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I know you will know this is true. When the Rebbe lived, A"H, many Chabanikim believed he was the Moshiach. After his passing, many still believed. This has waned over time, yet consider this.

What would have been the reaction, not only among the Chassidim, but among Jews throughout the four corners of the earth, had God miraculously raised the Rebbe from the dead ? ?Excepting he himself said otherwise, He would have been proclaimed Moshiach.

Now I know you do not believe Yeshua is the Moshiach. There is no way on earth you could ever believe that unless God revealed it to you. All the proof texts in the Tanach will not convince you since you see them otherwise. Only God could convince you otherwise. Isaiah 52/53 is something you see as Israel the suffering servant. In the First Century many Jews believed Yeshua was Moshiach. Because of their eyewitness accounts, handed down both orally and in writings, many more Gentiles came to believe the same core starting point. It all comes down to some eyewitness account. You could not believe that HaShem gave the Torah through Moshe unless HaShem gave you that faith; you would fade away like the majority of Jews; they don't believe it. They may practice a form of Judaism, or may not at all, but it is not Torah. Homosexual marriage, in reform, conservative, or whatever shuls ? You know that is not Torah. It is your job, your mission to reach those Jewish souls and turn them back to Torah. Christians really can't affect that unless God chooses some Jew to reveal himself. I know you don't believe it, yet look how few Jews really become Christian/Messianic and last. Many return to Judaism because the myriad of Christian denominations, sects, and cults is so confusing and irrational.

I respect the Chabadikim. They lay down their lives for Jews. They love the LORD as they understand him. No, they are not perfect, none of us are, yet they seem to me to be the best of traditional Judaism. If God wanted a quarter million missionaries in this world in a miraculous fashion, he could use the Chabadikim as his Jewels. Now that would be some miracle nobody saw coming; probably just my fantasy but with God nothing is impossible.

A fine appeal, Ye Olde Air Force Vet from sometime in the 80s.... (Navy here) RE: Rebbe Moshiach? Chabadnikim know there was a possibility. It's such a tough, tough question. We live a fantasy in a way, wanting Moshiach RIGHT NOW and regardless of who it will be, trying to fulfill every one of G-d's commandments with the Rebbe screaming in our ears to Ker a velt heint! (Turn the world over [for G-d]) http://www.chabad.org/blogs/blog_cdo/aid/984883/jewish/Ker-A-Velt.htm Can you imagine! But in the halacha, which we never disregard, the halacha of Moshiach is clear in Rambam (Maimonedes.) There are two designations that are applicable in halacha for Moshiach. A possibility (presumptive) (B'chezkas) Moshiach, and Vadai (actually) Moshiach. The following are the criteria for identifying the Moshiach, as written by Maimonides: If we see a Jewish leader who (a) toils in the study of Torah and is meticulous about the observance of the mitzvot, (b) influences the Jews to follow the ways of the Torah and (c) wages the "battles of G‑d"—such a person is the "presumptive Moshiach." If the person succeeded in all these endeavors, and then rebuilds the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and facilitates the ingathering of the Jews to the Land of Israel—then we are certain that he is the Moshiach. (from: Rambam Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings and this site: http://www.chabad.org/library/moshiach/article_cdo/aid/1121893/jewish/The-Basics.htm) At this time in Jewish/world history, we have no actual Moshiach. Throughout Jewish history there is a tradition of believing/wanting one's leader to be the Messiah-- does not make it so. We have false messiahs. We have the current state-- a world on the brink with enormous potential to be informed of G-d and His commandments for Jews (613) and gentiles (7.) We all have to have our dilithium crystals that drive us towards the goal. It's so hard to understand an orthodox Jew's motivation-- I know... having as a principle of faith (again, Rambam) that Moshiach is coming today, and having such a history of waking up after it (the Final Redemption) did not yet come. So it's today, the 3rd day of the month of Sivan, 5774 years since creation. BUT-- we never stray from halacha. Moshiach will be a regular person, a frum (religious, G-d-fearing) Jew. See above. Regarding the Christian (or fine, at the time, nascent Christ-centered Jewish) eye-witnesses at the time that you reference, I see it as forgery and adapting a new religion with much less stringent opinions and requirements than say, conversion to Judaism and circumcision would require. Like the theme of the original class I posted, there seem to have been stages and fall-back positions of how to get people to accept Jesus as messiah... until whole-cloth adaptation of pagan customs in order to widen the tent (no analogies to what RINOs want of the GOP...that would totally set the religious Christians on this thread off the handle and get me zotted!) One more time though, it's worth mentioning again-- Moshiach will build the 3rd Temple...this is a Do-not-pass-go, do-not-collect-$200 wicket. Some perceive this whole thread as antagonistic-- maybe a bit. But I've been asked to "open my heart" at night and "truly ask Jesus to give me a sign" (most recently from my house inspector... damn deal fell through!) So open your Christian hearts and listen to an MP4....