philosopher

Arso wrote “I think a correction is needed. I was not taught in cheder that Gemoro or that Rashi, and I doubt that Neville or Shmei were either. We were, however, taught how to approach and learn a piece of Gemoro and Rashi, and based on that we came to the conclusion that Rashi holds that Yaakov is literally alive.”

Thank you Arso for saying the truth here. “The emes shvimt aroif” (the truth swims to the surface) as the Yiddish saying goes.

I retract my apology now. I personally didnt insult anyone for believing Yaacov Avinu is physically alive, but made light of the idea that Yaacov Avinu is physically alive in his kever, so I didn’t need to apologize for “insulting people” in any case. It is only later after I was personally attacked that I started defending myself and it got personal. Not only was i attacked, meforshim were misinterpreted and i was led to believe that “Yaacov being alive is the classic interpretation” of klal Yisroel. So who exactly is doing these “classic interpretations”? Some individuals in the cofferoom? None of the rabbonim and talmidei chachomim ive heard talking about Yaacov lo mes said that Yaacov is physically alive.

Anyway, as I’ve said earlier, it’s irrelevent to the discussion of Lubavitche ideology whether Yaacov Avinu is alive in his kever or not. So let’s get back to the point of this thread.

Menachem Shmei, while I’m wavering if an apology was warranted by me because I was I lied to on many fronts so I’m not sure what i should believe regarding what is taught in some chedarim about Yaacov lo mes, the truth is next time I won’t mock others’ beliefs if I dont know as a fact that they were not taught in that manner.

However, regardless of teachings and meforshim and ideas and minhugim and pshat, all these are irrelevant to the fact that one of the gravest sins is to worship idolotry. I have not changed my position on that because that is the core of Yiddishkeit. The bottom line is that one may not believe than anyone besides for Hashem runs the world, one may not pray to anyone besides for Hashem to help him and Lubavitche are doing all of that. There’s also issues with you believing the Rebbe has not died, that he never made mistakes, etc. You are turning your rebbe into a deity.

Menachem Shmei, you are right and I absolutely apologize for mocking people who learnt and understood that Yaacov Avinu is physically alive. At that time I didn’t know this was taught in many chedarim and yeshivas.

It is a deeply disturbing fault of one’s character to attack someone continously because they dared to say pshat on a Rashi thats different than what their rebbe in cheder taught them (and they cant bring even one talmid chuchem to back up their version of the pshat) and because they posted complete meforshim in their original Loshen Hakodesh instead of not accepting misconstrued versions of random people on the internet.

To say I can’t say a pshat on Rashi because im a woman is so stupid. Teachers do it every day, even Chassidishe teachers in Chassidishe schools ( just pointing it out because you are Chassidish). They teach straight from Chumash, they dont have the version with prewritten pshutim from the some Chassidishe Cheder. In addition, they teach meforshim also, often straight out of seforim.

Stop having a sense of entitlement. If your arguments would make sense to me is one thing. You are simply angry that I do not accept that your arguments are valid. And THAT is what bothers you, so you hide under the cover of “women can’t learn”.

The Muslim world, like the Christian world, has throughout the centuries risen and fallen in culture vs barbarism. In the last few decades, barbarism has taken hold (again) of the Muslim world. Jihadis have beheaded and murdered hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, and displaced millions, of their own Muslim people and other minorities in the Middle East and Africa. They have carried out terrorism globally. To think that they’d be viscous to everyone, including each other, but they’d make exceptions for Jews, if not for Zionism, is ridiculous.

I have not argued pshat on anything besides Yaacov lo meis. Whether you like it or not, Rashi doesn’t say that Yaacov is alive physically and I don’t have to take it as that particularly when the meforshim ive gone through, and the Gemorah, all state that he is alive in a spiritual manner. Regardless of you being a man, you don’t own the Torah. And you have bought no Rav to support your position that Yaacov is alive physically.

