The Ruling that the Rebbe is Melech HaMoshiach: Difference between revisions

The ruling that the Rebbe is King Messiah is a halachic ruling written and signed by rabbis of our time in several editions with various halachic reasonings, and signed by hundreds of rabbis from all streams. The ruling determines that according to halacha, the Rebbe is King Messiah and he must reveal himself and redeem Israel. The purpose of the ruling is to hasten and bring about the revelation of the Rebbe to all as King Messiah, in light of the Rebbe's statements on various occasions about the great power of halachic rulings, which supposedly obligate the Heavenly Court.

In 5746 (1986), after a visit by the Chief Rabbis and in accordance with the Rebbe's wishes as expressed in the meeting, the rabbis gathered together with members of the Chabad Rabbinic Court in the Holy Land and signed the first ruling that Moshiach must be revealed, but without reference to Moshiach's identity.

On the 10th of Tevet 5747 (1987), within the seven days of celebration for "Didan Notzach" (Our side won), a delegation of rabbis led by Rabbi Yehuda Kalman Marlow presented to the Rebbe a ruling about the revelation of Moshiach which hinted at the fact that the Rebbe is King Messiah. The Rebbe read the ruling in the presence of the delegation and responded with a blessing.

RULING – Since many of us undersigned have already issued a clear ruling according to the Torah of Truth that Moshiach Tzidkeinu must come and the Third Beit Hamikdash must be built immediately and literally, as all the appointed times have already passed and the Jewish people have already done teshuva, and the other conditions necessary for the coming of Moshiach Tzidkeinu have also been fulfilled, as explained in the aforementioned ruling. And many of the greatest poskim of our generation from all circles and from all corners of the world have joined and signed this ruling –

Therefore, in continuation of this, according to the clear ruling of the Rambam in the Laws of Kings Chapter 11, Law 4: 'If a king will arise from the House of David who delves in Torah and occupies himself with mitzvot like his father David, according to the Written and Oral Torah, and compels all of Israel to walk in it and strengthen its breaches, and fights the wars of Hashem – this one is presumed to be Moshiach. If he did so and succeeded and built the Temple in its place and gathered the dispersed of Israel, then he is certainly Moshiach.'

On Sunday, 13 Sivan 5751 (1991), during the distribution of dollars, when Rabbi Avi Taub passed by, the Rebbe addressed him on his own initiative (without him mentioning anything about it), gave him an additional dollar and said: "A good journey, much success, good tidings." And to Rabbi David Nachshon who passed after him, he said: "This is for the journey."

The next day, they departed on this two-day mission: First they arrived in Moscow, from there they continued to Lubavitch and read the ruling at the graves of the Tzemach Tzedek and the Maharash. During the following days, they visited the graves of the Mitteler Rebbe in Nezhin, the Baal Shem Tov in Mezhibuzh, the Maggid of Mezritch in Anipoli, the Alter Rebbe in Haditch, the Rashab in Rostov, and the grave of the Rebbe's father, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak in Alma Ata. When they had a doubt whether to travel to Mezhibuzh now or wait until they had additional photographs to leave there, they shared their doubt with Rabbi Akiva Marshal, secretary of the Chabad Mobile office in New York, and he conveyed it to the Rebbe. In response, the Rebbe circled and drew an arrow to the words in his letter: "travel to Mezhibuzh now."

After the 27th of Adar 5752 (1992), Rabbi David Nachshon and Rabbi Avi Taub traveled again on behalf of Rabbi Yitzchak Yehuda Yeruslavski to the gravesites of our Rebbes in order to read the ruling and pray for the Rebbe's recovery.

