b'h

A Critical Review and Rebuttal to Sections Dealing with Moshiach from My Rebbe by Adin
Even- Yisroel (Steinsalt!
Is identifying Moshiach important?
In Rabbi Adin Even-Yisroel/Steinsalt's boo My Rebbe! on pages "-#! the a$thor introd$ces the
conept of Moshiach according to the Rambam! the acno%ledged a$thority on the topic& In %hat
becomes a hallmar in his general treatment of the s$b'ect of Moshiach! Rabbi Even-Yisroel employs
the techni($e of negation n$mero$s times& )or e*ample! he states 'Maimonides & & & places no
importance at all on the Mashiach's name and identity&' +his is ($estionable on many levels& Rambam
cites in his Mishneh +orah! ,a%s of -ings and .is /ars! chapters 00-01 the criteria to identify %ho is
Moshiach& 2iven ho% each %ord and letter is meas$red by the Rambam and his %or Mishneh +orah
is a %or of halacha! it is obvio$s that it %as intended for practical application& Indeed! the Rambam
provides an e*ample in the te*t of ho% Rabbi Aiva identified 3ar -ochva as a potential Moshiach in
his time& Also! in the +alm$d Sanhendrin #"b! the st$dents all described their teacher as being
Moshiach& 4+he school of Shilah said Shiloh is his name! and it is %ritten '$ntil Shiloh comes&' +he school
of Rabbi Yannai said! Yin$n is his name! & & 5 & & 6th$s7 each one e*plained the name of Moshiach after his
name8 & & In fact! in Sefer .asichos 9:90! pages ;#< and ;#: on =arshas +a>ria Met>ora 9:90! the
Rebbe said 'anan naneh basrei'! that chassidim sho$ld follo% these st$dents' e*ample& +he Rebbe over
the years! and especially d$ring 9:90-91! referred to the )rierdier Rebbe co$ntless times as the 'leader
of the generation! the Moshiach of the generation&'
,ater! Rabbi Even-Yisroel ret$rns to the Rambam in disc$ssing %hat Moshiach achieves to earn the
title& Yet! he emphasi>es the second of 1 stages of ?ertain Moshiach %hen he %o$ld have 'ret$rned
the @e%s to the ,and of Israel! bro$ght them bac to the observance of mit>vot! and reb$ilt the
+emple&' It is vital to note that a candidate m$st first earn the initial title of =res$med Moshiach&
+h$s! before the final second stage! the res$lts of %hich are apparent in the ,and of Israel! the
=res$med Moshiach %ill %or o$tside the .oly ,and& In this conte*t! the Rambam %ritesA 4If a ing
%ill arise from the .o$se of Bavid %ho delves deeply into the st$dy of the +orah and! lie Bavid his
ancestor! observes its mit>vos as prescribed by the /ritten ,a% and the Cral ,a%D if he %ill compel all
of Israel to %al in 6the %ay of the +orah7 and repair the breaches 6in its observance7D and if he %ill
fight the %ars of 2-dD - %e may! %ith ass$rance! consider him Moshiach& If he s$cceeds in the above!
b$ilds the 63eis .a7Midash on its site! and gathers in the dispersed remnant of Israel! he is definitely
the Moshiach& .e %ill then perfect the entire %orld! 6motivating all the nations7 to serve 2-d together!
as it is %ritten [Zephaniah, 3:9]! 'I %ill mae the peoples p$re of speech so that they %ill all call $pon
the Eame of 2-d and serve .im %ith one p$rpose&'F +he point is that he has the =res$mption of being
Moshiach $ntil proven other%ise& +his is important and especially relevant to o$r generation to be able
to acc$rately eval$ate and identify a candidate given o$r c$rrent stat$s before the complete
Redemption&
/hat is the proper $nderstanding of the Rebbe's Sicha of 1" Eissan?
Cn page 0#;! Rabbi Even-Yisroel choice of lang$age to describe the Rebbe's seminal tals
renders them altered to the point %here they are almost $nrecogni>able from the original& +he
$rgency! historic nat$re! and e*plosion of energy released are replaced %ith $nderstatement!
