I don’t need to understand Chabad’s twisted atzmus. I need to understand the ikkarim. If atzmus contradicts ikkarim, it’s treif no matter how many times you say otherwise. I don’t waste my time understanding the Trinity. Why should I waste my time on the Rebbe’s kefira?
Yes, you may have a more charitable reading of atzmus to not be deification. Unfortunately, the behavior of Chabadniks as noted shows that charitable definitions are just palliatives for the outsiders, not intrinsic Chabad beliefs. My view of it is backed up by both gedolim and the behavior of Chabad, which indicates that peshuto kemashma’o, that the Rebbe turned himself into a god and is worshipped kind of like a god. Said gedolim and said behavior noted above.
Again, the 1979 siacha asked how can you daven to a rebbe? The answer was the Rebbe is the same as G-d chalila afra lepumei. This DIRECTLY contradicts the ikkarim and says nivra=borei. Some chabadniks do say adoneinu boreinu so they eliminate the fig leaf that there’s a difference. Good for them- at least they’re being more intellectually honest about their avoda zara.
But let’s prove it to all you chabadniks. To prove it, all you have to do is substitute “the eigel” for the Rebbe for typical chabad phrases and it sounds the same. The eigel will help, the eigel runs the world, etc. If it wasn’t avoda zara , it should fail.