During the satellite broadcast that took place on the 10th of Shevat 5753 (1993), Rabbi Yitzchak Hendel read the ruling

The third ruling was signed by dozens of prominent rabbis, including Rabbi Pinchas Hirschprung, and was read by Rabbi Yitzchak Hendel at the entrance to the Rebbe's room on the night of 11 Nissan 5752 (1992), during the satellite broadcast on 10 Shevat 5753 (1993), and on other occasions. The content of the ruling is that the Rebbe has the halachic status of "b'chezkas Moshiach" (presumed to be Moshiach), and as such, the Torah oath "that his lamp shall never be extinguished forever and ever" applies to him, and he will live eternal life.

In the month of Tishrei 5758 (1997), Rabbi Gedaliah Axelrod wrote a new ruling. Unlike the previous rulings, which were based on the '''Laws of the King Moshiach''', this ruling is based on the '''Law of a Prophet''' that applies to the Rebbe:<blockquote>The honorable and holy Admor of Lubavitch, in his holy sicha of Parshas Shoftim 5751 (1991), establishes a practical halachic determination that our generation has a prophet and we are obligated to listen to him, as ruled in Rambam's Laws of the Foundations of the Torah, chapter 7.

Therefore, we are obligated to listen to all that he tells us from the category of obligation to listen to the words of the prophet, including that he is the King Moshiach and will be revealed to us immediately, literally.</blockquote>The ruling is signed by hundreds of Admorim, rabbis of cities, neighborhoods, and communities from all circles and streams, as well as Chabad rabbis from around the world. The signatures are collected by Rabbi Yitzchak Lipsh, together with Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Levkivker and other shluchim. New rabbis continuously join the ruling.

In the year 5777 (2017), approaching 24 Tevet - the hilula (anniversary of passing) of the Alter Rebbe - a group of twelve rabbis from the Chabad Halacha Institute embarked on an official journey to pray at the gravesites of our Rebbeim. The purpose of the journey was to read a ruling declaring the Rebbe as Melech HaMoshiach (King Messiah) and requesting his revelation - at the gravesites of the Alter Rebbe and the Mitteler Rebbe. During the journey, the rabbis discussed various halachic issues and also visited shluchim (emissaries) and participated in several special events.

Upon landing at the airport, the rabbis went to pray at the gravesite of the Alter Rebbe in Haditch. During the journey, the rabbis formulated the final text of the ruling, based on halachic sources and the Rebbe's sichos (talks). After deciding on and proofreading the text of the ruling, all the rabbis signed it. The rabbinical delegation arrived at the gravesite of the Alter Rebbe in Haditch, where the representative of the rabbis, Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Levkivker, one of the heads of the yeshiva in Tzfat and a Moreh Tzedek (halachic authority), read the ruling:<blockquote>"24 Tevet, the hilula of the Alter Rebbe, 5777, here in Haditch near the holy gravesite. Ruling! ... Therefore, we rule according to our holy Torah based on the halacha in Rambam (Chapter 7 of Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah, Halacha 1, and in Chapter 9, Halacha 2, and in Chapter 10, Halacha 1) that the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach Shlita is the prophet of the generation and he is the King Messiah... Therefore, we are obligated to listen to everything he tells us and instructs us within the obligation to listen to the voice of a prophet. This includes that he is Melech HaMoshiach... And according to the instruction of the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach that the time of redemption has arrived, therefore we request that now his kingship be raised before the eyes of all, literally immediately in the complete redemption, now."</blockquote>

The concept of the ruling is based on words heard from the Rebbe himself in the past, regarding the power of rabbinical rulings through the power of Torah, especially on the topic of redemption. On the night after Yom Kippur 5721 (1960) at a meal in the Frierdiker Rebbe's apartment, the Rebbe turned to the rabbis and asked them to agree that Moshiach should come. One of the rabbis answered: "Do we need to agree? Who are we to agree? Let the Rebbe agree!" The Rebbe's face became serious and he did not respond, but after a few days, on the night of Sukkot, when asked about the second day of Yom Tov in the diaspora - the Rebbe responded: "Second day of Yom Tov in the diaspora? You could have avoided this entirely!"

Similarly, over the years, the Rebbe turned several times to rabbis and other Rebbes to rule that the time of redemption had arrived.