Queens, NY – Tens of thousands of visitors made their way to the holy Hasidic site in eastern Queens Monday night to visit the grave of the seventh grand rebbe of the Lubavitcher group of Hasidic Jews.
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Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson’s resting place is Cambria Heights, where he was buried after his death on June 12, 1994. He is considered one of the most influential Jewish leaders of the 20th century and is remembered for strengthening a Hasidic community during the Holocaust and for helping Jews become closer to their faith.
More than 50,000 people were expected to visit Monday night and Tuesday to remember the 20th anniversary of the rebbe’s death.
“This is our World Cup,” Arale Waligora, 60, of São Paulo, Brazil told The New York Times (http://nyti.ms/VDgYXo).
Police officers provided supervision outside of the Ohel Chabad Lubavitch Center, located next to the gravesite, due to the large number of visitors. Visitors have come from all over the world – France, Norway and the Democratic Republic of Congo, just to name a few.
Rabbi Shlomo Wilhelm of Ukraine, speaking to the New York Times through a translator, said that the rebbe’s teachings had carried him through the last 20 years where he lives, in the city of Zhytomyr. “This is the place where I derive the inspiration and energy.”
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The funny thing about Israel is that Moses himself, the greatest jew to hold the seat of Prophesy was intentionally buried in such a manner that no mass exodus of jews to his grave would ever happen. This is indeed interesting because it indicates to me I think that G-d himself does not really think that Torah is a mass pilgrimage to grave sides for the entire jewish world, overall.
But still, the idea that this man is our Moshiac himself is quite absurd. A man of such fitness must be present in all of the worlds voices and the worlds choices.
True this is a very highly statured jew.
I think that Torah might be more celebrated if G-d was the real relationship and not a mass direction of major support for a more than perfect man in his better glory. But Torah is very interesting. I guess if this rabbi was our “messiah”, we might just have to realize that G-d is present in every tongue and not just in every heart.
But I digress. What would our world be like without fanaticism for the dead?
Throw away baker’s dozens. But a nice tribute.
#1 ModernLakewoodGuy
Last I checked that’s what a cemetery is…generally u just go in…not out! Well, that’s for non-believers, as Ma’aminim Bnei Ma’aminim we believe in Techiyas Hamaysim…perhaps that concept didn’t make it to Lakewood.
That being said I have a feeling you will one day NEED & indeed go running to the Ohel….sorry but this just happens to people like you…May Hashem hear your Tefillos.
“This is our World Cup,”
I kind of find that disturbing.
I don’t understand all these bad comments don’t you know you are playing with FIRE you are not talking about some pizza store owner you are talking about one of the biggest rebbes
thousands of people go there all year not just on the yartzeit
I myself go with my wife go to the ohel there is this amazing feeling when you stand there that your tefilis are being answered
You can go there any day any hour there is always people davining there
why risk playing with fire think before you comment
You prayers should be answered
Why don’t they write זצ”ל?
It should be time for Chabad to appoint a new leader or Chabad will lose ground little by little. If there was ever one (I am not sure), there is no “the 7th Lubavticher Rebbe will be the Mashiach”.
“versus praying to anyone else, whether a Rebbe or otherwise (heresy, forbidden).”
Can you please pinpoint the exact מקור in הלכה for this איסור without presenting your own personal opinion?