Misnagdim

Misnagdim - Opposition to Chassidism was a popular movement that opposed the Chassidic way, partly due to misinformation, slander, and lies spread about the Chassidic movement, partly due to fundamental misunderstanding of the Chassidic way, and was supported broadly by the Maskilim (Enlightenment followers) who led many of the denunciations and physically fought against Chassidism, which strongly opposed the Enlightenment path.

Early Opposition

The opposition that arose in the Jewish community in Eastern Europe began with the establishment of the Chassidic movement in Volhynia by the Baal Shem Tov in 1740, continued with his student the Maggid of Mezeritch, and intensified during the time of the Alter Rebbe - founder of Chabad Chassidism. The opposition created large-scale division within the Jewish community, including persecution and excommunication, even leading to government informing. After three generations of conflict, the dispute subsided for a long time. In the 1980s, the dispute was rekindled by the then-head of the Ponovezh Yeshiva, though it has been diminishing again since his passing.

Initial Opposition

This opposition had several causes, with the main one being the emergence of Chassidism after the false messiah Sabbatai Zevi, whose actions had disastrous consequences, leading to fears that this movement would have similar results. Another factor was the dispute over the prohibition of studying Kabbalah. In early Chassidic times, the "Council of Four Lands" concentrated the ban against Chassidim.

The Vilna Gaon also opposed Chassidism and Chassidim due to misinformation from opponents. It's told that some opponents swore before the Vilna Gaon that Chassidim ate and drank on Tisha B'Av and danced with a girl. The truth behind their oath was that Tisha B'Av fell on Shabbat that year (when eating and drinking are permitted), and one Chassid danced while holding his infant daughter.

Additional Motivations

Additional reasons for opposition included false rumors spread about Chassidim not being God-fearing and disregarding certain commandments. Also, the Chassidic elevation of simple Jews was opposed, with claims that bringing closer simple Jews led to disrespect for Torah.

Opposition During the Maggid's Time

According to "Beit Rebbi," the conflict began in 1770 when some of the Vilna Gaon's students brought supposedly upright people who testified that Chassidim were careless with Jewish law and disregarded Torah and commandments. Part of their testimony was about seeing Chassidim eating and drinking on Tisha B'Av and dancing in mixed company, but they didn't mention that Tisha B'Av fell on Shabbat that year and the dancing was with a days-old infant girl.

Based on these stories and testimonies, the Vilna Gaon issued a letter excommunicating the Chassidim, saying they were from the sect of Sabbatai Zevi. The persecution intensified to the point where a proclamation was issued declaring Chassidic wine as forbidden and their bread as non-kosher, and forbidding marriage with them.

Chassidic Response

The situation where Chassidim were being persecuted, due to the constant incitement from the leaders of the Misnagdim, caused the talmidim of the Maggid of Mezritch to travel to their Rebbe in Mezritch to decide on their next steps.

Among the talmidim who arrived was Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, who was then the Mara D'asra in Pinsk, and had begun to suffer harassment from the Misnagdim because he was a talmid of the Rav HaMaggid. Due to the situation in his city, he too left Pinsk and traveled to Mezritch, and when he left Pinsk, the Misnagdim appointed another rav in his place. That rav feared that Rabbi Levi Yitzchak would return and demand the rabbinate back, so he began to harass his family so they would completely leave the city. His family members sent Rabbi Levi Yitzchak a letter in which they described the harassment from the new rav, and Rabbi Levi Yitzchak showed the letter to his fellow Chassidim.

At the Shabbos seudah, the talmidim showed the letter to the Maggid, intending to hear advice, but he ignored it and did not respond. On Motzei Shabbos, nine talmidim sat to decide for themselves what to do, and decided to reverse the cherem that the Gra had made, and place the cherem on the Misnagdim, particularly on the new rav in Pinsk. They did not include the Alter Rebbe in the cherem, as they feared he would refuse to participate following the Maggid's ignoring of the matter.

Since there were only nine and they were missing one for a minyan to impose the cherem, they decided to ask him what should be done according to din Torah to people who impose a cherem wrongfully. When he answered that the din is to reverse the cherem onto them, they demanded his participation in imposing the cherem as required.

At night, the Maggid entered the room where the talmidim were sleeping, and when they woke up, he asked what they had done before going to sleep. When they told him about reversing the cherem, he told them that with this action they had lost their 'head', but gained that in every dispute between Chassidim and Misnagdim, 'the hand of the Chassidim would be on top'.

When Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitepsk saw there was no way to stop the dispute and hatred, he began preparing for a journey to Eretz HaKodesh.

In the month of Adar 1777, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, accompanied by the HARAK, Rabbi Yona of Polotsk, and the Alter Rebbe, along with three hundred additional Chassidim, set out toward Mohilev, from where they would depart for Eretz Yisrael. Initially, the Alter Rebbe planned to join the journey as well, but in Mohilev, Rabbi Menachem Mendel decided that the Alter Rebbe should remain in Russia to lead the Chassidic community, and after much pressure, he agreed to stay.