oversimplification! and vag$eness %hich loses its original meaning& )rom 1" Eissan 9:90! the a$thor
recapsA 4& & & +he Rebbe gave a tal that still resonates in the hearts of his ?hassidim& /ith great
passion! he e*plained he had done %hat he co$ld! b$t it had been ins$fficient& Eo% he %as placing the
Messianic mission in their hands&G +his sicha represented a revol$tionary shift %hich shattered the
stat$s ($o and shoo the chassidim to their core& +he ?hassidim mainly relied on the Rebbe to do %hat
is necessary& Eo% the Rebbe charged the chassidim%ith the mission& +he Rebbe iss$ed an order of a
completely different magnit$de and endo%ed the chassidim %ith the spirit$al po%ers to s$cceed& +he
Rebbe acno%ledged a painf$l tr$th& Hp to no%! the prevailing dynamic %as the chassidim relied on
the Rebbe to stoe the fire for Moshiach& Eo% the Rebbe voiced a dissatisfaction from the depths of
his heart& +he chassidim had not internali>ed a desire for Moshiach and transformed themselves to the
point of initiating and maintaining a fiery so$l-longing for the 2e$la on their o%n& +his %as not a
lacing on the part of the Rebbe! b$t rather on the part of ?hassidim& +he Rebbe's ang$ish co$pled %ith
an $rgent re($est of the chassidim pierced their hearts and aro$sed them into $nprecedented action&
+he a$thor f$rther states! 4It %as at this moment %hen all of the Rebbe's tal abo$t the
Mashiach moved from the theoretical to a concrete and physical drive& =revio$sly! the ?hasidim might
have had some sympathy for the Rebbe's passionD no% he %as asing them to tae act$al steps
for%ard&G It is not clear %hat Rabbi Even-Yisroel means by saying the Rebbe's tal %as not concrete
before& +he a$thor saying that ?hassidim had 'some sympathy' for the 'Rebbe's passion' 5Moshiach8 is
%holly $ndeserved& M$ch of the Rebbe's directives %ere $ndertaen by chassidim as a direct res$lt of
f$rthering MoshiachA shlich$s! mivt>oim! +anya printings! mit>vah tans! mih$ yah$di! shleim$s ha-
aret>& /hat the Rebbe emphasi>ed is that all of these are only being done beca$se of the command
from the Rebbe! rather than feeling the need for this themselves& +he a$thor contin$es! 4I sa% this
speech as the Rebbe's desperate move to mae a s$bstantive change %hile he co$ld& If he did not p$sh
for the Mashiach no%! the opport$nity %o$ld be lost&G +his characteri>ation is completely
$ns$pported& +here is nothing in the sicha that hints at this being a last chance& Cn the contrary! the
Rebbe conditioned s$ccess on there being fo$nd at least one person %ho %ill no% %hat to do and do
it& In fact! a fe% %ees later! the Rebbe gave one s$ggestion to accomplish this inner transformationA
learning the s$b'ect of Moshiach and 2e$la& S$bse($ent to 1" Eissan 9:90! the Rebbe contin$ed to
storm&
)$rthermore! Rabbi Even-Yisroel again do%nplays the historic importance of a sicha %hen he
says that 'the Rebbe directed the shel$chim to help the %orld greet the Mashiach&' +his does not
comm$nicate in the least that the Rebbe said the shl$chim have completed their tas and no% a %holly
ne% $ni($e shlich$s is presentA the only remaining shlich$s is to prepare the @e%s of his neighborhood!
city to greet Moshiach& Rabbi Even Yisroel asserts that the Rebbe said '/e '$st have to open o$r eyes
and see that everything is here for the Redemption&' If the a$thor %o$ld have provided a f$ller
conte*t! it %o$ld mae for a more acc$rate portrayal& Eamely! that 'the only thing missing is that a
@e% sho$ld open his eyes as he sho$ld! %hen he %ill see that all is ready for the RedemptionI +here is
already the Sh$lchan Ar$ch 5set table8 & & &the ,ivyosoan! the Shor .a3or and the Yayin Mesh$mar& +he
@e%ish people already sit by the table & & together %ith the righteo$s Moshiach! & & ' 5# -islev 9:918&
.o% to $nderstand the importance the Rebbe places on %orld changes?
Cn p& 0#;-#9! the a$thor dra%s heavily on the cataclysmic changes in the t%entieth cent$ryA %ars!
advancements in art! science! literat$re! the rise of a non-Crthodo* ma'ority! the .oloca$st and the
establishment of the State of Israel! to imply that the Rebbe's perspective on Moshiach %as a prod$ct of
his time and environment& It is tr$e that the Rebbe sa% these changes as 'heralding an impending birth&'
Yet! the a$thor does not note that the Rebbe's sing$lar stress on Moshiach stems from his position as
the leader of the generation independent of %orld events& +o demonstrate more emphatically! from the
age of a yo$ng child the Rebbe began to vis$ali>e ho% the redemption %o$ld tae form& +he reader is
left positively $nder%helmed by Rabbi Even Yisroel's description of %orld changes cited by the Rebbe
as indicative of the $nfolding ge$la in o$r time& +he fall of the Soviet Hnion and the help of the e*od$s
of @e%s %ith the help of the nations %as described by the Rebbe as 'a taste of redemption & & & miracles
and %onders' 59 +eves! 9:908 and 'an e*ample of & & & the preparation for & & & the redemption 5; Shevat
9:908&G +he a$thor only says these mon$mental events 'spared the enth$siasm of the Rebbe&' +he
Rebbe said that the )irst 2$lf /ar %as a f$lfillment of Midrashic prophecy in %hich Moshiach %o$ld
anno$nce that the time of yo$r redemption has arrived! as has been anno$nced lately 6by the Rebbe&7
+he a$thor only describes the Rebbe as 'delighted' %ith this Midrash& +he Rebbe said that the
agreement bet%een =residents 3$sh and 2orbachav in 0##1 5to divert money previo$sly dedicated to
the military for agrarian p$rposes8 is the beginning of the f$lfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah& Rabbi
Even Yisroel said it 'reminded 5the Rebbe8 of Isaiah's prophecy&' Also absent from My Rebbe is that the
Rebbe noted that this agreement %as concl$ded in Ee% Yor ?ity beca$se this is the city in %hich
Moshiach lives& It is incontrovertible that the a$thor's $se of lang$age consistently $nderval$es the
significance and impact of the Rebbe's %ords and changes their prescience and meaning&
/hat is the Rebbe's position on identifying him as Moshiach?
