By COLlive reporter
Rabbi Menashe Klein, the Ungvarer Rebbe who was an admirer of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and the Chabad-Lubavitch movement, passed away Tuesday night, Elul 29, 5771.
He was 88.
Known by the humble name Menashe Hakatan, he led the Ungvar community in the U.S. and Israel and authored 17 volumes of Mishnah Halachos and another 27 books on Torah and halacha.
Born in 1925 in the Czech Republic city of Ungvar (today Ukraine), his father Rabbi Eliezer Zev Klein was a local rabbi. He grew up and maintained a friendship with Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel.
After the Holocaust, where he lost family and friends, Rabbi Klein emigrated to the United States where he established the Ungvar community and its shul and yeshiva on 16th Avenue in Boro Park.
He got acquainted with the Lubavitcher Rebbe in the years before he assumed leadership of Chabad-Lubavitch. It was said that he was able to meet without an appointment.
Rabbi Klein held halachic discussions with the Rebbe, both in person and in writing. The Rebbe’s knowledge is “frightening,” he once said. And the Rebbe said about him, “he calls himself Menashe Hakatan (the small) although he is really big.”
Among the Chabad Chassidim he was in touch with were the Rebbe’s Mazkirim Rabbi Mordechai Hodakov and Rabbi Yehuda Krinsky, Toras Emes and Torah Vadaas Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Moshe Dovber Rivkin, Agudas Chassidei Chabad chairman Rabbi Abraham Shemtov and Rabbi Noach Fox, member of Agudas Harabonim of the U.S. and Canada.
He was a regular at Lubavitch events and farbrengens and often gave shiurim in Chabad Yeshivos, among them the Smicha program at the Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, NJ.
In 2009 he sharply denounced the ‘Chabad messianics’ saying that anyone who believes the Lubavitcher Rebbe is alive is an “Apikoras.”
He called them a “sect of crazies” and called on “whoever can, should as soon as possible, silence and stop the proclamations after or before the prayers ‘Yechi… King Moshiach’ which is a disgrace to the Rebbe OBM.”
He wrote in his book that “my intentions are holy – not to destroy the big building the Rebbe OBM built for over 50 years.. may he be an advocate for us and for all the Jewish people, especially his students and Chasidim.”
He passed away in Jerusalem, where he moved to in recent years, and will be buried on Erev Rosh Hashana.
Baruch dayan haemes.
Didn’t our beloved Rebbe say on himself that he is
‘moshiach crazy?’
He’s not ashamed.
I’m not ashamed.
But please don’t forget the kielim of tikun and a huge dose of ahavas yisroel.
The Ungar Rebbe admitted that he wrote his opinion without first hand knowledge of the views he was knocking he said: “i based my likut on second hand reports which may not have been fully accurately in its portrayal of the (subtle distinctions… & fine points) Torah sources & Sichos they are basing their views on… he then (to his credit) humbily requested to meet with Leades of Chabad to give him a fair chance to hear out the entire Shita & its supportive texts. He deserves much respect for being open-mided to reach out to those his book attacks… Read more »
What about the millions of Yiddin R”L that have died since Gimel Tamuz, are they still alive too? How about them?! Weren’t they a part of Dor Ha’shvee, the last generation of golus and first generation of geula? Does that mean those people are really still alive too? Yes I agree, many things will be explained when Mashiach comes (and with all due respect, Am Yisroel is owed an explanation!) Until that time (may it be NOW) the answer is not to have false beliefs, beliefs of apikorsis R”L according to Rabbi Klein A”H and other gedoley Yisrael!
may he be a malits shliach for all of us to have a godd and sweet year
The Rebbe encouraged Yechi over 465 times and here comes someone and says that all those who have emuna in the Rebbes words are crazy! Ashrenu Shezachinu L’kach! -To be called crazy because of our emuna in our Rebbe’s words. Rav Klein also wrote that the Rebbe can’t be Moshiach. And yet no chassidim will agree with him on that. “Onu en lanu ela divrei ben amram”. We chassidim believe in what the rebbe Mh”m says and no one else has a say in anything! May the rebbe King moshiach (the rebbe writes clearly in tons of sichos that the… Read more »
The Rebbe once told a missionary that had “converted” to Christianity that those who don’t know they are sick are the one’s that need the most help.
