the Disagreement between Rav Shach and the Lubavitcher Rebbe

"So if Rav Shach, let’s say, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe may have sichsuchim, some arguments; I don’t know if they have, but if they have some sichsuchim, it’s none of our business. It’s the fire of Gehenim to open up your mouth. Keep your mouth closed. It’s a tragic mistake to mix in.
And the wisest way is to say nothing at all, and to have the greatest derech eretz the greatest respect, for all those people who are recognized. After all, the Lubavitcher Rebbi is recognized by many people. And Rav Shach is recognized by many people. So we should keep our mouths closed and recognize both of them. That’s the way we should follow."
All Credit is to Toras Avigdor.org

“When Rav Shach and Lubavitch had differences, I came home, eager to hear my father’s take. He was a real baal hashkafah, and I was sure he would have insight into the disagreement, but when I asked him, he looked at me in astonishment. ‘What’s your last name, Itche Meir?’ he asked me, repeating the question a few times. I had no idea what he meant. Finally, he explained, ‘Is your last name Shach?’ he asked me, ‘or is it maybe Schneerson? How exactly does this machlokes pertain to you?”
All Credit is to Mishpacha.com

The Essential Torah-Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim- Rabbi Yochanan Zweig

Parshas Acharei Mos-Kedoshim Iyar 5780 Based on the Torah of our Rosh HaYeshiva HaRav Yochanan Zweig Weekly Insights Printer Friendly Format  Click Here This week's Insights is dedicated in loving memory of Mrs. Berkowitz, Shaindel bas HaRav Yosef. "May her Neshama have an Aliya!"    To Sponsor an Issue of Insights Click Here   The Essential Torah   You should not take revenge and you shall not bear a grudge against the members of your people; you should love your fellow as yourself; I am Hashem (19:18). Rashi (ad loc) quotes the well known statement of the Tanna R' Akiva regarding the end of this verse ("you should love your fellow as yourself"); "This is a great rule of the Torah" (see Toras Kohanim 4:12). The implication of R' Akiva's statement is that this possuk somehow encapsulates the very essence of the message of the Torah. R' Shimon Ben Azzai, one of R' Akiva's students, poses a stunning question to R' Akiva's teaching: What if one does not like himself? Meaning if one allows himself to be embarrassed and treated poorly by others, is he now permitted to treat others in the same manner? Ben Azzai therefore uses another verse in the Torah (that of Hashem creating man) as his "great rule of the Torah" (See Bereishis Rabba24:7). Before we enter into a discussion of these two philosophic principles of Torah, let us digress for a moment and marvel at the breathtaking analysis of human psychology of our great Torah scholars from two thousand years ago. While many continents were filled with depraved and downright disgusting cultures of human behavior (cannibalism, for example, springs to mind), our ancestors were carefully considering the effects of low self-esteem on societal behavior. It is truly remarkable. In order to begin to approach a suitable answer to Ben Azzai's question on R' Akiva, we must first examine a very enigmatic statement of Hillel. The Talmud (Shabbos 31a) relates the well-known story of the gentile who came to Hillel and asked that he be converted to Judaism with the sole caveat that Hillel teaches him the entire Torah while he stands on one foot. Hillel taught him the now famous statement, "That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow" and then converted him. On the surface, Hillel's statement is quite problematic; clearly, Hillel is basing his teaching on the verse in this week's parsha: "You should love your fellow as yourself." Why does Hillel feel obligated to restate the Torah's clear instruction of how we must treat someone? Furthermore, (and quite incredibly) Hillel chose to make it a negative mandate! In other words, reinterpreting this obligation of how to treat a fellow Jew as what one may not do seems to be extremely limiting. What compelled Hillel to make this modification on "a great principle of the Torah"? Not surprisingly, Hillel's interpretation is actually quite brilliant. Anytime we do something for someone else, for example, an act of kindness or compassion, we have an innate feeling of satisfaction. Thus, doing something for someone makes us feel good. On the other hand, if we have a juicy piece of gossip about someone that we want to share or if we wish to insult someone who has hurt us, exercising self-restraint doesn't give us any pleasure - quite the opposite, in these cases holding our tongue makes us feel like we want to explode. Hillel is telling us that the true barometer for loving your friend isn't what we are willing to do for him, because usually doing something for him is also doing something for ourselves. The true barometer of "loving your fellow" is treating him as we would want to be treated (e.g. just as we don't want people saying gossip about us, we shouldn't gossip about others). That is a much harder plateau to achieve. This insight also answers Ben Azzai's question on R' Akiva - "what if a person has low self-esteem?" The essence of low self-esteem is a person's perception of themselves vis-a-vis others. This possuk's obligation of doing for others is based on the principle of being God-like. This is why the end of the verse states, "I am Hashem." Hashem's purpose in the creation of the world was to do kindness for mankind by creating the world and giving humans a reality of existence. The key to resolving one's own issues of low self-esteem is in becoming God-like and doing for others - solely for their sake. Recognizing that one has the ability to give a sense of reality to others by helping them, innately gives one a sense of fulfillment and establishes self worth. This possuk is precisely the antidote to low self-esteem!   Looking for more inspiration? Join one of Rabbi Zweig's live broadcast classes on RabbiZweig.com Cold or Compassionate?    