Leadership in the HaBaD Movement

by Avrum M. Ehrlich

Overview

Leadership issues are subject to much discussion and interest yet too little is known of their internal dynamics. Leadership and succession of authority has been a constant theme in Jewish literature and life from biblical days until today. The present work studies questions relating to authority in general and hasidic authority in particular. It uses the various HaBaD hasidic dynasties as a case study to illustrate how authority was transferred from one generation to another and how a leader emerges as a leader despite opposition. The rise to eminence of Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson is the third major subject discussed therein. He is the focus of careful analysis. Through such illustrations, leadership characteristics peculiar to that movement as well as general leadership theory are better understood. In this work, leadership criteria are analyzed and discussed to properly ascertain what brought one person to a position of supreme leadership and what brought another to become a subordinate.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780765760555
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/31/2000
Pages:	456
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 1.19(d)

About the Author

Avrum M. Ehrlich is a political philosopher and researcher into religion, mass movements and leadership. He is presently a fellow at Cambridge University's Department of Social and Political Science, and at Clare Hall, Cambridge. He divides his time between Jerusalem and Cambridge, researching the general relationship between religion and government, particularly in the Jewish world. Leadership in the HaBaD Movement is his first book.

Table of Contents

	Acknowledgments	xi
	Introduction	1
	Motives	1
	Contents	2
	Relevance of the Study	3
	Sources	4
	Difficulties	5
	Notes	6
Section I	What Makes a HaBaD Rebbe?	9
	Introduction	11
	Brief Description of the HaBaD Movement	11
	Notes	14
1	General Description of Pre-Hasidic Jewish Leadership	17
	Notes	19
2	Hasidic Leadership	21
	The Beginnings of Hasidism	21
	General Hasidic Ideas of the Zaddik as Leader	26
	The Source of the Zaddik's Soul	27
	Breslav as an Aberration	29
	Social Functions of the Zaddik	30
	Transferral of the Zaddik's Authority	32
	Notes	34
3	HaBaD Conceptions of the Zaddik	40
	Historical Context to HaBaD Leadership Ideas	40
	General Hasidic Influences	41
	RaSHaZ's Concept of the Zaddik	46
	Defining the Rebbe to the Outside World	50
	Other Contributions to the HaBaDic Conception of Rebbe/Leader	53
	Notes	55
4	The HaBaD Hasid's Relationship with his Rebbe	60
	The Hasid's Spiritual Makeup	60
	Social Needs of the Hasid	61
	Needs of HaBaD Hasidim	63
	Financing the Zaddik	64
	Notes	67
5	The HaBaD Rebbe as Scholar	70
	Scholarship and Leadership	70
	Scholarship in Hasidic Leadership	71
	HaBaD Scholarship	72
	Scholarship and Public Relations	73
	HaBaD Manuscripts as a Symbol of Transferral	75
	Notes	77
6	Leadership Models for the HaBaD Leader	81
	HaBaD Rebbe as High Priest	81
	HaBaD Rebbe as Prophet	83
	HaBaD Rebbe as Reluctant Leader	85
	HaBaD Rebbe as Charismatic Leader	88
	HaBaD Rebbe as King	92
	HaBaD Rebbe as Nasi	93
	Notes	95
7	HaBaD Rebbe as a Military Leader	99
	Prominence of the Military Leader	99
	Militancy of RaSHaZ	100
	Militancy in Other HaBaD Rebbes	101
	Shlichut as a Military Term	102
	Notes	103
8	Ancestor Worship in HaBaD Leadership	106
	To Carry Out the Will of the Rebbe	109
	Notes	111
9	Messianism in the HaBaD Leadership	113
	Messianism and HaBaD Rebbes	115
	Messianism and RaMaSH	115
	Conclusion	117
	Notes	118
Section II	The Transfer of Leadership in the HaBaD Movements: Past Models	121
	Introduction	123
	Difficulties With The Proposed Study	125
	Notes	126
10	The Leadership of Shneur Zalman (RaSHaZ)	128
	Competition to RaSHaZ	129
	Menahem Mendel of Vitebsk (MMV)	129
	Yissacher Ber and Yisrael of Polosk	130
	Avraham of Kalisk	131
	Polishe-HaGaT Zaddikim	132
	The Mitnagdim	133
	The Rise of RaSHaZ To Eminence	134
	Consolidation of RaSHaZ's Authority	137
	Delegation of Authority	141
	Leadership Through Mysticism	142
	The Hasidic Groupings and Their Choice of Rebbe	142
	Summary of Factors that Contributed to RaSHaZ's Leadership	148
	Relevance of the Above Chapter to RaMaSH	153
	Similarities between RaSHaZ and RaMaSH	153
	Dissimilarities Between RaSHaZ and RaMaSH	155
	Notes	156
11	The Leadership of Dov Ber	160
	Historical Context	160