Rabbi Even Yisroel on p& 0#:-#" cites a farbrengen from 0##0 %hen the chassidim sang a song
identifying the Rebbe as Moshiach! to s$pport his assertion that the Rebbe 'tried to ($ash all
spec$lation' abo$t his 'Messianic role&' +he a$thor %rites that the Rebbe 4stopped them ($icly and
said 'I cannot leave here no%! b$t after hearing s$ch a claim I sho$ld leave this room as a protest&'G 5It
sho$ld be noted that the %ord JprotestK as translated by the a$thor does not appear in the original
Yiddish and is an error&8 +he a$thor neglected to mention that at a 0#"; farbrengen %hen a similar song
%as song! the Rebbe said that the foc$s on the identify of Moshiach detracts from the %or of bringing
Moshiach& +o $nderstand the error of Rabbi Even Yisroel! it is necessary to e*plore these 1
farbrengens& +he 0##0 sicha %as completely different than the one in 0#";& In 0#";! the Rebbe %as
screaming that the p$blici>ing of the Rebbe as Moshiach goes against and stands in the %ay of
spreading ?hassid$s and p$shes people a%ay& .e spoe %ith a lot of pain and harshness& ?onversely!
in the sicha of 0##0! the Rebbe did not $tter one %ord in that vein& In fact! the Rebbe %as smiling and
spoe '$st a fe% %ords in a ($iet voice %hen he said 'yo$ sing this song %ith these %ords %hile I sit
here by the table& & & I sho$ld have %aled o$t& 3$t I %on't& & ' +here are 1 reasons %hich %ere given
by the Rebbe %hich %ere left o$t of the boo& +he first reason is that 'it is not going to help any%ay&
+he ?hassidim are going to contin$e saying %hat they are saying&' +he Rebbe smiled %hen he said
that& Hnlie in 0#";! there %as no anger or tal abo$t destr$ction& And the second reason the Rebbe
gives is 'I don't %ant to dist$rb the sheves achim gam yachad&' It is a farbrengen! there is $nity among
chassidim& .e didn't %ant to do anything that is going to dist$rb that $nity& +he boo did not point o$t
that he most certainly did not say it is %rong! terrible! or destr$ctive to identify the Rebbe as
Moshiach& +here %as not one %ord of that nat$re& All he said is he sho$ld have %aled o$t& 3eca$se if
he is remaining to sit at a p$blic farbrengen %hile a song identifies him as Moshiach! he is p$blicly
admitting he agrees %ith its content& At that time! the Rebbe did not p$blicly acno%ledge this& In other
%ords! it %asn't the time yet for the Rebbe to be p$blicly acno%ledge this&
,et's e*amine the assertion that the Rebbe tried to ($ash all spec$lation in light of the no%ledge
that the Rebbe has initially disapproved of actions %hile later giving his %hole-hearted blessing to the
same pro'ect& In fact! there are many e*amples in %hich the Rebbe first %ithheld his approval for a
pro'ect and at a later point said that no% is the time that it sho$ld be done& +his act$ally %as
commonplace and has ample precedent in the history and c$stoms of ?hassid$s& )or e*ample! there
%as tremendo$s opposition against the Ari>al %hen he first began to teach -abbalah beca$se it %as it
%as never done before& +o this the Ari>al ans%ered that %as before! b$t no% the times have changed
and it is a mit>vah& +he sit$ation repeated itself %ith the 3aal Shem +ov and the Alter Rebbe& +o
emphasi>e this point f$rther! the Alter Rebbe's method of teaching ?hassid$s even changed from the
time prior to his arrest as compared to after his liberation from prison& And similarly from generation
to generation! from Rebbe to Rebbe! practices and teachings %hich %ere concealed or deemed
inappropriate in the previo$s generation %ere by necessity revealed and enco$raged in a later
generation& Another ill$stration is ho% the )rierdier Rebbe gave instr$ctions to p$blici>e the
importance of observing a chassidic birthday celebration %hen it %as hidden from the p$blic for
generations& Similarly! for generations! ,$bavitchers began %earing Rabein$ +am's tefillin at the age
of 0"& Cn =$rim 9:L<! the Rebbe instr$cted that boys sho$ld start p$tting on Rabein$ +am's tefillin
from the time of their bar mit>vah& A fe% years later! in 9:;#! the Rebbe then said that Rabein$ +am's
tefillin sho$ld be p$t on 1 months before bar mit>va as is the practice for Rashi's tefillin& Yet another
e*ample is ho% at first the Rebbe re'ected the leadership of ,$bavitch in the strongest terms and then
later accepted it& +he identification of the Rebbe as Moshiach is something %hich grad$ally changed!
similar to other s$b'ects cited earlier! lie the Rebbe's acceptance of the leadership of ,$bavitch!