As for the other meforshim, I didn’t argue pshat, I simply bought them down in its entirety, the words of the meforshim themselves disputed anyone who tried minisinterpret their meaning. I have not argued “with the Or Hachayim or the Rif on the Ein Yaakov” as you claim i did. As usual, you lie.

Certainly, lying bullies like you and Neville will not tell me what the Truth of the Torah is. Neville has not bought meforshim, but you have tried to misinterpret them, I had to go to the source and find the meforshim in its entirety to learn exactly what was written and it was never what you claimed it meant.

Don’t you have any other hobbies besides attacking people who don’t agree with you on the words “Yaacov lo mes”?

Arso, your saying that I said that Yaacov is not alive because I said he’s not alive physically, only spiritually, is MISCONSTRUING what I’ve said.

As for what Rashi means with “Yaacov lo mes”, I dont have to agree with you and Neville, your arguments proved nothing more to me than your ridiculous assumptions that i have to accept your arguments because you are men and I’m a woman. That is absolutely preposterous.

Let’s talk about “the pot calling the kettle black”.

1. I was ATTACKED for daring to argue with apikorsim who believe that their rebbe runs the world. In fact, a special thread was opened just for that, to attack those who dare argue with “Menachem Shmei the Apikorus” which they defended as if he’s a Gaon and arguments with him “make the arguments against Chabad look stupid”.
2. The attackers attacked my reasoning that Rashi meant with the words “Yaacov lo mes” that he is alive spiritually, not physically.
3. I did not find their reasons behind their counterarguments to have any validity., it did not change my mind. In fact, I found the meforshim some of bought to “bolster” their argument to do just the opposite.
4. They ended up resorting to lying about what I said and demeaning me that as a woman I dont understand how to learn pshat.
5. Now, after yashardik said a valid point about getting sidetracked, and yes, I excused myself why I got sidetracked, BUT I agreed with Yashardik that it’s ridiculous to be busy with irrelevent topics, these two clowns, Arso and Neville decided to attack me again.
6. Clearly, they have issues. Instead of getting back to the topic at hand, they decide to squabble with me like little children simply because I don’t agree with them. They are bullies, period. Everyone knows bullies have low self-esteem.
7. I can only conclude that the topic of Lubavitchers believing the LR runs the world, believing that their rebbe is everywhere, that you can pray directly to him and that he will help, and all other apikorsishe ideology, is of little to no importance to them, otherwise they would stop with their stupid argument and talk about the core issues.

Neville, I feel bad for your family members… you enjoy squabling constantly with people who don’t agree with your opinions.

Yashardik, you are so right. The reason I argued so much about “Yaacov lo meis” is because Lubavitche think their rebbe has the same status as extraordinary human beings like Yaacov Avinu and Moshe Rabbeinu and always try to draw parallels between them and their rebbe so that they can “prove” that he’s alive, that he’s moshiach, that he runs the world…

A Lubavitche told me on another site that just like Moshe Rabbeinu ran the world, so does the LR run the world… which is of course absolutely apikorses, only Hashem runs the world from the moment He created it.

But indeed, the Yaacov lo mes argument is besides the point. The main issue is the unrealistic image Lubavitchers have of their rebbe which is just getting more bizarre as time goes on in their attempts to deitify him.

Square root, exactly that is the issue. IF there are non-messichisten in Chabad, we never here of them. Even worse, there are a lot of vocal “rabbis” in Chabad spouting kefira saying that humans don’t have to fear accounting for our sins- that there’s no gehinom, that Hashem created us to “fullfill His needs”, that the LR runs the world, that you can pray directly to the LR, etc. etc.

Unbelievable, unbelievable. I can never understand how people can lie. Some people can lie even when the reality is black on white, the written proof is readily available. Someone who can say, at this point where I’ve reiterated my opinion NUMEROUS times, that I said that Rashi cant be saying that Yaacov Avinu is alive, is extremely dishonest.