	Competition to Dov Ber	162
	The Election of Dov Ber as the HaBaD Rebbe	172
	Consolidation of Dov Ber's Authority	176
	The Hasidic Groupings and Their Choice of Rebbe	183
	Summary of Factors that Contributed to Dov Ber's Leadership	187
	Relevance of the Above Chapter to RaMaSH	188
	Conclusion	189
	Notes	189
12	The Leadership of Menachem Mendel--Zemach Zedek (ZZ)	193
	Historical Context	193
	Evolution of the HaBaDic Leadership Criteria (Third Generation)	194
	Competition to ZZ	195
	The Election of ZZ as the HaBaD Rebbe	197
	Consolidation of ZZ's Authority	201
	The Hasidic Groupings and Their Choice of Rebbe	206
	Conclusion	208
	Notes	208
13	The Leadership of Shmuel	211
	Historical Context	211
	Evolution of the HaBaDic Leadership Criteria (Fourth Generation)	213
	Competition to Shmuel	214
	The Election of Shmuel of Lubavitch as Rebbe	224
	Evolution of the HaBaDic Leadership Criteria (Fifth Generation)	227
	Hasidic Groupings and their Choice of Rebbe	229
	Relevance of the Above Chapter to RaMaSH	231
	Conclusion	233
	Notes	233
14	The Leadership of Shalom Dov Ber (RaSHaB)	236
	Historical Context	236
	Evolution of the HaBaDic Leadership Criteria (Sixth Generation)	236
	The Difficulties of the Age as Contributing to Change	238
	Competition to RaSHaB	240
	The Election of RaSHaB as a Rebbe	241
	Consolidation of RaSHaB's Authority	244
	The Hasidic Groupings and Their Choice of Rebbe	249
	Relevance of the Above Chapter to RaMaSH	249
	Notes	250
15	The Leadership of Yosef Yitzchak (RaYYaZ)	252
	Historical Context	252
	Evolution of the HaBaDic Leadership Criteria	253
	Competition To RaYYaZ	256
	The Rize of RaYYaZ to Eminence in Soviet Russia	257
	Consolidation of RaYYaZ's Authority in Soviet Russia	259
	Leadership over Russian Jewry	262
	The Rize of RaYYaZ to Eminence in North America	265
	A Hero's Reputation	266
	International HaBaD Communities	267
	Correspondence	268
	Competition to RaYYaZ in the United States	269
	Chaim Avraham Dov Ber Levine HaCohen (The Malach)	269
	Hasidic Infrastructure	271
	Old-Boys Network	271
	HaBaD's Institutional Presence in the United States	272
	RaYYaZ's Personality	273
	The Politics of Leadership	275
	Consolidation of RaYYaZ's Authority in North America	281
	Relevance of the Above Chapter to RaMaSH	282
	Conclusion	282
	Notes	283
Section III	The Election of RaMaSH as the HaBaD Rebbe	289
	Introduction	291
	Difficulties with the Proposed Study	293
	Notes	294
16	A Brief Biographical Sketch of RaMaSH's Pre-Rebbe Life	296
	Stories of RaMaSH's Pre-Rebbe Life	299
	Notes	304
17	RaMaSH as Son-in-Law of RaYYaZ	307
	The Son-in-Law in Traditional Society	308
	Yisrael Aryeh Leib as RaYYaZ's Potential Son-in-Law	309
	Chaya Mousia as Match for RaMaSH	310
	Selection of RaMaSH as a Son-in-law by Virtue of his Genealogy	311
	Selection of RaMaSH as a Son-in-Law by Virtue of his Family	312
	Selection of RaMaSH as a Son-in-law by Virtue of his Own Qualities	313
	Notes	318
18	Self-Development of RaMaSH	322
	Public Attention	323
	RaMaSH's Relationship with RaYYaZ	325
	Notes	328
19	Introduction to RaMaSH's Leadership Bid	330
	Sources	330
	The Pre-Election Environment	332
	International Communities	333
	Notes	336
20	Competition to RaMaSH's Leadership Bid	337
	Two Successors	337
	No Successor	338
	Menachem Mendel Horenshtein	339
	Shalom Dov Ber (Barry) Gourary	339
	Shmaryahuh Gourary (RaSHaG)	342
	Notes	350
21	RaYYaZ's Intentions Regarding the Future Succession	353
	To Carry Out the Will of the Rebbe	353
	Did RaYYaZ Support RaMaSH's Candidacy?	354
	Jobs and Titles	355
	Notes	357
22	The Death of RaYYaZ and Pro-RaMaSH Posturing	359
	First Impressions	359
	Notes	361
23	RaMaSH's Leadership Qualities	362
	The Religious Mind-Set	363
	A General Impression of RaMaSH's Religious Mind-Set	364
	RaMaSH-Likeable-Charismatic	366
	RaMaSH as an Administrator	367
	Absence from the Political Fray	372
	RaMaSH as a Source of Encouragement and Solace	373
	RaMaSH as a Reluctant Leader	376
	RaMaSH as a Worker of Wonders	382
	RaMaSH as a Source of Information and Archives	384
	RaMaSH as a Conduit for RaYYaZ's leadership	385
	RaMaSH as a Mystic	387
	Notes	389
24	RaMaSH's Appointment as the HaBaD-Lubavitch Rebbe	394
	The Process	394
	The Hasidic Groupings and Their Choice of Rebbe	395
	Application of the "Class Distinction" Hypothesis	396
	The Pro-RaSHaG Alliance	397
	The Pro-RaMaSH Alliance	399
	Conclusion	402
	Notes	403
	Glossary of Terms	407
	Glossary of People, Abbreviations, and Acronyms	417
	Bibliography	423
	Index	443