Rabein$ +am's tefillin! birthday celebrations! etc&
Activities in 9:90-91 %hose theme %as the p$blic identification and acceptance of the Rebbe as
Moshiach received the Rebbe's consent and blessing co$ched in $n$s$ally enth$siastic and positive
lang$ge& +hese are too n$mero$s for this essay! b$t they are p$blished and available to the p$blic
5And .e /ill Redeem Hs pp 9#-:18& Some note%orthy responses incl$ded approval for .alachic
R$lings from 3eis Bin! petition drives! letters of acceptance! Melaveh Malas! and ne%spaper
advertisements& Also! there is the case of a boo %ritten by Rabbi Sholom 3er /olpe in 0#"; %hich
o$tlines ho% the halachic criteria for =res$med Moshiach is f$lfilled in o$r time& +his boo %as first
re'ected by the Rebbe in 0#"; and then received an enth$siastic blessing from the Rebbe in 0##0&
=erhaps most telling %as the Rebbe's consent to $se the title Melech .aMoshiach in the preface to his
%ors p$blished by -ehos! the official p$blishing ho$se of ,$bavitch! and the Rebbe's p$blic
enco$ragement of the singing of 'Yechi' %hich identifies the Rebbe as Moshiach! both in 9:9L&
In 9:91! the Rebbe disapproved of the distrib$tion of a pamphlet identifying Moshiach& +his
case ill$strates another aspect essential to $nderstanding the Rebbe's responses& Eamely! the Rebbe's
ans%er %o$ld tae into acco$nt the approach! tone and phraseology of the ($estion and pro'ect&
According to the %riter of the pamphlet! Rabbi Sholom Bov 3er /olpe! the %omen %ho in($ired of
the Rebbe regarding distrib$ting the pamphlet phrased their re($est in the form of a ($estion %ith a
decidedly negative vie%& ?onversely! at the same time! Rabbi /olpe received strong enco$ragement
from the Rebbe to contin$e his lect$res %hich identified the Rebbe as Moshiach& Another e*ample is
a famo$s response in Shevat! 9:91 to a So$th African ?habad rabbi asing the Rebbe abo$t collecting
signat$res on a petition asing the Rebbe to reveal himself as MoshiachA 4It is contingent on the
circ$mstances of the partic$lar place& +he local ?habad instit$tion m$st clarify this&G In general! the
Rebbe's responses seem to strie a balance bet%een refraining from lobbying for or obligating others in
accepting or p$blici>ing him as Moshiach and s$pporting activities based on the free choice!
%illingness and the initiative of others to accept and p$blici>e the Rebbe as Moshiach& In short!
ans%ers reflect that acceptance can not be legislated from above! b$t rather m$st be at the initiative of
the people&
Boes the Rebbe see himself as Moshiach?
Cn p& 0#:-#"! Rabbi Even Yisroel states that 4the Rebbe considered it possible that he might be
tapped to become the Moshiach and that he co$ld bring the Redemption&G .ere again the a$thor is
$nderstating the Rebbe's act$al perspectiveA that he sees himself $ne($ivocally as Moshiach! as %ill
be sho%n in the so$rces& +he a$thor concedes that 4the ?hasidim co$ld pic $p on the hints that the
Rebbe left abo$t his Messianic role& & & he never made the claim o$tright&G +he absence of a clear
declaration by the Rebbe of his stat$s as Moshiach can be readily $nderstood in light of the previo$s
section& Eevertheless! the remarable positive responses to activities identifying the Rebbe as
Moshiach is proof of bothA the Rebbe acno%ledges his identity as Moshiach and approves of
activities %ith an acceptable approach to mae the p$blic a%are& .o%ever! there are edited tals of the
Rebbe %hich are $ne($ivocal& +hey are across the %ors of the Rebbe and are too n$mero$s to co$nt&
Yet! a fe% are offered for ill$strative p$rposes and to co$nter the $ns$bstantiated claims of Rabbi
Even-Yisroel& In -$ntres 3eis Rabbein$ Sh'3'3avel! ch& 9! the Rebbe states '+he leader of the
generation is also the Moshiach of the generation&' In Sefer .asichos 9:90! vol 1! p& 9M0! the Rebbe
states 'Cne sho$ld especially learn these topics from the teachings of ?hassid$s! and especially in his
+orah 5the chassidic disco$rses and ,i$tei Sichos8 of the leader of the generation! as a foretaste!
e*ample and preparation for the learning of the +orah of Moshiach&' .ere the Rebbe openly describes
the Easi .ador's +orah as ,i$tei Sichos! %hich is his o%n! %hich %hen 'oined %ith the previo$s
e*cerpt means he is the Moshiach of the generation& +he Rebbe also said that 'the leader of o$r
generation is o$r Righteo$s Moshiach' in Sefer .aSichos 9:91! vol 1! p& L:L&
In Sichos -odesh 9:91 vol 1! p& L0:-0"! the Rebbe declares 4+he first redeemer is the last
redeemer! the redeemer of o$r generation! my father in la%! leader of o$r generation! additionally and
mainly! since the aspect of 'he %as victorio$s' has already transpired! there m$st already be the tr$e and
complete redemption thro$gh o$r righteo$s Moshiach! leader of o$r generation! the =revio$s RebbeD
the same applies to his s$ccessor&G .ere the Rebbe is referring to himself as Moshiach& In =arshas
Mishpatim! 9:91! footnote 0;"! he inserts! 4And more specifically pertaining to o$r genertion! the
acronym 'MiYaB' indicates the three eras of the Rebbe! my father in la%! leader of o$r generation! from
the recent orderA Moshiach 5%hose name is Menachem8! Yosef Yit>cha! Dovber 5the second name of
the Rebbe Rashab&G ,astly! in =arshas ?hayei Sarah 9:90! ch& 01! and footnote 0M"! the Rebbe says
4Melech .aMoshiach & & & stands on the rooftop of the .oly +emple and anno$nces to Israel! '.$mble
ones! the time of yo$r redemption has arrived' as has been anno$nced and is being anno$nced lately & &
+his anno$ncement is coming from the diaspora & & &G .ere! the Rebbe is referencing the n$mero$s
times he has stated 'the time of yo$r redemption has arrived' %hich is a sign of his identity as
Moshiach& Cn =arshas +a>ria Met>ora 9:90 the Rebbe spoe in the sicha that the st$dents in +alm$d
Sanhedrin p #"b all described their teacher as being Moshiach& Rabbi Even Yisroel references this
2emara on p& 0#< absent an important point& .ere the Rebbe %rites 'anan naneh basrei'! that %e sho$ld
follo% their e*ample 5Sefer .asichos 9:90! pages ;#< and ;#:8 & Cn p& 0#"! he %rites that the Rebbe
%as 4s%imming against the tide& =$bic imagination needs a h$man face & & & It %as m$ch harder for the
chassidim to spea abo$t a faceless Mashiach& & & 4 +he a$thor's implication! that it %as only the
chassidim %ho %ere advocating identifying Moshiach! is $ns$pportable given the above-mentioned
section&
Bo ?hassidim see the Rebbe as Moshiach?
