Classical Torah vs Chabad: Meshichist Shell Game

Chabad Meshichists are a significant group within the Chabad movement who aggressively missionize among Jews to convince them that the deceased Chabad rebbe IS Moshiach now.

The Chabad Meshichist shell game can be a slippery slope to a new Xtianity.

The shell game works as follows.

Chabad Meshichistin will argue aggressively that Moshiach could arise from a dead person and then attempt to bring Torah sources to prove that is a legitimate Torah position.

The Meshichistin will indignantly deny any connection between their beliefs and Christianity, and they will impute ignorance to their opponents.

The Meshichistin may also utilize absurd “red herring” type diversions such as accusing their opponents of violating halacha by trimming their beards. However, the issue of one’s minhag in regard to trimming one’s beard has absolutely nothing to do with discussions about Moshiach.

It appears likely the Meshichistin are radically distorting Torah sources that discuss whether Moshiach could arise from a dead person, but that becomes irrelevant in any case.

The Meshichistin are NOT simply claiming that Moshiach could arise from a dead person.

In this shell game, the Chabad Meshichistin are really claiming that:

• The Chabad Rebbe, when he was living, began his mission as the Moshiach.
• The Chabad Rebbe appears to have died but actually he only disappeared from vision.
• The Chabad Rebbe IS the Moshiach NOW.
• The Chabad Rebbe will reappear to complete his mission.
• Some of the Meshichistin are even claiming publicly that the Rebbe is Hashem in human form!

The Meshichistin Torah distortions and deceptions can be easily debunked using valid Torah sources.

The Rambam’s 12th Ikkar (principle) of his 13 principles is that Moshiach will be a living king in Israel who rules over Israel and the world.

The Rambam explicitly stated in Hilchos Melachim 11:5 that Jewish Kings who have died can no longer be considered the Moshiach promised by the Torah.

Of course the Chabad Rebbe was never a king and it is well known that the Chabad Rebbe did not have any children.

Rambam, Hilchot Melachim 4:8 wrote that Moshiach will have SONS (ulbanav): הַמֶּלֶךְ הַמָּשִׁיחַ נוֹטֵל מִכָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת שֶׁכּוֹבְשִׁין יִשְׂרָאֵל חֵלֶק אֶחָד מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה עָשָׂר. וְדָבָר זֶה חֹק לוֹ וּלְבָנָיו עַד עוֹלָם: "The King Messiah may procure for himself 1/13th of all the lands conquered by Israel. This is a law for him and his SONS (emphasis added), forever. "

However, when we checked the Chabad dot org site (a while back ago), Hilchot Melachim 4:8 was translated as "descendants" instead of SONS!

There are NO sources in authentic Torah Judaism for the Chabad Meshichist concept of a Moshiach who begins his mission, then he dies, but he continues to be Moshiach, and then reappears to continue his mission.

The only sources for such a "Moshiach" might be the New Testament!

If a Chabad chassid tells you that Moshiach can come from the dead, ask him to clarify what he really means by that.