During that period, the Misnagdim issued another letter containing false testimonies about the actions of the Chassidim. The letter was distributed in communities in Eretz HaKodesh to cause the communities to excommunicate and place a cherem on Rabbi Menachem Mendel and the Chassidic community.

On the 5th of Elul 1777, they arrived in Tzfat, and when they saw that the city was desolate with many empty houses and abandoned shuls, they decided to settle there. Despite the letter from the Misnagdim, the community members regarded Rabbi Menachem Mendel as a holy Jew, particularly the Sephardic communities in Yerushalayim and Teverya, and they begged him to accept leadership of their communities. In the month of Shevat 1778, they traveled to Teverya for two weeks, where the Sephardic community showed them the letters from the Misnagdim and asked Rabbi Menachem Mendel to burn the letters. After the letters were in his possession for several days, they conducted a public burning in the presence of the city's Jews.

From Eretz HaKodesh, Rabbi Menachem Mendel sent several letters to the Jews of Lithuania and Russia in another attempt to stop the dispute between the Misnagdim and Chassidim, and an additional letter to the scholars of Vilna.

Modern Times

At the beginning of Chassidut's path, there was reason for concern that reactions following its establishment would lead to a decline in Torah and mitzvot observance, and this dispute was "l'shem shamayim" (for the sake of Heaven). However, after all the years that have passed since then, the impact of Chassidut on the Chassid and those influenced by his behavior is evident, and the Chassidic movement has caused an increase in Torah and mitzvot observance. There is no genuine reason for opposition, and the sparks of dispute that exist today are "shelo l'shem shamayim" (not for the sake of Heaven), and are not related to the ancient dispute between Chassidim and their opponents.

On one occasion, the Rebbe wrote: "Regarding what was written about Misnagdim - there are no such people within Beit Yisrael, for even those who oppose in speech, this is only due to lack of knowledge, and when matters are explained to them as they are, not only do they cease their opposition but they also become friends and supporters and assist, and the matter depends only on the awakener that his words should be with chayus and coming from the heart, then they will have their effect"

The Story of Ponevezh Yeshiva

Ponevezh Yeshiva - which is one of the largest Lithuanian yeshivas - was initially moderate in its approach to Chabad Chassidut, following the outlook of its founder - Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, who even appointed Rabbi Yehoshua David Povarsky, who had been a Rosh Mesivta at Achei Tmimim Tel Aviv, as Rosh Yeshiva, and many Chabad Chassidim studied there. During the 1980s, its approach was intensified by the one who served then as Rosh Yeshiva, and it became a stronghold of dispute, blind hatred, and war against Chassidut and the Rebbe, which peaked in the 1989 elections, when large segments of Lithuanian circles were drawn into these matters. After the death of that Rosh Yeshiva, the dispute has been subsiding, as expressed even in Ponevezh Yeshiva itself, where in Elul 2010, Rabbi Dovid Meir Drukman visited and spoke and held a farbrengen with the students, and on another occasion, Rabbi Shneur Zalman Gopin spontaneously held a farbrengen in the yeshiva and was joyfully received by the yeshiva students.

One of the peak points of that opposition was in the non-recognition of Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Leib Landau as his father Rabbi Yaakov Landau's successor in the role of Mara D'asra and Rabbi of Bnei Brak, and the opening of Kehillat She'erit Yisrael which did not accept his authority, while waging war against him and his holy work. After the death of that Rosh Yeshiva, this opposition and dispute gradually subsided, when in Tammuz 2010, Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman and Rabbi Nissim Karelitz signed a letter praising Rabbi Landau's Kollel 'Paamei Yaakov' in which he is called: "his son and successor, the Gaon Chassid Rabbi Moshe Yehuda Leib Landau shlita - Gaavad of our city." Furthermore, during a conversation about kashrus matters, Rabbi Shteinman said that Rabbi Landau's hechsher and supervision are the best and that he is a very capable person, and regarding his greatness testified that the Chazon Ish held Rabbi Landau the son in even higher regard than he relied on his father. (Rabbi Shteinman explained that Rabbi Landau was over twenty years old when the Chazon Ish passed away). A peak point in the subsiding of the dispute was the declaration of Bnei Brak Mayor Rabbi Avraham Rubinstein during Rabbi Moshe Landau's funeral, after speaking with Lithuanian leaders Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky and Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, that "with the consent of the Gedolei Torah, Admorim, Roshei Yeshiva and city rabbis, it was decided that all religious and kashrus matters in the city will be managed by the Gaonim Rabbis, his son and successor as per his request - Rabbi Chaim Yitzchak Eisik Landau shlita and Rabbi Shevach Tzvi Rosenblatt shlita in full cooperation. And truth and peace they loved," and since then Rabbi Chaim Yitzchak Eisik Landau has served as Rabbi of Bnei Brak (alongside Rabbi Rosenblatt) and in managing the kashrus system, with this being recognized by Lithuanian circles.

In 2016, during a historic visit to Eretz Yisrael, the Gaon Chassid Rabbi Yoel Kahan a"h entered the home of Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman and spoke with him about Chassidut for a very long conversation during which Rabbi Yoel enjoyed discussing matters of Chassidut with him. A conversation to which Rabbi Yoel dedicated about 23 minutes, which was rare for him.