Cn p& 0#"! Rabbi Even-Yisroel states 4/hile he %as alive! I believed that he co$ld be the
Moshiach& I believed in the potential of his candidacy&G .ere the a$thor's tentative nat$re and
overreliance on $nderstatement separates him from the b$l of ,$bavitchers& +hey have made it clear
that the Rebbe satisfies in f$ll the criteria of the Rambam designating him as '3'chesas Moshiach&' or
=res$mption of Moshiach& Cn Sivan "! 9:90! a legal r$ling %as iss$ed by ?habad rabbis from aro$nd
the %orld that 4According to the +orah it is clear that this designation 6referred to by the Rambam as7
chesas Moshiach applies to the Rebbe! for he has f$lfilled all the re($irements o$tlined in the
Rambam&G ?onse($ently! the 3ais Bin 5Rabbinical ?o$rt8 of ?ro%n .eights! the ?o$ncil of ?habad
Rabbis in Israel! and the Naad .aRabbanim .a-lali appointed 1 emissaries to read this r$ling at the
b$rial places of the previo$s Rebbeim in R$ssia& 5Incidentally! the Rebbe gave his blessing for this
trip&8 ,etters and =etition Brives %ere $ndertaen for -abalas .aMalch$s! to accept the Rebbe as
Moshiach! all over the %orld %ith the Rebbe's blessing& Cne s$ch letter signed by 19M people dated ;
Iyar! 9:90 received the follo%ing reply from the RebbeA 4I received yo$r s$bmission and %as
delighted& Yo$r %or sho$ld contin$e and increase& It is timely& A>ir al ha+>ion&G
/omen arranged conferences and Melaveh Malas %ith the ,$bavitch /omen's Crgani>ation for
the e*pressed p$rpose of -abalas .aMalch$s& +hey too received positive ans%ers& Ee%spaper ads
p$blici>ing that the Rebbe is Moshiach %ere placed in many lang$ages! incl$ding .ebre%! Yiddish and
English& Shl$chim initiated programs! classes! pamphlets and other material e*plaining concepts in
2e$la and ho% the Rebbe is Moshiach! %ith the Rebbe's blessings& =erhaps most telling is the re($est
approved by the Rebbe to append the title 'Melech .aMoshiach' in the preface to his %ors p$blished
by -ehos! the official p$blishing ho$se of ?habad& +he range of activities leave no do$bt that the
chassidim regard the Rebbe as the Moshiach& +his has not changed over the last 1M years! %ith
contin$ed activities! incl$ding Rabbinic r$lings! petitions! classes! %ritten material! etc& In the Rebbe's
o%n %ordsA 4/e are taling abo$t the Moshiach of the generation or the act$al Moshiach! the long-
a%aited Redeemer? C$r generation is the final generation of 2ol$s and the first generation of the
2e$lah & & &F 5=arshas Nayigash! 9:908 4Moshiach himself is literally present! e*isting no% in the
%orld& & & & Eo%! according to the anno$ncement of the Rebbe! my father-in-la%! leader of o$r
generation! Moshiach of o$r generation! that all areas of o$r Bivine service thro$gho$t 2ol$s have
been completed and perfected! %e are standing ready to greet the righteo$s Moshiach& +his means that
all impediments and obstacles have been n$llified& As s$ch! not only is the act$al bodily e*istence of
Moshiach here! b$t also the revelation of Moshiach& Eo%! all one needs to do is act$ally greet and
accept MoshiachIF 5=arshas Nayeira! 9:918
?an the Rebbe be Moshiach after 2immel +amm$>?