Arso disgustingly wrote, “You know what, philosopher, don’t respond to me anymore. I’m sick of your changing your views when you are stuck in a corner, and I reiterate, it’s not your fault that you are a woman, but you just don’t understand the derech halimud that men are taught.”

I’m not stuck in a corner at all. Arso is stuck in the corner and projecting it on me. My numerous posts on this thread and on the other thread are PROOF that i said the ENTIRE TIME, from my first post, that Rashi saying that Yaacov is alive means in a spiritual manner, he is not saying that his guf is alive. I have also said many times as well, that perhaps Rashi means that Yaacov’s nefesh is still attached on some level to his guf, but again, that doesn’t mean that Rashi is saying that Yaacov’s guf is physically alive. But never ever, have i said that “Rashi can’t be saying that Yaacov is alive”.

Saying that “it’s not your fault that you are a woman, but you just don’t understand the derech halimud that men are taught” does not change the fact that you are lying. And I don’t know what derech halimud he was taught but one cannot interpret a meforesh based on 2-3 words “that prove one’s point” while ignoring what the mefoiresh says in its entirety.

Arso wrote, “Btw, just for the record. I may have made mistakes – although in this case I did not as you definitely changed your view – but I haven’t lied.”
You definitely did lie.

Sorry for the trauma you will now have to live with for the next four years living under an imaginary dictator.

Non Political, those pesukim are proof that Yaacov Avinu died and the the Ramban and Rashi are not disputing the pesukim.The shevatim are much greater and smarter and holier than us and knew much more than we can comprehend. Certainly they did not make a mistake when they saw that their father died. They did not bury him alive. He died a physical death.

The Ramban’s understanding according to Rashi is that the brothers perhaps didn’t know that his nefesh was still attached on some level to his guf. The fact is that Rashi is not saying his guf itself is alive. As i said many times, alive forever can mean many things, including that Yaacov’s nefesh is still attached to his guf even if his guf is not physically alive. Many meforshim and the gemorah, say different thing on Yaacov lo mes, none, including Rashi, say that Yaacov’s guf itself is still physically alive.

Always ask, the moral of the story is that Yiddishkeit doesn’t change for anyone and gehenim is a fact for those who sin and don’t do teshuva, regardless if Chabad denies this basic tenet of Yiddishkeit.

Yeshivaguy, the violence, and perhaps even the ” romance”, in Jewish novels today is far, far, far worse than in Sherlock Holmes books. My daughter borrowed a book from her classmate who comes from a very frum family. Just looking at the title made me cringe. And although I have no patience for these plots, that that make no sense, I had to proofread the book. I couldn’t finish reading it. The plot was basically about a Mossad agent going on a mission and keeps on getting caught and escaping his enemies. And it’s a series where the books all have the same plot basically ( i started reading the sequence as well and it’s the same thing over and over again) throughout the entire protagonist’s journey (s), the violence is non-stop, vivid descriptions of torture, violence, murder, it’s absolutely horrific. I certainly did not let my daughter read those books.

This series, and similar violent books, are being sold in heimishe store and are on bookshelfs in heimishe libraries. Many of these books written by frum authors in the last two decades also have very bad hashkafas and model bad middos. Disregard of kibbud av v’eim, kids having doubts about yiddishket, bullying, etc. In the end, often the characters would redeem themselves and straighten out in the end, but what about kids minds being affected by the character’s doubts and conflicts and actions that are against the Torah?

Sherlock Holmes, imo, is much better than this frum garbage. But don’t take my word on it, I read those books years ago when i was a teenager and don’t remember all the details. Perhaps as a parent I’d see those books differently regarding the romance you say is in the books, but as far as violence, it is very clean accordingly to many books written by frum authors and sold in sefarim stores.

Yes, I definitely believe that if a guf is buried alive 3,000+ years it would be terrible suffering to the individual, %100.

