One in Messiah Congregation
The information below is from the Encyclopedia Judaica, jewishvirtuallibrary.org and JewishEncyclopedia.com
This file is small, but potent.
These men below started their own version of a religion in the 1700's which
today is only a small segment of Judaism.
The movement, Hasidism started only in the 1700's from the Ukraine on the Polish Russian border (Podolia) by Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov. (1698 - 1760)
Then also in the 1700's, Shneur Zalman (1745-1813), founded the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, He is from of Liadi, (Liadi was a small town in imperial Russia)
Following Schneur Zalman, there have been seven other Lubavitcher Rebbes, each designated by his predecessor.
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. (1902-1994) was chosen as the seventh Lubavitcher rebbe in 1950. Schneerson, known as the Rebbe, served as the heart and soul of Chabad for 44 years, he was the spiritual leader, as well as, intellectual and organizational leader of the movement. In 1994, Schneerson, at the age of 91, died childless and with no designated successor. Chabad leadership decided that he would be the final rebbe, this decision sparked much speculation and expectation that Schneerson was the Messiah.
Things to consider:
This sect started only in the 1700's, ( and is refuted by many rabbis )
This explains the dress code, from the Polish Russian border (Podolia )
and (Liadi was a small town in imperial Russia)
Lubavitch is the name of a small town in Russia
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson . is not the Messiah, he has never even been to Jerusalem.
Rabbi Shneur Zalman (1745-1813) published the Tanya, in 1796 which includes Transmigration of souls - "reincarnation," or "metempsychosis"). There is no definite proof of the existence of the doctrine of gilgul in Judaism during the Second Temple period. In the Talmud there is no reference to it. ( Doctrine Refuted by Saadia )
Impregnation of Souls: A quite new development of the doctrine of metempsychosis was the theory of the impregnation of souls, propounded by the cabalists of the Luria school.
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What I am saying is, let's stay with Scripture.
Jer.6[16] Thus saith Yehovah, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the "old paths" , where is the "good way" , and " walk" therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
But they said, we will not walk therein.