Reply To: Clarification to mod and DaMoshe

Arso,

� CS, you�re beautiful explanation of the �value� of the shortcomings in Lubavich, doesn�t really hold water.

Just as a parent�s primary job is to instruct � yes, even dictate � to a child the way to behave, and a rabbi�s job is to instruct his community how to behave, a Rebbe�s job is to instruct and dictate to his chassidim. Allowing each one to move along at their own pace is great, as long as it does not affect others, and a lack of tznius � both in dress and in mixing of the genders � affects everyone in the community.

Furthermore, you can�t say that your rebbe didn�t attempt to �dictate� to others, as there are numerous accounts of him meeting other rebbes and telling them that they should instruct their chassidim to learn chassidus, and to publish various works of chassidus � something that was against those rebbes� mesorah.�

Of course I educate my children, as to what�s right and wrong, but that will not be at the expense of a communal attitude of only allowing perfect children and families in the school, as friends etc.

I saw Rav Shteinman A�H, say that such an attitude is pure gaava, and he or someone else litvish shared that there was no such thing in the cheders of pre war Europe.

Of course as a mother I remain vigilant, and if I see a friend of influencing her/ him negatively, instead of him/ her influencing the friends positively, I will need to step in and possibly break down that friendship.

But as a general rule, we are very clear with standards, and also encourage Ahavas Yisrael.

The Baal Shem Tov taught that a yid can descend to this world for 70 or 80 years just to do one favor for another yid.

How many opportunities would we miss on our calling in life with the excluding attitude?

And where does that end? None of us are ? perfect?