Cn page 1M:! Rabbi Even Yisroel ass 4%ith the Rebbe no longer alive! might he still be
Moshiach? 5.e ans%ers8 .is death! indeed! seemed to signal the end of a dream&G Eo evidence is
provided for this assertion& +his absence is especially glaring given these assertions seem to contradict
a$thoritative so$rces from the +alm$d and ?lassic Rabbinic literat$re as %ell as modern posim that
Moshiach can come from the dead& +he Rambam in .ilchos Melachim chapter 00! e*plicitly states that
the sign that 3ar -ochva %as not the Moshiach %as 'beca$se he %as illed&' Significantly! his caref$l
choice of lang$age %as to incl$de the candidacy of one %ho dies and e*cl$de one %ho is illed& +his
is reflected in the +alm$d Sanhedrin page #"b in %hich t%o individ$als are considered to be MoshiachA
FRav said 'If he 6Moshiach7 is from the living! 6then he is7 lie Rabbein$ .aadosh 6Rabbi Yeh$da
.anassi7D if he is from the dead! 6then he is7 lie Baniel! the delightf$l one&' F ?ommentators %ho
e*plain this f$rther inlc$de Rashi! Maharsha! and 3e'er Sheva& +he concept of Moshiach arising from
the dead is also s$pported by Abarbanel and Sdei ?hemed& More recently! the +orah giant Rabbi
Aharon Soleveichi r$led that the belief in the Rebbe as Moshiach after 2immel +amm$> 4can not be
dismissed as a belief that is o$tside the pale of Crthodo*y& G 5@e%ish =ress! @$ne 1"! 0##<8
+he Rebbe himself in Sefer .asichos 9:90! p& ;#<! note << f$rther e*plains that this incl$des one
%ho m$st have e*ercised leadership over fello% @e%s d$ring his lifetime& .ere the Rebbe's o%n
hand%ritten note e*plicitly disc$sses $nder %hat conditions Moshiach %ill come from the dead&
Eamely! if he is already a 'ing' and the f$lfillment of the criteria for ?hesas 5=res$med8 Moshiach is
interr$pted by his death! he does not lose the stat$s of =res$med Moshiach& More recently! on =arshas
?hayei Sarah! 9:91! the Rebbe said F/e act$ally see ho% the 6r$ling of Maimonides that Moshiach7
'%ill %age the %ar of .ashem' has been f$lfilled and 6the second part of that r$ling abo$t the certain
Moshiach7 'and he %ill be victorio$s' has also been and is being f$lfilled in many respects&F Cn =arshas
Shemos! 9:91! FCnce %e already have 6in the %ords of the Rambam7 the 'ing from the .o$se of
Bavid! deeply absorbed in the st$dy of +orah and occ$pied %ith mit>vos! lie his ancestor Bavid & & &
and he %ill prevail $pon all @e%s to %al in 6the %ay of the +orah7 and repair its breaches! and %ill
%age the %ar of .ashem & & &!' so 6since %e already have all the above7 he is rightf$lly pres$med to be
Moshiach 6b'che>as sheh$ Moshiach7! %e sho$ld th$s immediately merit that he already become
Moshiach b'vadai 6definitely Moshiach7&F
/hat is considered mainstream ,$bavitch?
Rabbi Even Yisroel contin$es by describing 'those %ho did not give $p hope in the Rebbe as
Mashiach & & & believe & & & 5he8 %ill be revealed as the Mashiach & & & and even proclaim that he is alive &
& & as far more emotional even fanatical&' +his is contrasted to %hat the a$thor terms 'Mainstream
,$bavitch 5%ho8 is not concerned & & & %ith %ho %ill be Mashiach & & & 5b$t it is8 only important that
5he8 %ill come & & & and 5lastly they8 accept the ne% reality of a %orld %itho$t the Rebbe as the
Mashiach&' .e admits that even among the 'mainstream' there are those %ho believe this to be a
'possibility' and 'only spec$lation&' .e determines %hat is and is not a$thentic ?habad %itho$t sharing
his so$rces or e*pertise on ho% he came to this decision& +he Rebbe is the one %ho defines %hat is
gen$ine hisashr$s! a so$l connection& Eamely! this is learning his teachings and follo%ing his
directives& ,et's e*plore some of the relevant teachings and directives& Cne need only loo at the
co$ntless times %here the Rebbe referred to the =revio$s Rebbe! after his passing! as Moshiach! from
before his first address as the leader of ,$bavitch in 0#90 $ntil the time before the first stroe in 0##1&
.ere is a small sampling& 4& & and my father-in-la%! the Rebbe! %ho Fhas borne o$r sicnesses and
s$ffered o$r pains! and he %as %o$nded by o$r sins and cr$shed by o$r misdeedsF 6referring to
Moshiach! Sanhedrin #"b7 & & & Speedily in o$r days & & & he %ill redeem his floc from both spirit$al and
material e*ile & & & and may %e be privileged to see and meet the Rebbe do%n here in a physical body!
and he %ill redeem $sIF
Cn Shabbos +er$mah 9:0M! the Rebbe said F@$st as $ntil no% it %as clear to every one of $s that
the Rebbe %o$ld lead $s to greet o$r righteo$s Moshiach! so sho$ld it be clear no%& /hat happened is
only from o$r material point of vie%& It is nothing more than a trial! this being one of the tests of the
birth-pangs of Moshiach %hich %ill need to occ$r before the arrival of the righteo$s redeemer& +he sole
p$rpose of these tests is to conceal the tr$th 6of the %orings of 2-d in the %orld7& F+his leaves $s %ith
a need to $nderstand %hy the +orah re($ires $s no% to say -addish! and 6similar mo$rning practices7&
F+he intent of the test is to dra% o$t the po%ers and strength necessary to overcome it& +his in t$rn
removes the concealment and reveals the tr$th 5as e*plained in ?hasidic teaching8& +hro$gh
strengthening o$r connection 6to him7 by means of st$dying his teachings and follo%ing his
instr$ctions! %e %ill immediately merit 5since %e are on the edge of the redemption8 to see the Rebbe
again! in the material sense! and that he sho$ld lead $s to the Redemption&F Cn =arshas Nayeit>ei 9:91!
