Brooklyn, NY – OVER the last three years, the most visible adherent of the Chabad-Lubavitch sect of Hasidic Judaism has been a strapping 20-something reggae singing star named Matisyahu.
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After joining the sect around 2001, Matisyahu became a regular guest and performer at Chabad’s outposts around the world. In songs and interviews, he frequently mentioned Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the movement’s revered spiritual leader. “Youth,” the title track of his second studio album, quotes Rabbi Schneerson’s dictum that “youth is the engine of the world.”
Chabad, which is based in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, is unique among Hasidic sects for its emphasis on the recruitment of non-Orthodox Jews, and Matisyahu, who goes by a single name, has come to be a sort of unofficial ambassador.
That is why some observers have been shocked over the past few months to see the singer distancing himself from Chabad in a series of public statements.
The news of his shifting allegiances has provoked a furious response among some Lubavitch bloggers, who accuse Matisyahu of betraying a movement that nurtured him. But among Lubavitch rabbis in New York, many of whom know Matisyahu personally, reaction has been considerably gentler.
I see him in the neighborhood, on the street and in synagogue, and people don’t even know who he is,” Rabbi Hecht said. “He wasn’t really appreciated from the inside of Chabad. He was more of a bridge to the outside.”
Rabbi Jacob Goldstein, the longtime head of Community Board 9, agreed. “No one’s ever called me over in shul and said, ‘Hey, Goldstein, did you hear Matisyahu bailed out?’” he said. “He’s looking elsewhere, and that’s that. [nytimes]
What bothers Lubavitchers is not that he left, but that he made up stories after ‘he left'(about the way shluchim treated him and other things) You want to leave-go ahead, but don’t lie while you’re doing it.
I personally am quite happy that he dissociated himself from Chabad. His actions and shows were not always exactly representative of a Chabad Chassid. He made his own rules, yet called himself Chabad:
You all need to understand something: Living by the Torah and the directives of the Lubavitcher Rebbe is what makes you a Lubavitcher. If you’re just living in Crown Heights and doing whatever you want, you’re a Crown Heightser, but not necessarily a Lubavitcher. The same goes for any group that follow a Rebbe or Rav.
I wish him well and hope he does not have to keep on jumping around to find where he is truly happy serving Hashem.
6:35
Very well put!!!
Nicely said, 10:57.
Perhaps 6:35, who obviously has an ax to grind in some Lubavitcher’s head, is one of the handful of Lubavitch rejects…very few, as Lubavitch accepts EVERY Jew & doesn’t reject others because of people’s prejudices.
But even Lubavitch draws the line at really evil people who are also NUTS!!
to 6:35 AM,, wow so much hate at that hour,,, as long as you know so many FACTS about chabad,,i guess your entitled to an opinion,,, but seriuosly dude, say lchaim and accept ppl who arent as PERFECT as you,,, and appreciate them for what they do,, besides dont say that you respected chabad b4 1992 b/c you never respected a single person in your lifeand ,,BTW dont generalize,,,
please do not speak about chillul hashem by other groups when the manager of your gorup in israel made a huge chillu hashem. the worse is that you have an art of telling people nothing happened. The guy is under house arrest and is not allowed to leave the coutrny (As he usually does twice a week).
Why is it, that everytime someone has a problem with Lubavitch, some Lubab comes back with the story of there centers around the world.
Yes, they have all those centers around the world. Too bad they are no longer “Jewish” centers.
Chabad/Lubavitch: as long as you go around saying the following, you have left us. You are not a CULT:
Your Rebbe is Moshiach
Your Rebbe was/is a Navi (Prophet)
Your Rebbe will “Return/beRevealed” as Messiah.
Your Rebbe was the “Nasi” of the dor. (I know he was NOT my Nasi. I liked and respected him when he was alive, until the last few years when he started encouraging this stuff, but he was NEVER my Nasi. Neither was he the Nasi of the Dor to anyone not a Lubo.)
Yours is the only true Chassidus
(all the other Chassidim are not real in your eyes. Just saying that disqualifies your chassidus completely, and makes the Lubos Misnagdim)
Eveyone who disagrees with any single thing Chabad does, is “Anti-Chabad”
You have respect for all Chabad People, and all non-frum people whom you can convert, but ZERO repect for the rest of the frum Yidden, with pet names for them, calling them all SNAGS.
Maybe Matis began to see this and left for the closest Chassidus that felt Kosher to him.
Face it guys, you Chabad people have left Judaism, and formed your new separatist cult.
REALITY:
Your Rebbe is NOT Moshiach
Your Rebbe was/in NOT a Novi/Prophet.
If he claimed to be a Novi as you claim, he was a Novi SHEKER
Your Rebbe was NEVER Nasi HaDor, and was opposed by the majority of frum Yiddishkeit while he was alive.
Your Rebbe WILL NOT RETURN!
Your Rebbe WILL NOT BE REVEALED!
Your Rebbe’s neshama was Nistalek from his body. There is another word for this, one you don’t like:
Your Rebbe is DEAD! (and will stay that way until Techiyas HaMaysim!
You have REPLACED THE TORAH HAKEDOSHA with your “Toras HaChassidus”…
Chabad “Chassidus” is NOT GENUINE CHASSIDUS, as real chassidus would not say what you say, and would not say all the other True Chassidim are not Chassidim.