Like he said – crazies
To #1. There are less followers than leaders, so there is bound to be a vacuum on top. Standing at the base of the pyramid and claiming mevinus on who is a leader and who is not, is a foundational problem. Lubavitch does not have this problem. There is no pyramid. Period. Just a level playing field. An 18 year old bochur and an 80 year old chosid – they both know what the Rebbe wants, and what chassiduss is all about. The only difference? In two to three (maybe 4) years, the bochur will be seeking to “get a… Read more »
MAY HIS NESHOMO REST IN PEACE.
WE NEED MORE GEDOLIM TO STRAIGHTEN OUT THE MISGUIDED LUBAVITCHERS. JUST BE BUSY BEING MEKAREV YIDDEN, THAT’S OUR MISSION . NOT TO POINT FINGERS AND FORSE PEOPLE TO BELIEVE AS YOU WANT
Boruch dayan haemes
Is this the greatness of R’ Menashe Klein?
That he denounced Meshchistin. Bachur in Morristown he came to give a Shiur, he was a friend of Lubavitch in general and a holy Jew.
I am sure that in Olam Haemes he is not enjoying any if this negative attention. may he be a Mailitz Yosher for all of Klal Yisroel and be poel the coming of Moshiach now.
all I care about is that he, with the Rebbe, will be, are,
fighting for moshiah to come NOW. They can fight together for us!
Bs”D Boruch Dayan HaEmes. May Hashem judge all of us favorably. Until we see Moshiach with our eyes, may the teachings of the Rebbe Shlita, Melech HaMoshiach, be spread far and wide. I saw how the Rebbe encouraged the singing of Yechi with his left hand HaKadosh, in 770 when he came out on the porch. I’m no “crazy”. I believe that the Rebbe is still alive. I may not understand it, but there are many, many things which will be explained after Moshiach is revealed. We Yidden dont just believe in what our gashmiusdige eyes perceive. Our Emunas Tzaddikim… Read more »
i think the only LEADER is the rebbe!
and if that you dont have well….
Maybe its better for his neshama that we not bring up his only blemish in an otherwise perfect record After hastely publishing his kuntres essay on Rambam hilchos Melochim, it quickly came under scruitiny by some of chabad’s biggest mishichist Rabbis. As the dissection & rebuttul by Hagaon Volpo & others started comming out first privately to him, to offer him a face saving opertunity to retract… Eventually his disclaimer leaked out to the public. 1. He says he was pushed & rushed into producing his interpretation of Halochos he really had know prior expertise or exposure to “I’ve always… Read more »
He is now in the world of truth. We should only say positive things about him…..
Sorry to hear…
However his statement: “…he sharply denounced the ‘Chabad messianics’ saying that anyone who believes the Lubavitcher Rebbe is alive is an “Apikoras.”
This is a byproduct of not studying Chassidus…a ‘Yid’, no matter who…remains ‘megusham’ and doesn’t reveal his ‘nefesh eloqit.’
Was the ‘golem’ real? At Mt. Sinai, did we see what we normally hear, and vice versa? ‘Yaacov lo Met’ The Rebbe himself said that the Fredicker Rebbe, after his ‘petira’ was alive in ‘flesh and blood.’
Etc., etc. many examples of ‘ruchnius’ things that The Ungar Rebbe SHOULD criticize if he’s consistent.
Baruch Dayan Haemes…
Is it 29 Elul in Eretz Yisroel when he passed away?
If so he shares a special day with the Tzemach Tzedek…
Every way!
its a shame. we have no leaders left in this world