand it as a secular movement, pursuing political goals rather than religious ones. Having said this, Israel is obviously a country where thousands of Jews live, and where many are in danger, so Chabad-Lubavitch actively support the Israeli people, and a lot of their missionary work is focused there. Noahide Laws Whilst Jews are supposed to follow the 613 mitzvot, the Torah also specifies the 7 laws that God gave to Noah after the flood which are for all people. Non-Jews are not expected to follow all of the mitzvot (the Mosaic laws), but the Rebbe stressed the importance of encouraging all non-Jews to keep the Noahide laws. These are a feature of Judaism as a whole, but they receive particular attention from the Chabad movement. They are: 1.Prohibition of Idolatry: You shall not have any idols before God. 2.Prohibition of Murder: You shall not murder. 3.Prohibition of Theft: You shall not steal. 4.Prohibition of Sexual promiscuity: You shall not commit any of a series of sexual prohibitions, which include adultery, incest, bestiality and homosexual acts. 5.Prohibition of Blasphemy: You shall not blaspheme God's name. 6.Dietary Law: Do not eat flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive. 7.Requirement to have just Laws: Set up a governing body of law. 4 Distinctive Practices Outreach Unlike most other Jewish groups, Lubavitchers are active missionaries, aiming to bring secular Jews (people who are Jewish by birth but do not practise the faith) back to what they see is “the true form” of Judaism, as well as to reach out to non-Jews. This idea of outreach is perhaps the key distinctive feature of the movement. Outreach involves education in the Torah, education in the traditions of Hasidim, and encouragement to live a genuine and joyful Jewish life. Mitzvah campaigns As we know, the mitzvot are the 613 commandments written in the Torah which all Jews are supposed to follow. The process of secularisation that affected the liberal Christian community also affected the Jewish community (especially those of the Reform tradition). Over time, many Jews became less strict in their adherence to the mitzvot, as they spread around the world and assimilated into the non-Jewish culture of those areas. Another factor in this process of secularisaton was that those Jews who practised their traditions most devoutly were the first to be killed in the Holocaust. So from the 1950s onwards, there were very few Jewish people alive, and they didn't have people around (eg. Rabbis, extended family) to teach them about their faith. As explained on the Chabad website: “Just a few short decades ago, mitzvot and holidays were the private, quiet domain of the few. Then came the Rebbe's “Mitzvah campaigns”, and Lubavitch literally took to the streets. “Did you put on tefillin today?”, “Can I offer you some Shabbat candles?”, “Can I interest you in some classes on Judaism?”. On Wall Street in New York, in London's Picadilly Circus, and in Tel Aviv's Dizengoff Square, Jewish pride and Jewish precepts came out of the closet forever.” The Rebbe himself was extremely passionate about the mitzvot and claimed that “a single person performing a single mitzvah could be the deed that tips the scales and brings redemption to the entire world and all of creation.” So the Rebbe encouraged every Jew to start practising some of the mitzvot, teaching that even the small ones are incredibly significant to God, and starting with “the small ones” can lead to a whole life based on the Torah. In 1967, the Rebbe launched The Tefillin Campaign. Lubavitch campaigners would take to the streets and show men and boys how to put on tefillin and say the Shema. This was followed by 9 other Mitzvah Campaigns, each one based around a simple mitzvot and intended to provide an easy route into the practise of traditional Judaism. 5 The Ten Mitzvah Campaigns 1. Light Shabbat Candles Women and girls (age 3 and up) are encouraged to light candles every Friday afternoon, 18 minutes before sunset, in honour of the Shabbat, and before Festivals. 2. Tefillin Men (age 13 and up) are encouraged to wear the Tefillin every morning excluding Shabbat and Festivals. Tefillin are black leather boxes containing small parchment scrolls of selected portions from the Torah, in which the fundamentals of the Jewish faith are inscribed. 3. Mezuzah Every Jewish home should have a mezuzah on its doorposts. The mezuzah contains the Shema and is a sign that the home is sanctified for G-d and enjoys His protection. 4. Torah Study a portion of Torah daily. Even a few lines contain the infinite wisdom and will of God. 5. Tzedakah Give charity daily. When you give to the needy, you are serving as God's emissary to provide for his creatures. The home is a classroom, and keeping a "pushkah" (charity box) in your home -- and contributing a coin to it every day -- will teach you and your children the noble value of regular giving. 