The letters of our thoughts are the ideas present in our mind before they come to realization . . . Thoughts that are, yet not felt . . . The words of the subconscious . . . of the soul . . .

These are the LETTERS OF MY THOUGHTS.

Monday, July 10, 2006

Only in Vilna do Misnagdim live on . . .

A young guy stopped in today . . . despite his hight he's only 18 . . . A karkafta . . .
We spoke for a while . . . His questions? What are the differences between Chassidim and Misnagdim? Is it true that the Chassidim drink too much?
A great guy, IY"H he'll be back this Shabbos.
But the garbage that these others will put in the head of the Higge Yidden . . . Nebach.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not correct. Misnagdim are in Eretz Yisroel, the USA and other Yiddishe yishuvim as well. :)

If their taanos are baseless, then why do they worry you so ? On the other hand, if their taanos are substantive, I understand why you may be.

May we be zoche to Toras Emes and sholom al Yisroel !

Mottel said...

In the times of the GRA there were 'valid' fears behind the claims of the Misnagdim . . . They were afraid of Sabbatianism, etc.
Time however has shown that these fears were baseless, Reb Yitzchok M'volozhyn worked with the Tzemach Tzedek, R' Chaim Brisker with the Rashab, Reb Chaim Ozer et cetera, et cetera, et cetera . . .
People today who try to continue a two hundred year old fight that ended a hundred and fifty years ago is no Misnagid . . .
How much more so here where the 'Misnagdim' are M'chalil Shabbos b'farhesia, oichal treifos u'nevelos etc.

Anonymous said...

What you are saying is incorrect. Hisnagdus is/was due to various reasons. Perhaps a mistaken fear of Sabbateanism was a factor at one time, but there were/are other legitimate reasons for it as well.

The people in Vilna that you are talking about are more like tinokos shenishbu. Misnagdim refers to frummer Yidden who don't agree with Chassidus, not people who don't know aleph-beis or who are chazer-fressers !

Mottel said...

I mentioned Sabbateanism only as an example (hence the etc.)
What, pray tell, are the 'legitimate' reasons?
Chassidic practices have long since proven their legitimacy by either:
1.Being accepted (almost) universally by the Jewish world at large
2. By showing how they lead to increased holiness, shmiras hamitzvos etc. under the ma'amer chazal that one mitzvah brings to a second etc.

True the people in Vilna are "tinokos shenishbu" hence my use of misnagdim in quotes.
The hisnagdus of old has ended, today the term "misnagid" -at least in the norm- refers to one who does not go in the path of chassidim not one who is virulently opposed to the derech of the Ba'al Shem Hakodesh.
The "misnagdim" here use the term only to gain clout in their fight against the only source of Torah true Judaism in Lithuania.

Anonymous said...

I know you were taught some of what you write, but limaaseh, if Chassidus is so great, why is Lubavitch in such a mess ? Why is 770 full of proclamations that a Rebbe, who passed away over ten years ago, is Moshiach ?

Mottel said...

1. We're talking about Chassidus in general, Amshinov to Zvhil . . .
2. I am not speaking about problems, for trust me just as we have problems . . . so do you. V'dal I have no interest into going further since the Torah is makpid not speak l'ganai for a behema tameia