Re-Reading your Rebbe’s Sichos and Maamarim is NOT CHASSIDUS, or Torah.
Yes, you are “Mekarev” thousands of people. They think they are baalei teshuva. You teach them your Rebbe’s Sichos and Maamarim ad ein sof, but not hilchos Shabbos, or hilchos kashrus. Most of them, wearing Chabad Garb, have treif houses, by accident, since they do not know better, and are out of ignorance constantly mechallel Shabbos. Real Chassidus that is… Right.
That is not being “Mekarev” that is being “Machshil HoRabim”
Their newfound worship of your Rebbe borders on Avoda Zara. Yes, you have much to be proud of… NOT.
The Conservative Jewish Centers are more Jewish than yours are. Sorry, but that is the truth. They mess up a lot, and are mechallel Shabbos, and eat treif… but at least they do not worship a dead man.
Besides, have you noticed that most Chabad Houses do NOT have a kosher mechitza? It is funny, they claim it meets Rov Moshe’s opinions. All of a sudden they quote him… that is funny. But they failed to read the rest of his teshuva. He clearly said that those height rules for for shuls were the women were dressed tzniusdik. But if the women came in with short sleeves, or uncovered hair, that the mechitza needed to be taller. You can’t saw Krias Shma if you can see those bare heads and bare arms!
But all that is okay with you, as your replacement God is only interested in how many converts you can get to your new religion.
Matisyahu was Lubavitch’s biggest embarassment since SB’s Book.
To curious George:
Please see the first comment. it was not from a lubab.
It started off negative aganst lubabs. So why do you blame them for being defensive.
You are the big mayvin no one else etc.
Matisyahu has the right to choose what he wants. But let us remember he is not a big Rov or talmid chochom that anyone should be nispael from what he chooses.
And we gain nothing by first bashing Chabad.
It is intersting to note that when these same bashers travel all over the world starting from Rochester Minn. To Beijing China the place that accepts them all nicely is Chabad.
just for your info, the rebbe clearly instructed that all lubavitch books be clean and leagal. this i am sure of that the books are clean. it would have made my life a bit easier if it wudnt be so clean……
I love how the Lubavitcher ‘fargin’ others.The biggest oomfarginners of all,but they demand that we respect all their meshugassen.
It’s getting tiring already.
To the guy who said something about scandals in BP:You should daven that the Lubab books don’t get opened up, veday lamaiyven(although most Lubab are not begeder ‘mevinim’ unfortunately)
Matisayahu NEVER ever represented Lubavicth, he had just been a Lubavicther thats it, now hes Karlins problem.
The bottom line is he still lives in CH .Chabad accepts every jew. Notice he still lives in CH. I dont know if he will be accepted in BP or the W. In CH they wont steer at him if hes a misfit like big payos and a brim down . He still knows where his bread is butterd . He need the publicity , so he goes karlin good on him . The Rebbe tought us to love all jews and not judge them on their shapes hats or sizes.
Matisyahu davened in our shul in CH the other week.
He was treated like anyone else. he stated he was a karliner and we accepted it.
Regarding Boro Park or CH just look at the upper blog and see the great kissudh Hashem going on in Boro Park. 3.5 million bail?
Which “Sect” was that?
Crown Heights,
Where did you see hate?
I never get this obsession that some Lubavitchers have that everybody ‘hates’ them.
There was a story that Matisyahu seems to have found another chassidus that makes him feel more connected.Is this so unusual?Does everybody have to fit into a one size fits all?After all he is a baal teshuva who had very little exposure to anything besides Lubavitch, now he explored a bit and has found something where he clicks bwtter.What is wrong with that?
Who cares? Abi er bleibt a erlicher yid, nobody in Lubavitch cares whether he identifies as a Lubavitcher or a Karliner or whatever. So long as he puts on tefillin every day he’ll still be a Lubavitch success story, no matter where he is.
He lost his shine since he left Chabad.
most people in crown heights dont care what he does. All i could say i wish him the best of luck.
Oh get a life, 11:45. Can’t you find anything better to do than HATE??? It’s all so boring & predictable. Try getting a REAL job! LOL
Mattisyahu is a publicity seeker. No one in Crown Heights cares what he does. Nobody takes any notice of him any more, the fascination with him is gone & I think that bothers him.
All you anti Lubavitchers out there…we’ve heard it all before. Go ahead, keep spouting the hate. we’re used to it. When you need us, we’ll still be there. We won’t ask if you posted negativity on VIN before we help you!!
There seems to be a mixup between Pinsk-Karlin (where he apparently has grown attached to in E. Israel) and Karlin-Stolin (which is a seperate chasidus [although Pinsk was once upon a time a breakoff of them]).
So What? As long as he tries to remain a frum jew?
Matisyahu has recently grown payos, and is now seen frequenting the Stolin Bais Hamedrash on 16th Avenue in Boro Park. Seems like he still has an aversion to a russian based chassidus. Wonder where he’ll be trying next. Stay tuned….
Good for him. He’s got a head for himself and was probably disturbed what he saw, and has the guts to change his affiliation based on his own sense. Now if only more of the Lubavitchers would see this clearly….