Editing The Rebbe as Melech HaMoshiach (section)

== Throughout the Years ==
In the first years of his nesius, the Rebbe generally opposed publishing his identity as Moshiach. The first major publication initiative was in 1965, when Rabbi Avraham Pariz distributed pamphlets which stated: "With great joy we can announce to you that behold the King Moshiach... is already here with us now, he is the holy Rebbe of Lubavitch." Even before publishing the pamphlet, Rabbi Pariz reported this to the Rebbe and received a response that the letter was received. Rabbi Pariz sent the Rebbe a letter after printing the pamphlet with a sample, and wrote again after publication and did not receive a negative response. After the pamphlet was published, someone complained about it, and the Rebbe immediately ordered the secretariat to send an urgent telegram to Rabbi Avraham to stop distributing the pamphlet immediately.

In 1983, Rabbi Moshe Slonim published a collection of Torah insights on matters of Moshiach and Geulah (funded by Rabbi Zusha Rivkin). The collection's focus was explaining accepting the Rebbe's kingship as King Moshiach and included Torah insights from various Chabad rabbis in this direction. Subsequently, Rabbi Slonim published another booklet on educational matters which also referred to the Rebbe with the title 'King Moshiach'. After several chassidim approached the Rebbe claiming that publishing these things would cause chilul Hashem, the Rebbe said to ask the rabbis if the pamphlet could be distributed. After the rabbis ruled that the booklets should not be published publicly, he demanded to stop publishing the booklets, explaining that they cause division with many Jews and the way to bring Geulah is specifically through ahavas Yisroel.

In 1984, Rabbi Sholom Dov Ber Wolpo prepared his book "Yechi HaMelech" for publication, which included an explanation of the signs of King Moshiach according to the Rambam with hints about the Rebbe's identity as Moshiach. When he sent his composition to the Rebbe, he received no response. Afterward, he received the approval of Rabbis Moshe Feinstein and Zalman Shimon Dvorkin and wrote to the Rebbe that he planned to also receive the approval of the Chabad Rabbinic Court in Eretz HaKodesh. After several weeks, he received a phone call from Rabbi Chodakov, who conveyed the Rebbe's response, in which he prohibited him from printing, speaking, or writing about any matters of Moshiach.

Later, when Rabbi Wolpo asked Rabbi Binyamin Klein why when he sent his composition to the Rebbe, the Rebbe didn't answer anything and after several months responded with such a sharp answer, he was told that on the day he received the response, a letter arrived from one of the rabbis in Jerusalem in which he wrote to the Rebbe that he heard Rabbi Wolpo was going to publish a book that would cause chilul Hashem. Subsequently, the Rebbe rejected the publication in public talks as well: On the first night of Sukkos 1985, the Rebbe briefly alluded to rejecting involvement in accepting the kingship of King Moshiach by the people, saying that the required work is to show a living example of a chassid while in this matter one should rely on Hashem. Later, in the Shabbos Bereishis talk, the Rebbe spoke sharply about how as a result of this publication they distanced and distance people from learning Chassidus and through this delay the coming of Moshiach and fight against our Rebbeim and King Moshiach.

During a farbrengen in Montreal on Purim 1988, an initiative was raised, in light of the Rebbe's holy talk about "whoever extends their hand, we give to them," to sign together on a letter to the Rebbe requesting his immediate revelation as King Moshiach. Among the signers was the community rabbi, Rabbi Yitzchak Hendel, who added a note next to his signature that "the Rebbe should hasten the true and complete Geulah." Those present decided that the letter should remain confidential and not be published so there wouldn't be "sustenance for the external forces" and two community members traveled immediately on behalf of the signers to deliver it directly to the Rebbe, but this didn't work out and they gave it to Vaad HaMesader to pass to the Rebbe. In practice, contrary to what was agreed upon at the time of signing, one of the chassidim added at the top of the letter the words: "To Anash in all places" and a copy of the letter also reached other places.

Two weeks later, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Groner called Rabbi Hendel by telephone and conveyed the Rebbe's questions in response to the letter: "1) From where did you judge me? 2) Are all his rulings of this nature?" He also asked whether he thought if this would help spread the wellsprings and added: this will arouse intense opposition. To the question "from where did you judge me?" Rabbi Hendel answered that there is a source for the matters in the 'Laws of King Moshiach' in Rambam that what is written there fits the Rebbe exactly, and regarding the decrease in spreading the wellsprings he answered that according to what was agreed upon at the time of signing, the letter was not intended for publication and it was even sent to the Rebbe directly for this reason. To this the Rebbe answered: "What is the language 'in all places'?" and Rabbi Hendel who didn't know about the later addition replied that he doesn't know about such language in connection with the letter, to which the Rebbe responded: "His signature tells what he knows." The Rebbe also expressed that those who signed the letter (content): "are not from the settlement."

On Purim 1989, Rabbi Yehuda Leib Groner approached Rabbi Tuvia Plass and told him that the Rebbe requested he come in after Mincha prayers. During that yechidus, the Rebbe spoke with great pain and in a very sharp style about activity that someone from Anash did during that period regarding publishing the identity of Moshiach in a way that caused the Rebbe anguish, and the Rebbe gave him a special mission to convey to that person.