Hashem spoke to Moshe after the death of Aharon's two sons... Speak to Aharon your brother - he may not always come into the Kodesh within the Paroches...and he will not die... (16:1-2).    Rashi (ad loc) explains that Hashem is likened to a doctor that is giving advice to his patient: "Do not eat cold food and sleep in a damp chilly place, so that you will not die like so and so perished." This is the reason the Torah gives the context of Hashem speaking to Moshe "after the death of Aharon's two sons." In other words, Hashem asks Moshe to instruct Aharon that he must carefully abide by the rules of entry into the Kodesh or else he will die in the same manner that his sons died. This is difficult to comprehend. Losing a child is among the most traumatic experiences a person can ever endure. Aharon lost not one, but two children; men who were the incoming leaders of the generation (they were considered greater than Moshe and Aharon - see Midrash Tanchuma, beginning of Parshas Shemini). Aharon's loss was obviously profound. It hardly seems necessary to remind Aharon to be careful not to perish in the same manner that his children died. This would be akin to telling a person who lost his children to a drunk driver to be mindful of drunk drivers. In fact, it seems rather heartless to bring it up at all. What message is Hashem trying to convey? A careful reading of the verses and Chazal statements gives us the answers. Hashem doesn't tell Moshe to tell Aharon that if he doesn't obey the rules of entering the Kodesh he is going to die. Rather, Hashem tells Moshe to instruct Aharon his brother not to enter the kodesh improperly so that he doesn't die. Therefore, Hashem isn't telling him that if he doesn't obey Him he's going to die; rather, Hashem is almost pleadingly with Aharon not to go in there at the wrong time so that he doesn't die. Hashem is expressing compassion for Aharon, and essentially telling him not to do something that is harmful to himself. This is why Chazal compare Hashem to a doctor. This seems rather unusual as Hashem is our king, and if we don't obey him he has every right to punish us. Practically speaking, it makes more sense to compare Hashem to a king. So why do Chazal compare Hashem to a doctor? Chazal are teaching us that Hashem is telling us what is good for us, just as a doctor who cares about his patient would advise him. This isn't about disobeying Hashem's commandments, this is about Hashem showing us that he cares about us. So too, by Aharon, Hashem is asking him to behave properly so that he won't die. He isn't telling Aharon not to behave like his sons, Hashem is telling Aharon, "I care about you and I don't want you to die." Did You Know... In this week's (double) parsha, we are forbidden from crossbreeding two types of animals, as well as seeds (Vayikra 19:19). Ramban (ad loc) writes that there is a simple explanation for these restrictions. When a person mixes animals or plants he indicates that the species that Hashem created isn't sufficient, and wants to create a new species. He further explains that Hashem created a certain number of species, and when a person tampers with that number, he has tampered with the order of the universe. However, Ramban brings a counterpoint (Bereishis 1:28) when he says that passuk allows man to perform invasive acts in Hashem's world, such as removing metals from the ground, on the basis that it's "conquering the world." So we began to wonder about modern ways of tampering with the world, and the halachic ramifications thereof. Naturally, this led us to superficially examine the discussion on cloning. In other words, is cloning more similar to invasive acts that are permitted under "conquering the world," or is it considered "tampering with the order in the universe" and should be prohibited? Cloning is a complicated scientific process, through which researchers remove a mature somatic cell, such as a skin cell, from an animal that they wish to copy. They then transfer the DNA of the animal into an egg cell, which has had its own DNA removed. The egg is then allowed to develop into an early-stage embryo in the test-tube and then is implanted into the womb of an adult female animal. Ultimately, the adult female gives birth to an animal that has the same genetic make up as the animal that donated the cell. This young animal is referred to as a clone. (Just as an aside, the hashkafic questions about human cloning is a huge topic that is beyond the scope of this article and, frankly, we don't understand it anyway.) The argument against animal cloning, articulated by Rav Yosef Sholom Eliashev (quoted in Torah U'madda journal 9:195) and Rav Eliezer Waldenberg (Teshuvos Tzitz Eliezer 15:45:4) is that it violates the spirit of the Torah, and both strongly object to it. This would seem to make sense, as it would certainly seem to be defying the natural order of Hashem's universe. However, Rabbi J. David Bleich points out that that the halacha could potentially approve of some products of cloning if governments throughout the world strictly monitor and control cloning procedures to ensure that it is used only for moral purposes. This also seems to be supported by Meiri (on Sanhedrin 67b) who says that anything done naturally, even making animals asexual, is permitted and not sorcery. Something to consider: R' Chanina and R' Oshaya (Sanhedrin 65b), using the Sefer Yetzirah, would create a young calf every erev Shabbos, and eat it. Obviously, this seems to be a legit way of creating an animal, albeit not exactly typical, and perhaps sounds similar to cloning in that it wasn't created "naturally." In addition, the preceding Gemara (ad loc) states that Rava created a golem (also using Sefer Yetzirah), which may or may not have a bearing on cloning humans. This Week's Lessons of Respect Begin at Home Parsha Breaks are short Divrei Torah (generally 5-7 minutes long) given by the Rosh HaYeshiva between Mincha and Maariv at one of the Yeshiva's daily minyanim.  These links can easily be downloaded on your smartphone. All credit goes to Rav Zweig and His Yeshiva