No one contradicts the Word of Hashem, certainly not our great Sages. If someone thinks the meforshim are contradicting pesukim in the Torah they are not fully understandingthe meforshim . It says in the Torah that Yaacov himself said he is about to die. אָבִ֞י הִשְׁבִּיעַ֣נִי לֵאמֹ֗ר הִנֵּ֣ה אָנֹכִי֮ מֵת֒ בְּקִבְרִ֗י אֲשֶׁ֨ר כָּרִ֤יתִי לִי֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנַ֔עַן שָׁ֖מָּה תִּקְבְּרֵ֑נִי וְעַתָּ֗ה אֶֽעֱלֶה־נָּ֛א וְאֶקְבְּרָ֥ה אֶת־אָבִ֖י וְאָשֽׁוּבָה׃ and his sons saw that their father died. וַיִּרְא֤וּ אֲחֵֽי־יוֹסֵף֙ כִּי־מֵ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ ל֥וּ יִשְׂטְמֵ֖נוּ יוֹסֵ֑ף וְהָשֵׁ֤ב יָשִׁיב֙ לָ֔נוּ אֵ֚ת כׇּל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר גָּמַ֖לְנוּ אֹתֽוֹ׃
The Ramban himself is not saying that Yaacov is alive forever, he himself says alive spiritually. But on the words of Rashi he is saying that “to them (the shevatim) he was dead or perhaps they did not know all of this”. How can the shevatim think that their father who is alive is really dead? How could the great shevatim who knew much more than us, who understood secrets of the creation, not know that their father died? And furthermore, back to my original question, how can Rashi contradict pesukim in the Torah? The shevatim knew very well that their father who actually died, did die. They did not bury their father if he was breathing, period. If we mere humans know when a person is dead, certainly the shevatim who are such great human beings whom we can’t comprehend their greatness, certainly they knew if their father died. Yaacov Avinu did die but on a certain level his nefesh is attached to his body and therefore Rashi is saying that Yaacov lo mes and he is not contradicting the Torah. So Yaacov’s body died, but the shevatim may have not know or realized that Yaacovs nefesh is still attached on some level to his body. Yaacov’s guf died but since his nefesh is still attached on some level, he is alive forever.

The Rif’s commentary can be understood that 1. at the time of his expiration (which is when he gathered his feet) the state of his body could’ve been different than at the time of burial (it took some time from when he expired until they came to the Maares Hamachpeilah) and so his actual death couldve been right before burial. I actually remember someone bringing a meforesh on the other thread of Yaacov’s death actually happening when he was bought to the mearus hamachpeilah but i cant remember which mefoiresh that was 2. the Rif says that “the forces of his movement will be stopped”. Internally, the body itself is in constant movement even if the limbs are not moving, if movement in the body stops, life stops. In addition, the Rif saying he “will mourn like a man who faints and is thrown like a stone that has no return” to me the words “like a stone who has no return” indicates someone who dies, i do not see how it could be interpreted as a body being alive forever.

Non Political, I agree with you that Hashem can prevent tzadikim from making mistakes, but He doesn’t do that because He made us human and it is human to err. I dont think any of the great tzaddikim did not make any mistakes in their entire lifetime. If Moshe Rabbeinu and Avraham Avinu made mistakes, why wouldn’t the LR? He is not greater than them.

Non-political, you wrote ” If one believed that (a) due to a persons inherent perfection he will not make a mistake then you are right. However, If based on a misguided understanding of emunas chachamim, one believed that (b) Hashem is committed to guiding leaders such that they won’t make a mistake this would not be a”z.”

That is a fair point.