6. Holy books Furnish your home with as many holy books as possible. At the very least, get a hold of a Chumash (Bible), Psalms, and a Prayer Book. 7. Kashrut Eating is one of the basics of life. Shouldn't it be done with intelligence? For a healthy and sound soul, eat only kosher foods, for when you eat differently, your Judaism is not just metaphysical, but part and parcel of your very being. 8. Love Your Fellow "Love your fellow as yourself," said the great Jewish sage Rabbi Akiva, is a most basic principle in the Torah. Reaching out to your fellow Jew with patience, love, concern and unity is among the greatest mitzvot a Jew can do. 9. Education Every Jewish boy and girl should receive a Jewish education. Teach your children everything you know about your faith, and provide them with a quality Jewish education -- you will be ensuring Jewish integrity, Jewish identity and a Jewish future. 10. Family Purity Observance of the Jewish marital laws allows you to make the most of your marriage, bringing you and your spouse to new, undiscovered depths of intimacy and sacredness in your relationship. 6 Chabad houses and emissaries A Chabad House is a community centre. It is the nerve centre of all the educational and outreach activities of the Chabad-Lubavitch. They aim to serve the needs of all Jewish people. The introduction and expansion of Chabad Houses was one of the main achievements of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Most major cities have a Chabad House, and increasingly Chabad Houses are becoming established on university campuses (especially in the United States), as the Chabad movement see non-practising Jewish students as prime candidates to receive their outreach work. The word emissary means “someone who is sent on a mission to represent someone else”. Each Chabad house is run by a married couple who are called emissaries, representatives of the rebbe. Typically a young Lubavitch rabbi and his wife, in their early twenties, with one or two children, will move to a new location, and as they settle in will raise a large family who as a family unit, will aim to fulfil their mission of bringing Jewish people closer to Orthodox Judaism as well as encouraging non-Jews to adhere to the Noahide Laws. Torah study The Rebbe was a well-renowned Torah scholar, and several hundred books have been published which contain his talks and writings on the subject of the Jewish scriptures. He encouraged all Jews to aim for personal and spiritual growth through study of the Torah. One particular way he encouraged this was through the Maimonides Study Campaign, in which thousands of Jews, from children to scholars, complete a programme of daily reading of scripture each year. Charity work Chabad communities are active in working for the aid of Jewish people in need, particularly: Small, isolated Jewish communities which do not have access to all the resources they need to fulfil the mitzvot and to learn more about Judaism. They are assisted by missionaries travelling to work with them and by donations of money. Jewish communities throughout the world that are hungry and needy. Jewish drug addicts, through the work of the Chabad National Drug Abuse Treatment Programs. Jewish inmates in prisons across the U.S. are visited by members of the Alef Institute, who visit, conduct religious services and distribute Chabad publications. 7 Attitudes to moral, social and political issues Education The main focus of Chabad-Lubavitch is outreach – reaching out to Jews, educating them about the traditions of Judaism and encouraging them in their faith. As such, education for young people is key to this mission. The Lubavitcher Rebbe developed an organisation for children under the age of Bar Mitzvah (13 for boys) or Bat Mitzvah (12 for girls). This organisation is called TzivosHashem, “The Army of God”. Giving these children “a genuine Jewish education” is of utmost importance as explained on the Chabad website: “Despite all the advances of modern civilisation, the quality of education in today's world leaves much to be desired. Instead of promoting the growth of caring, sensitive, loving children, contemporary culture often glorifies selfishness, arrogance, and cunning; and society's educational institutions are increasingly ineffective in their efforts to counteract this trend. Violence in the schools, vandalism, insubordination, and the all-pervasive drug culture are symptoms of a tragic failure in education. It has become a matter of great concern, not only to educators at large, but also – and more so – to Jewish educators.” The role of women Within all branches of Judaism, the role of women is seen as extremely important. In fact, women are seen as the foundation of the Jewish home. Many religious duties are the responsibility of the woman, for example the