DY/Toi/Sechel
“I’m not sure if people place a picture of the Rebbe under the baby’s head by a bris, it’s certainly possible, I’ve never seen it, but I don’t have a problem with it if it is done. How exactly does it bother you?
Do you really not see how badly it shmeks of a”z?”
“?. ?? ???? ???? ?? ????, ???? ??? ???? – ?? ???? ?? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???? ]?”?: “?? ??? ‘???? ???’ ?? ??? ‘???? ???’ “[ – ???? ?????, ????? ????? ?? ???? ????, ??? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?? ?? ?????. )??????? ??? ???”?(”
It seems like we have two separate issues in concern with the “pictures”.
One can be somewhat justified as the intent of the following known Gemorah of Rebbe saying that he was zochah to exceed his colleagues because he saw Rav Meir:
???’ ??????? ?”? ?”?: ??? ??? ??? ??????? ?????? ??????? ???? ???? ??????? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ?????
There various different pshatim explaining the above see Marshah, Iyun Yaakov etc. However the Toras Chaim explains:
????? ???? ???????? ?? ?”? ??????? , ????? ???? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ?? ??? ???? ?????? ????? ]????? ??? ?”?, ?] ???? ??? ???? ???? ???? ?????, ???? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?????
Meaning, that you are indeed mekabel Hashpoah via connecting to someone who has Hashraos Haschina by the act of just looking at him. (the same works the other way around, “Aser LeHistakel Bfnei Adam Rasha”)
Also see the Radvaz in the following link (last paragraph at the very end of the page) how he explains at length the connection of a Rebbi via by the act of just staring..
“????? ???? ????? ?”? ?????? ????? ???? ????? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ?????”
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=1952&st=&pgnum=342
However, all that is only relevant to the actual live Rebbe.
Especially, given that the reason as per “Hashroes Haschinah” on the Rebbe, whereas a very picture is exactly the other way around, as the following Yaros Devash explaining the very concept of pictures as Tumah – “Ruach Rah” :
?????? ??? ?”? ???? ?’:
“?????? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ??????, ?? ??? ???? ?”? ????? [???? ?’ ????? ??”? ?”?] ????????, ?? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ?????, ???? ?????? ????? ??? ???? ??”?, ???? ????? ???????, ????? ?? ????? ????? ??? ?????, ?? ???? ???, ?? ??? ?? ????? ???? ????? ?? ????, ???? ???? ???? ??? ?????:
???? ?? ???? ????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?????, ????’ ???? ?????? ????? ?? ?????, ?? ??? ?? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???.
Furthermore, see the following link the ??”? ???? ?????? ?”? ???? ?”? prohibiting any photographs.
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=804&st=&pgnum=85
Whilst I won’t say it is Aser but to say it has somewhat of a “Kedusha” that is absurd.
Now as for the Chabad reasons mentioned :
“”?. ?? ???? ???? ?? ????, ???? ??? ???? – ?? ???? ?? ???? ????? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???? ]?”?: “?? ??? ‘???? ???’ ?? ??? ‘???? ???’ “[ – ???? ?????, ????? ????? ?? ???? ????, ??? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?? ?? ?????. )??????? ??? ???”?(”
This can be justified as a way of of achieving similar to what Yoseph had “????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ????”.
However, the other actions have no justifications in any shape or form, other than pure ignorance of thinking a picture has any Kedusha, when its the exact opposite!