Rabbi Klonimus Kalmish Shapira – Piasetzna

וּמִי יוֹדֵעַ אִם לֹא הָיְתָה זֹאת גַּם יְסוֹד וְסִבַּת חֵטְא הָעֶרֶב רַב, שֶׁאָמְרוּ עָשָׂה לָנוּ אֱלֹהִים שֶׁיֵּלְכוּ לְפָנֵינוּ, וְשֶׁנִּרְאֵהוּ, רַק הֵם הִרְחִיקוּ לָלֶכֶת וּלְבַקֵּשׁ לֹא צִיּוּר מַחֲשָׁבָה בִּלְבַד רַק גַּם דְּמוּת בְּפוֹעֵל, וְעוֹד הִתְטַפְּשׁוּ לִרְצוֹת דְּמוּת אֱלֹהֵי מִצְרַיִם רַחֲמָנָא לִיצְּלָן.” Perhaps this was underlying motive behind the sin of the mixed multitude, who said, “Make us a god who will go before us” (Exodus 32:1). They wanted a god that they could see. They went too far, however, and sought not only a mental image, but a physical one. And, even more egregious, they foolishly desired an image of the god of Egypt.
וְכֵיוָן שֶׁיְּסוֹד חֶבְרָתֵנוּ הוּא שֶׁלֹּא לִגְעֹר וְלִגְזוֹר סְתָם עַל הָאִישׁ עשה כָּךְ וְכָךְ כִּי אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יִשְׁמַע לָנוּ אוֹ שֶׁיִּרְאֶה אֶת עַצְמוֹ לֵאמֹר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מַחֲשָׁבָה טוֹבָה וְהִתְעוֹרְרוּת וְאֵין לוֹ. The basis of our group is that we do not rebuke and command people—for either they will not listen, or they will look at themselves and say that they already possess positive mindfulness and inspiration, even if that is not the case.
כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת גַּם כֻּלָּם רוֹצִים לִהְיוֹת טְהוֹרֵי לֵב וּבְנֵי עֲלִיָּה רַק שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לָהֶם לְהִתְעַלּוֹת מִן רִפְשָׁם כַּנַ”ל. This is because everyone wants to be pure of heart and elevated. However, most people cannot rise beyond the flotsam in which they are afloat.
וְכָל יְסוֹד חֶבְרָתֵנוּ הוּא לְהַרְכִּין אֶת הַכָּתֵף לִמְקוֹם נְמִיכֻיּוֹת הַחֲבֵרִים עַד כַּפּוֹת רַגְלֵי נַפְשָׁם וְגוּפָם, וּמִשָּׁם לְהַעֲלוֹתָם בְּאֶמְצָעִים מַתְאִימִים לָהֶם. The entire purpose of our group is to raise people. We will lower our shoulders to whatever low level another member may be on, down to the soles of the feet of his spirit and body, and from there we will raise him, using means appropriate to his condition.
לָכֵן נרְאֶה נָא גַּם לָהֶם תַּקָּנָה וְעֵצָה אֵיךְ לְהַרְגִּילָם כְּפִי מַצָּבָם. לָכֵן בְּמַצָּב כָּזֶה בְּרֵאשִׁית גִּדּוּל וְהִתְרַחֲבוּת מַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ יִסְמֹךְ עַצְמוֹ עַל הָרָאָבָ”ד זַ”ל שֶׁמֵּשִׁיב עַל הָרַמְבַּ”ם זַ”ל פֶּרֶק ג’ מֵהִלְכוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה הֲלָכָה ז וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ: “אמר אברהם וְלָמָּה קָרָא לְזֶה מִין? כַּמָּה גְּדוֹלִים וְטוֹבִים וכו’ הָלְכוּ בְּזוֹ הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה וכו’.” Group members must be given exercises and counsel appropriate to their level, which will help them habituate themselves to mindfulness. And so, in this spirit, my counsel is that a person in such a situation—at the beginning of the growth and expanding of his mindfulness—should depend upon the view of the Ravad, who responded to the Rambam: “Why does he call a person [who attributes physicality to God] a sectarian? A number of great and good people . . . have entertained this idea . . . “ (Hilchot Teshuvah 3:7).
וְעַל פִּי פּשטו קָשֶׁה לְהָבִין אֶת דִּבְרֵי הָרַאֲבַ”ד זַ”ל הֲלֹא מִקְרָא מָלֵא הוּא, “כִּי לֹא רְאִיתֶם כָּל תְּמוּנָה” וְכַדּוֹמֶה. וְעַיֵּן בְּכֶסֶף מִשְׁנֶה שָׁם קֻשְׁיָתוֹ. It is difficult to understand the words of the Ravad. Does the verse not clearly state, “You saw no image” (besides other such statements)? (Cf. the Kesef Mishnah’s question ibid.)