lighting of Shabbat candles. Women are seen as having just as many unique powers as men, just different ones. But Chabad were the first major group within Judaism to advocate formal Torah study of women. Unlike other Jewish groups who leave the Torah to the men, the Lubavitcher Rebbe encouraged all Jewish women to actively study the Torah. It was also women with the movement who led several of the Mitzvah Campaigns (eg. Shabbat candles, kosher and family purity). As an emissary, the woman fulfils the role of mother and teacher to her own children, as well as that of “mother/teacher” to thousands of other people. She is expected to lead the community by being a role-model and offering an example of ideal Hasidic family life, as well as actively teaching others about the Torah, the traditions of the Hasidim and offering advice and counselling. Women are so important within Chabad that emissaries are always appointed as couples. 8 Crime and punishment The Torah takes crime very seriously and contains many explicit teachings on the appropriate punishment for various crimes. But it is interesting that nowhere in these lists of punishments is prison mentioned. Most crimes should either be paid for by fines of varying amounts, corporal punishments (physical acts such as flogging and stoning), or by the death penalty. But the Lubavitcher Rebbe taught that although the death penalty is allowed by the Torah, prison is a far worse, and unjust, punishment. With all other punishments, the criminal is made to suffer the penalty, is cleansed from their sin and is then free to continue his life, following God. But whilst in prison, they are not free to be able to pursue a better life, or any kind of life. Having said this, the Rebbe also taught that if a person finds himself in prison as a result of his actions, then it is God's wish that he be there, and he should aim to use his current situation as a way to do God's will. One of the most famous passages in the Torah says “an eye for an eye” which has often been taken to mean that Jewish punishment is based on revenge. But most Jewish scholars agree that this passage did not literally refer to the removal of a criminal's body parts! It meant that the monetary penalty for crimes should be proportionate to the crime committed. Chabad teachings are all explicitly against retributive actions (actions based on revenge). The idea of crime being properly monitored, judged and punished is very important in the Torah: “You should appoint judges and officers for all of your tribes, at your city gates, and they should judge the people correctly.” (Deuteronomy 16:18) The Lubavitcher Rebbe once said to a judge, “May God help you to judge all people justly, and may all your judgements be preventative — not to punish, but rather to prevent wrongdoing.” War Like most religions, Judaism teaches that you should love your fellow human. So acts of aggression are wrong. However, it is certainly not true to say that Judaism is pacifistic. In the Torah it is said that there is a time for war and a time for peace. This means that sometimes war is necessary for the overall balance in the world, and that violence is justified in certain circumstances in order to obtain peace. The Lubavitcher Rebbe specifically taught that the nowhere in the Torah does it say “do not kill”. What it says is “Do not murder”, where “murder” is the killing of innocent human life. But if someone has either committed a serious crime or is posing a direct threat to the lives of innocent people, then they are not themselves innocent, so they can legitimately be killed. 9 The Torah also teaches that “If someone is coming to kill you, rise early to kill him first." The Rebbe insisted that: "This means that it is possible to know that someone wants to cause mortal harm, and in such a case, one has the responsibility to prepare a pre-emptive attack." However, he went on to explain that you if you rise early looking like you are ready to kill your enemy, hopefully he will be scared away and you will not actually have to kill anyone. The complicated issue of warfare morality is explained on the Chabad website like this: “Yes, it is conflicting to be a Jew. We are not meant for warring and killing. But God has placed us in a world—or perhaps, we have made His world into such a place—that sometimes a life must be taken to save one, or even many lives... Pacifism alone can turn as ugly as its opposite, militant extreme, but to know the season for each thing and temper one with the other, that takes great wisdom.” Other Ethical Issues As you now know, the whole movement is about educating people on the teachings of Judaism, and explaining them to all people in a way that is easy to understand and apply today. As such, their website has lots of really clear explanations of the Chabad view on most ethical issues: www.chabad.org.uk 10