An article appeared recently in the Charedi blog “עולמם של חרדים”. The content was centered around a set of prescriptive mores for Gerrer Chassidim. In particular, there were directives for women, especially those who were in the throes of seeking a Shidduch. Ger is known for its extremely austere approach to male and female interaction and seeks to minimise this (almost) at all costs.
The directives were laid out in the article by Rav Yitzchak Meir Tauman, who is variously described as a Gabbai of the current Rebbe and a Mashpia in the central Gerrer Yeshivah. That’s pretty much as close to an official spokesman as you can unearth. Indeed, he claims to have insights from earlier Rebbes.
Now, I expect that most of you who read that post will be thunderstruck by the inability or should I say the rules which seek to unauthorise interaction and minimise any and almost all discussion about the nature of the Shidduch process. I get that. Having been exposed to some of their other rules, especially relating to husbands and wives, I was less surprised by the list of Takanos.
What did shock me and leave me somewhat thunderstruck, was Rav Tauman’s alleged description of the current Rebbe, and I quote:
מקובלנו מרבותינו נשמתם בגנזי מרומים ולהבל”ח כ”ק מרן שליט”א (האייבישטער’ של דורנו), כששומרים את הפה ומוסיפים גדרים וסייגים אז השכינה שורה עם כל אחד ואחד ולא מגיעים להבטחה ומחשבה אסורה. זה המסר שקיבלנו השנה מהקודש פנימה, להתחזק בשמירה על טוהר הדיבור, כה תאמר לבית יעקב – קדושת הדיבור, קדושת הפה”.
In which he describes the current Gerrer Rebbe as “The Aybishter of our Generation”.
Aybishter or Aibishter is a term used in Yiddish to refer to God!
Can someone explain to me how that is not completely and utterly beyond the pale of an acceptable description of a human being?
Is there another Chassidic group that uses such objectionable terminology?
The only other concept I have come across, is in Chabad, where they describe a Rebbe as עצמות ומהות מלובש בגוף – something that is well beyond my pay grade.
pitputim 