וּלְפִי הַנָּ”ל לֹא שֶׁאָמַר הָרָאָבָ”ד זַ”ל שֶׁיִּטְעֶה הָאִישׁ לֵאמֹר שֶׁיֵּשׁ ח”ו לְמַעְלָה שׁוּם תְּמוּנָה, חַס מִלְּהַזְכִּיר, אֲבָל כַּנַ”ל בֶּאֱמֶת יֵדַע הָאִישׁ שֶׁהַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ אֵינוֹ בַּעַל שׁוּם תְּמוּנָה ח”ו רַק הוּא הַקָּרוּץ מֵחֹמֶר אִישׁ מְגֻשָּׁם בַּעַל תְּמוּנָה מְצַיֵּר לוֹ זֹאת, כְּדֵי שֶׁתּוּכַל מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ לְהֵאָחֵז וּלְהִתְגַּדֵּל וּלְהִתְרַחֵב. But in line with what was stated above, we can understand this as follows. The Ravad is not saying that we should delude ourselves that there is some image in the upper realm, God forbid, let it not even be uttered. Rather, we must know in truth that God has no image, heaven forbid. But we beings scraped of physicality, corporeal people who possess form, visualize such a thing so that our mindfulness will be able to grasp, expand and broaden.
וְכַאֲשֶׁר יַעֲזֹר לוֹ ד’ וְתִתְחַזֵּק מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ וְתוּכַל לַחֲשֹׁב בד’ מַחֲשָׁבָה חֲזָקָה וּנְקִיָּה, וְדִמְיוֹן נִיצוֹץ נְבוּאָה יִתְגַּלֶּה לוֹ, אָז הַתְּמוּנָה הַצִּיּוּר גּוּפָנִי הַזֶּה מִמֵּילָא יִתְבַּטְּלוּ, וְיוּכַל לְצַיֵּר לוֹ בְּעֵת תְּפִלָּתוֹ שֶׁעוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי ד’ ית’ וְלִפְנֵי כִּסֵּא כְּבוֹדוֹ עִנְיָן כְּדֵי לְשַׂבֵּר אֶת הָאֹזֶן וּכְדֵי לְשַׂבֵּר אֶת הַמַּחֲשָׁבָה מָה שֶׁיְּכוֹלָה לַחְשֹׁב וּלְדַמּוֹת. Then, when God helps us and our mind grows stronger so that we can think of Him with a strong and clean mindfulness, and when an image of a spark of prophecy is revealed within us, this physical image will of itself cease to exist. When we pray, we will be able to picture that we are standing before God and His throne of glory—realizing that whatever we imagine is merely the way that our senses—our ears and mind—are capable of interpreting things .
וְגַם אַתָּה חָבֵר בְּחַבְרַיָּא בִּשְׁעַת הַדְּחָק צַיֵּר לְךָ שֶׁאַתָּה עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי כִּסֵּא כְּבוֹדוֹ וְאַתָּה מִתְפַּלֵּל וּמְבַקֵּשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ ית’ פָּשׁוּט כְּבֵן שֶׁעוֹמֵד וּמִתְחַנֵּן מֵאָבִיו רַחֵם נָא עָלַי אָבִי, כְּבָר אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִסְבֹּל נְדוּדֵי הַגּוּף וַעֲזִיבַת הָרוּחַ, וּמִן הָעֵת אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁלַכְתַּנִי מִמְּךָ וְהִסְתַּרְתָּ פָּנֶיךָ מֵאִתָּנוּ, מָגוֹר מִסָּבִיב. And so, member of this group, if you find yourself in such an extremity, visualize that you are standing before God’s Throne of Glory and that you are praying and begging Him simply, like a son crying and begging before his father, “Have mercy on me, my Father, I can no longer bear the wanderings of my body and the abandonment of my spirit. From the time that you cast me from You and hid Your face from me, I am surrounded by terror.”
וּמִי הוּא הָאִישׁ אַף בְּלֵב אֶבֶן שֶׁלֹּא יִמַּס בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמְּצַיֵּר בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ אֶת הַדְּמוּת הַזֹּאת, אֵיךְ הוּא עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי כִּסֵּא כְּבוֹדוֹ אֵשׁ אֹכְלָה וּמִתְחַנֵּן עַל עַצְמוֹ וְעַל בְּנֵי בֵּיתוֹ וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל. Which person, even if has a heart of stone, will not melt when he pictures that he is standing before God’s Throne of Glory, a consuming fire, pleading for himself, his family, and all Israel?

