Mar 20, 2005

A Rebbeshe Zach or a third way of looking at the Barry Gourary controversy


A reader suggests that there might be a third way o looking at the Barry Gourary controversy. Perhaps there is not sense or logic in it. As was often the case with many Rebbe�s initiatives and directions. Put it simple it does not make any sense by design. Specifically the reader suggest that the "seforim" issue is purely mystical and does not fit in into the normal familiar dispute framework.
He brings these examples:
1. The Rebbe wanted all original letters of the Rebbeim in perfectly legal possession of the chassidim to be �returned� to him. (not strange?)
2. The printing of Tanya everywhere (more than a bit bizarre?)
3. The "seforim" case. Even though it sounds crazy to say the Rebbe�s position was that "there is no issue of yerusha because the deceased is still alive"!!!!Therefore the legal fight was not between the inheritors but between Barry and Aguh, an old organization that RaYaTZ "was still in charge of".
4. The "Schneersohn" library in Russia case. Even though for scholarship purposes it was sufficient to have copies of the manuscripts and most of the stuff there does not seem to have scholastic value there is a strange protracted struggle with significant expenditures in time and human effort.
The point is that the whole thing is not what you say it is � it is mystical, a Rebbeshe zach.