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Chabad-Lubavitch (also known as '''Chabad''', '''Habad''' or '''Lubavitch'''), is one of the largest branches of Любавичи, Lyubavichi , is the name of the town that served as the movement's headquarters for over a century. In 1993 there were over 200,000 adherents to the movement Wertheimer, Jack. A People Divided: Judaism in Contemporary America. New York: Basic Books (A Division of Harper Collins) (1993); pg. xiv-xv Occhiogrosso, Peter. The Joy of Sects: A Spirited Guide to the World's Religious Traditions. New York: Doubleday (1996), Chapter: Judaism; pg. 250.Andryszewski, Tricia. Communities of the Faithful: American Religious Movements Outside the Mainstream. Bookfield, Connecticut: Millbrook Press (1997); pg. 95. some estimate today that there are over a million.Slater, Elinor and Robert, ''Great Jewish Men'', Jonathan David Publishers 1996 (ISBN 08246 03818). Page 279. Chabad Lubavitch centre set for River Heights area Its adherents, known as "Lubavitchers", or "Chabadniks", are Orthodox Jew s belonging to Hasidic Judaism as defined by the Chabad traditions. Like all Hasidim they follow the teachings of "''Chasidus''" (see Hasidic Philosophy ) as taught by Rabbi Israel Ben Eliezer (1698-1760). Their customs are based on the earlier Kabbalistic works of Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534-1572). Founded by Rabbi Shneur Zalman Of Liadi in the late 18th Century , it has had seven leaders or '' Rebbe s''. Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994) succeeded his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn (1880-1950), becoming the seventh leader of the movement. Chabad today has centers around the world. Centers are called a Chabad Houses. They are Jewish community centers providing educational and outreach activities for the Jewish community. Level of observance is irrelevant; no minimal level of observance is a requirement for using facilities. The Chabad House The centers are informal in setup. They primarily serve both educational and observance purposes. The New York Times, December 16, 2005. Effort is made to provide an atmosphere in which the nonobservant will not feel intimidated by any perceived contrast between their lack of knowledge of Jewish practice and the advanced knowledge of some of the people they meet there. Passover Seders, Around the World, ‘’The Associated Press’’, March 19, 2007 PHILOSOPHY OF CHABAD and Shulchan Aruch HaRav .]]The founder of Chabad, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, created a unique approach to Hasidic thought. He created an intellectual system and approach to Judaism and the Jewish way of life. Through a philosophy based on Kabbalah that employs parables and examples to understand God, Chabad thought methodized an understanding of God, the purpose of the world's creation, and the importance of every individual person. The philosophy guides the individual in their daily life and recognizes the importance of the individual deed. Stroll, Avrum, ‘Encyclopedia Judaica’’, Second Edition, Volume 18 pages 503-505 (ISBN 00286-59287). Chabad thought formulates the teachings of Kabbalah as a means to deal with one's daily life and psyche. It teaches that every aspect of the world exists only through the intervention of God. Through the intellectual approach and meditations, Chabad teaches that one can attain complete control over one's deeds. Chabad thought teaches that while emotions are important, they only last for a short while. Through the mind, however, one can retain these emotions. One can control one's heart, one's lust and desires, through the mind, and steer the heart in the desired direction.Weiner, Hebert, ‘’9 1/2 Mystics’’ (ISBN 00206-81607). "Chabad" Chabad's Hebrew initials are formulated from the first three of the ten kabbalistic schemes of the world, the '' Sefirot ''. They are '' Chochmah '', '' Binah '' and '' Da'at '', translated as Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge. Chabad teaches that these three ''sefirot'' are a progressive dynamic in the divine creation of the world and in the psyche of the individual person. Wisdom represents the initial birth of the wisdom in the mind, Understanding represents the details of the creation and the working in thought of the idea, and Knowledge represents the act of taking the idea and creating the actual world and the act taking of the thought and applying it to one's personal life. ."''The Encyclopedia of Hasidism'', entry: Habad, Jonathan Sacks, pp.161-164 (15682-11236) According to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks , this dynamic provides a psychological formulation that enables the individual to substantiate his or her mystical thoughts. The formulation of the triad was an important advance in Jewish thought, because it helped to bridge the gap between spiritual insight and the individual's daily behavior. The Tanya The '' Tanya '', Shneur Zalman's moral magnum opus, is the first schematic treatment of Hasidic moral philosophy and its metaphysical foundations. The original name of the book is ''Sefer Shel Beinonim'', the "Book of the Intermediates." This refers to the idea that virtually all people belong to the moral category of intermediates, rather than that of base sinners or, inversely, that of unblemished saints. The ''Tanya'' is also known as ''Likutei Amarim''--"Collected Sayings." The ''Tanya'' analyzes the inner struggle of the individual and the path to resolution. The philosophy is based on the notion that man himself is not evil; rather, every individual has an inner conflict that is characterized with two different inclinations, the good and the bad.''The Encyclopedia of Hasidism'', entry: Tanya, Jonathan Sacks, pp. 475-477 (15682-11236) Torah study Shneur Zalman raged against the perception that was prevalent in the early years of Hasidism that the movement neglected Talmudic study by focusing too heavily on mysticism and obscurantism. He emphasized that mysticism without Talmudic study was worthless - even dangerous.''Hasidism: The movement and its masters'', Harry M. Rabinowicz, 1988, pp.83-92, Jason Aronson, London ISBN 0876689985 Without Talmudic study, he argued, the mind could never be elevated - and if the mind is not elevated, the is this: the latter set time for study and they are limited by time, whereas the former make the Torah their path of life." Shneur Zalman taught that Torah must be studied joyously - studying without joy is frowned upon. He provided a metaphor: when a '' Mitzvah '' is fulfilled an angel is created. But if the ''mitzvah'' was joyless then the angel too will be dispirited. Thus, while Shneur Zalman emphasized that Hasidism focus on traditional Jewish scholarship rather than on mysticism, he was emphatic that this must be done with the zeal and joy. Role of the rebbe In its earlier formulations, Hasidic thought elevated the Rebbe (Hasidic leader, in this context) to a level above that of typical person. A rebbe was closer to God, his prayers were more amenable to Him, and a Hasid should satisfy himself with attachment to the rebbe and hence indirectly to God. A rebbe was to be a living example of perfection and would concern himself with intellectualism on behalf of the followers. According to Sacks, Chabad stressed the individual responsibilities of every Jew: "The rebbe... became more of a teacher and adviser, recognising the vocation of each of his followers, guiding them towards it, uncovering their strengths, and rejoicing in their achievements." Shneur Zalman focused on training his followers to become spiritually self-sufficient and to turn to their respective rebbes for instructions rather than intercession with God, miracles or blessings. Role of the Hasid Hasidism traditionally demanded that every Hasid personally participate in the dissemination of Torah and Judaism to one's surroundings and seek out the benefit of one's fellow Jew. Rabbi 1995 p.198.(ISBN 0826605303) Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson's philosophy Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson strove, in his writings and lectures, to attain unity between opposites. He wanted to unite the mundane aspects of the world with the aspect of "godliness" in the world. Schneerson emphasized the concept of creating an abode for God on this world. Consequently, he sought to unite the modern world with the teachings of Judaism. He felt that the world was not a contradiction to the word of God, and it was to be embraced rather than shunned. Schneerson taught that modern technology was not a contradiction to spirituality. For that reason, Chabad has consistently utilized modern technology to spread Judaism and Jewish thought. Since their inception, Chabad has used the radio, television, satellite feeds, and the internet to spread their message.1 THE REBBES OF CHABAD |
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