the Rebbe says ! 4in every generation! there is someone %ho is designated to be Moshiach! and in o$r
generation! it is the Easi .ador! +he Rebbe my father in la%&G
Rabbi Even Yisroel opines that the so-called 'disp$te' bet%een %hat he terms 'mainstream' and
'messianist' 'stems from differences in personality! in the ability to be fle*ible! to have a rational
o$tloo! and to see ne% possibilities&' It is no% clear that the belief that the Rebbe is Moshiach after
2immel +amm$> is rational! based on classical +orah so$rces and the Rebbe's teachings and directives&
/hat the Rebbe has said is clear& Rather than seeing a disp$te! the Rebbe appreciated individ$al
differences that created a pl$ralism and range of distinctive acceptable practices& +he a$thor's forced
categori>ation of ?habadnis does not tae into acco$nt the reality that each ,$bavitcher's connection
to the Rebbe is highly personal and individ$ali>ed& +h$s! ?hassidim follo% the lead of the Rebbe&
+oday! a chassid goes to the Chel and believes the Rebbe is Moshiach& Rabbi Even Yisroel may be
s$rprised to no% that there are many %ho he %o$ld term JMessianist' even go to the Chel on 2immel
+amm$>& +he Rebbe has al%ays been incl$sive& /hether a chasid refers to the Rebbe as Easi .aBor
or Moshiach 5interchangeable terms8! %ith or %itho$t appellations lie obm! the %ide range of Rebbe's
responses have made either perfectly legitimate& +here are a %ide range of ?habad instit$tions!
schools! and ?habad .o$ses thro$gho$t the %orld %ho reflect this diversityA some display signs
indicating the Rebbe as Moshiach and others indicate the Rebbe as Easi .ador& +hat is beca$se many
practices may also be dependent on a chassidishe hergesh or chassidic feeling! %ith differences
bet%een people being accepted as normative& .o%ever! this is not to say that 'anything goes'&
/hen dealing %ith fallible individ$als! errors in $nderstanding and e*cesses in behavior occ$r&
+he Rebbe has o$tlined a seder! reinforcing respect for organi>ation and proced$re! incl$ding the
reg$lar and close cons$ltations %ith a mentor to maintain a correct perspective and ad'$st behavior as
necessary& +his self-correcting mechanism becomes even more vital given the dynamic ($ality of
,$bavitch& +he constant by the Rebbe can be described as change& +he Rebbe has consistently iss$ed
ne% directives and priorities! at times creating fresh campaigns %hile at other times! reversing previo$s
ans%ers& A chasid's ob'ective is f$lfill the %ill of the Rebbe ! to live %ith the times 5according to the
c$rrent spirit$al and practical need8 and to maintain his connection to the Rebbe& Rabbi Even Yisroel
seems to have overlooed this aspect especially as it relates to the Rebbe's responses to identifying
him as Moshiach&
/hy is there no s$ccessor to the Rebbe?
Cn pages 1M<-M:! Rabbi Even-Yisroel disc$sses as a serio$s possibility the need for an
appointment of an 'eighth Rebbe' after 2immel +amm$>& +his is a common ($estion from those
o$tside of ?habad& It is $tterly astonishing that an individ$al %ho pres$mably considers himself a
,$bavitcher chasid %o$ld serio$sly entertain the possiblity of a ne% Rebbe! b$t that is e*actly %hat he
does& +he a$thor %rites 4'it seemed as everything %as gone' & & & the Rebbe %as $tterly irreplaceable&
+o this day! there is no eighth Rebbe& & & Some chasidic gro$ps have a co$ncil & & & to choose a ne%
rebbe& It soon became apparent that there %as no possibility of consens$s! not only abo$t a ne% rebbe
b$t even on any ind of s$bstit$te or interim leader& & & there %as no obvio$s heirs & & &no senior
leadership to handle the search a$thoritatively & & & and & & & perceived & & & there %as no s$itable
replacement for him& & & it is possible & & & the Rebbe did not %ant a s$ccessor&G In trying to mae sense
o$t of his conf$sion! the a$thor proffers a possible reasonA 'he follo%ed the si*th rebbe in most things!
it may be that he did here as %ell&' If he %o$ld have p$rs$ed that line of thining! he may %ell %o$ld
have discovered the real reason according to the RebbeA there is no need for the Rebbe is still leading
$s&
+he Rebbe states in ,i$tei Sichos vol& <! p& 1"L that a +>addi r$les on himself! meaning
%hat a great +>addi says abo$t another +>addi is also tr$e abo$t himself& +h$s! the Rebbe via his
directives regarding 0M Shevat sho%s ho% to vie% the present sit$ation of 2immel +amm$>& Cn 0M
Adar 9:0M! the Rebbe said! 4+he tr$th is! that the 6=revio$s7 RebbeKs life is spirit$al life! 'the life of a
tzaddik is not a fleshly life! b$t a spirit$al life&' )rom this it is apparent that as far as the
6=revio$s7Rebbe is concerned! there is no difference bet%een the previo$s sit$ation and the present
sit$ation& Eo%! too! the Rebbe is %ith $s begashmiy$s 5in a physical sense8&+he 6=revio$s7 Rebbe $sed
to sayA 'A bond %ith me 5hisashr$s8 is made by st$dying my maamarim of ?hassid$s! by f$lfilling my
re($est concerning the daily recital of +ehillim! and the lie&' +hese %ords of the6=revio$s7 Rebbe!
