Letter from Dr. Berger about Chabad, Messianism, and Idolatry (1996)

In this letter, Dr. David Berger seeks Rabbi Lamm’s support in his campaign against what he viewed as heretical messianism in Chabad following the Rebbe’s death. Elsewhere, Rabbi Lamm maintained that believing the Rebbe was the Messiah posthumously was problematic but not heretical, while attributing divinity to him constituted heresy.

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Letter from Dr. Berger about "The Religious Thought of Hasidism" (1999)

Dear Dr. Lamm: Pearl and I are very grateful for the inscribed copy of The Religious Thought of Hasidism. This is not just a pro forma acknowledgment – I’ve read some of the book and find it both extremely impressive and personally useful. One reservation, however: the book deals with various cosmic mysteries but fails to address a particularly challenging one, namely, how you manage to write all that you do while fulfilling the demanding role of President of a major university. (When Gerson Cohen became Chancellor of JTS, he told me, “I’m out of commission as a scholar.”) Lelokim pitronim. Sincerely, David Berger.

Chasidim & Mitnagdim

Letter from Dr. Berger about Chabad and Messianism

Dear Dr. Lamm, thank you very much for sending this book. The material is particularly instructive for its absence of any reference to the Rebbe’s Messianship despite the fact that the author believes in it be-emunah shelemah. Thus, this is a good example of the approach of the Lubavitch moderates, who genuinely accept the Rebbe’s physical death, believe that he will certainly be the Messiah, and oppose any public indications of this belief. For an explicit affirmation by Kahan of all these positions, see the enclosed, which was written, as best I can tell, a few years after the Rebbe’s death. See especially pp. 13-14 (sections 12-13), 19-21 (section 17). Needless to say, anyone reading the material that you sent me in isolation would say that we have here a major Lubavitch thinker who discusses the redemption without any reference to the Rebbe’s Messianship and can therefore be presumed not to believe in it. Best regards, David

Faith Chasidim & Mitnagdim

Letter from Dr. Berger Enclosing Another Document about Chabad and Messianism (1994)

Dear Dr. Lamm, a request from Kenny Hain during a break at the Orthodox Caucus impelled me to produce yet another document on Lubavitch; though this campaign has yielded some results, there are regrettably miles to go before we can sleep. Best regards, David

Chasidim & Mitnagdim