At DY ok let me make it clear: the Rebbe is the Frierdiker Rebbe’s successor, who is the successor of the Rebbe Rashab, who is of the Rebbe Maharash who is of the Tzemach Tzedek who is of the Mitteler Rebbe who is of the Alter Rebbe aka Baal HaTanya who is of the Mezritcher Maggid who is of the Baal Shem Tov who is of Achiya HaShiloni and R Adam Baal Shem who is of R Yoel Baal Shem who is of R Eliyahu Baal Shem….
I think you get the picture. It’s one long unbroken chain and to discredit one is to discredit all. And who are you to think of starting up with these tzaddikim? I also don’t know what you mean by the Frierdiker Rebbe being controversial. Chabad has always taken a unique path as it does today – like how we relate to not yet frum Jews, the value of one mitzvah etc.
And those positions are not universal.
But no one is saying they werent Torah greats or tzaddikim except for some coffee room “experts” who hear half a quote, never bother to look it up, and based on that decide how great or ungreat the holy Rebbeim are.
I hope you’re starting to see the absolute chutzpah inherent in this.