concerning hisashr$s %ith him! still apply today&G +his means to relate to the Rebbe as one al%ays
has& According to the Rebbe's instr$ctions! any apparent contradiction is not to affect the relationship&
+he Rebbe referred to the )rierdier Rebbe as physically alive! still Moshiach and the Easi .ador! b$t
visited his resting place reg$larly and %rote letters after his name that are traditionally associated %ith
appellations of a t>addi %ho passed a%ay& )$rthermore! the Rebbe is reported to have never p$blicly
verbali>ed these appellations once& .o%ever! the Rebbe %as heard and recorded saying '>ol ge>$nt
>ein' or 'shlita'! even more than ;M years after 0M Shevat 9:0M 5Yechid$s %ith .aRav Mordecai Eliyah$!
Mar?heshvan! 9:918! blessing the )reierdier Rebbe %ith contin$ed long and healthy years& +h$s!
?hassidim follo% the lead of the Rebbe today& +here has been no change in reality! despite %hat %e
perceive %ith o$r senses&
/hat effect did the stroes have on the Rebbe?
Cn p& 1M1! Rabbi Even Yisroel refers to the period after the first stroe on 1: Adar II 9:91 as 4%e
cannot no% ho% a%are the Rebbe %as&G .e admits that 4the Rebbe %as capable of comm$nicatingG
and '?hassidim ept asing the Rebbe ($estions&G Yet! the a$thor is in do$bt as to %hether the Rebbe
'approved' of being bro$ght o$t to the balcony d$ring prayer and %hether the Rebbe had the 4ability to
manage the movementG of his limbs& .e concl$des Gthere may never be ans%ers to the ($estions&G .is
assertion becomes important beca$se on p& 1ML! he lins the efforts to identify the Rebbe as Moshiach
to his statement that 4the Rebbe 5is8 no longer able to control his ?hassidim&G Rabbi Even Yisroel
points to 4%hat had been disc$ssed privately! that the Rebbe & & & %as Mashiach! became something to
be proclaimed in p$blic&G Yet! the a$thor neglects to mention that activities identifying the Rebbe as
Moshiach had already been in f$ll s%ing! as cited earlier! %ith the blessing and approval of the Rebbe&
Rabbi Even-Yisroel's observation that the fervor increased after the stroe is correct& .o%ever! the
stroe did not convince the ?hassidim that 4it %as no% an $rgent possibility that the Rebbe himself
might be the MashiachG! as the a$thor states& +he ?hassidim's no%ledge of the Rebbe's stat$s as the
Moshiach %as firmly established for many decades& +he process of the revelation of Moshiach co$ld
be tangibly seen in light of the description of Moshiach as a s$ffering servant in the 2emara 5Sanherin
#"b8 and the RebbeKs all$sion to a time %hen the po%er of speech of the Easi %o$ld be impaired before
the first stroe &5=arshas 3o 9:918 +he fact that the second stroe occ$rred on the same calendar date!
1: Adar! 1 years later %as more evidence that 4the Rebbe's stroe seemed m$ch more than an ordinary!
nat$rally occ$rring event&G +he a$thor chooses to relate to the period of the stroe according to the
la%s of nat$re& In $nfort$nate characteristic style! his tentative approach plays do%n the 2-dly aspect
and the central tenet in chassidic philosophy that the life of a t>addi is primarily spirit$al not physical&
+he a$thor omitted in My Rebbe another vitally important point& Eamely! that the Rebbe notes in
sichos and letters that a Easi m$st consent before 2-d places him in diffic$lt circ$mstances& Meaning
that the Rebbe had to have agreed to accept being stricen %ith the stroes 5rKl8& )$rthermore it is
clear from ?hassidic %ritings that %hat appears to be Gnat$ralG physical limitations does not affect the
t>addiKs inherent 4s$pra-rationalG spirit$al po%ers& )or e*ample! the L
rd
,$bavitcher Rebbe! d$ring a
period of 4incapacitationG %as spied leaving his sic bed and ascending a ladder to retrieve a holy
boo %hile his aide %as tho$ght to be sleeping&
Rabbi Even Yisroel's $ncertainty not%ithstanding! there is no do$bt among ?hassidim that the
Rebbe's spirit$al and mental abilities remained the same as they %ere before the stroe& +he
implication that there co$ld be a deficiency is o$tside the bo$nds of normative chassidic tho$ght& +he
a$thor states 4the Rebbe %o$ld nodG %hen chassidim %o$ld 4sing Yechi Adonein$G 5e*pressing that
the Rebbe is Moshiach8 4is a gest$re 5%hich8 indicated that he approved of the song! or '$st lied the
melody! is something %e %ill never no%&G +orah defines o$r reality& As s$ch! there is no do$bt
%hatsoever that the Rebbe's nodding! gestic$lating! and e*tended presence d$ring the singing of
4YechiG is consistent %ith the approval given to many prior activities %hich promoted the
identification of the Rebbe as Melech .aMoshiach&