Arso, regarding what is written in the Torah about Hashem, i have provided sources in my earlier posts. I’m not going to even deign to answer your questions. It’s like answering an elementary question like why a person cant be in Australia and Antarctica at the same time… Before asking questions that are not questions perhaps you should think what you are asking. Basically, your questions can be summed up as “why matter must behave like matter”. You don’t even have to know the science of matter to understand that your questions regarding the limitations of a physical body are not valid questions at all.

Arso, do you enjoy arguing over nothing?

Hashem cannot have had a guf if He existed before matter was created, period.

He cannot have a guf if He has no form, period.

He cannot have a guf and exist forever, period.

He cannot have a guf and be in the upper worlds and lower worlds simultaneously, period.

The Ravaad is not saying that we cannot conclude from the Torah that Hashem has no guf and not that there were great people who thought Hashem has a guf. What the Ravaad is actually saying, according to the Piaseczner Rebbe, Rabbi Shapira zt”l, was that while God is unquestionably incorporeal, if someone has a need to visualize some sort of image – for example, the Divine Throne or the host of heavenly angels – in order to be able to direct his prayer properly, then this is acceptable, so long as it remains within the realm of thought and is not realized in the form of a graven image or picture.

Non-political, belief in their rebbe as moshiach and his second coming is in of itself not avodah zora. But just like the Early Christians first believed in Yoshke as their moshiach, then he died so they ascribed special powers to him that he really didn’t die and he’s going to come back, from that the Christians slowly turned him into a deity.

Chabad is going down the same road but in a much quicker fashion than the Christians. First they decided their rebbe is moshiach, but then when he died they came to the conclusion that he’s really alive and he’s coming back soon as the moshiach. They believe that because they are so obsessed with him and “his powers” like an avodah zora. So now their belief in their rebbe morphed into the belief that their he runs the world, that he’s everywhere, that you can pray directly to him and that he’ll help you and that he never made mistakes. They are turning him into a deity. Also, their new religion doesn’t have gehinom as part of it because at the same time they are giving their rebbe tremendous power like an a”z, they are minimizing God’s greatness that we don’t have to fear him and that He created us for His “needs”. Now Hashem has “needs” according to them.

And that’s why I call it an a”z sign, because it all started with belief that their dead rebbe is the moshiach and that he’s alive.

I just saw the ad. It is inappropriate for a frum site. But if it’s a jewish-owned business somehow it’s kashered.

Qwerty, there’s a saying “if someone doesn’t believe any stories of Chassidishe Rebbes they are a kiofer but if they believe every story to be true they are a fool”.

Shmei and co. are going further than just using Torah sources to try “prove the validity of Chabadianity”. They twist meforshim to try to get them to seem that they support their interpretations so that they will “lend support to the credibility of Chabiadinity”.