The Hasidic Rebbe Who Can Inspire Us All

THE HASIDIC REBBE WHO CAN INSPIRE US ALL

MAY 2ND, 2017

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Earlier today, the last surviving great-great-great-grandson of the illustrious nineteenth-century Hasidic leader, Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhyn, died at the age of 94.

Rabbi Yisrael Shalom Yosef Friedman Ben-Shalom was an unassuming and fairly anonymous man who lived in Gilo, Jerusalem, for the last few years of his life. Known as the “Pashkan Rebbe”, he was an enigma – although even the word “enigma” does not quite do his story proper justice.

It is no coincidence that this unusual rabbi died on the fifth day of the month of Iyar — the Jewish calendar anniversary of Israel’s declaration of independence in 1948.

Not only was he a lifelong dedicated and devoted Zionist, but in contrast to every other Hasidic rabbi of his pedigree, Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom treated Yom Haatzmaut (Israel Independence Day) as a religious festival, and recited the Hallelprayer with a blessing as part of his Yom Haatzmaut morning prayers.

Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom was descended from the most aristocratic Hasidic dynasty of all — Ruzhyn-Sadigur — whose founder, the aforementioned Rabbi Yisrael, was himself a scion — the great-grandson of Rabbi Dov Baer, the Maggid of Mezeritch, the leading disciple of the founder of Hasidism, Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov.

It was through the Maggid of Mezeritch’s single-handed efforts that the teachings of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov were organized, propagated and popularized. From his “court” in Mezeritch, and despite mounting opposition from critics of Hasidism within the Jewish mainstrean, Rabbi Dov Baer turned his small parochial group of followers into a powerful movement within Jewish life, and it is as a result of his efforts that the Hasidic movement endured.

So who was his descendant Rabbi Yisrael Shalom Yosef Friedman Ben-Shalom, and how did this anachronistic personality evolve out of the background from which he emerged?

Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom was born in Bohush, Rumania, in 1923. Both his mother and father were descendants of Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhyn, and his mother’s father, Rabbi Menachem Mendel, the acclaimed Rebbe of Bohush, was also his father’s first cousin.

At the tender age of nine Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom’s mother died, and he was brought up in his grandfather’s house, where at first he was taught Torah by an elderly Bohush Hasid who had tutored Ruzhyn family members for generations, after which he began private studies with his revered grandfather, to whom he became a devoted disciple.

In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, the Ruzhyn Hasidic leaders were already notorious for their enthusiastic support for the resettlement of Jews in the Land of Israel — unlike many of their Hasidic leader counterparts — and a number of them openly supported the Zionist movement after it was launched in 1896, a factor that set them apart from almost every other Hasidic leader in early twentieth century Europe.

The Bohush dynasty was no different than other branches of the Ruzhyn sect, and the young Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom was raised in an environment broadly sympathetic with Zionist aspirations for a Jewish National Home in Palestine that would be internationally recognized as an independent Jewish State.

It was probably this that inspired Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom to join the secular Zionist youth movement “Hashomer Hatzair” as a counselor, coupled with his family’s belief that religious Jews had to proactively engage with non-religious Jews in order to draw them closer to Judaism.

Nevertheless, it is hard to overstate the incongruity of the scion of such a distinguished Hasidic dynasty who had in no way abandoned his roots, aligning himself with a militantly secular Zionist organization that openly disparaged old-world Judaism, in favor of a Jewish “national” identity that rejected the ancient system of Jewish laws and customs.

During the Holocaust years, Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom escaped to Bucharest, Rumania, where he lived together with his immediate family. It was there, in 1944, that he met his distant relative, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, Rabbi Chaim Meir Hager, also a descendant of Rabbi Yisrael of Ruzhyn, who passed through Bucharest as part of a miraculous journey that thwarted determined Nazi attempts to kill him.

As a result of this encounter, Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom also met Zipporah, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe’s youngest daughter, whom he married in 1946 very shortly after they had both managed to smuggle themselves illegally into Palestine.

None of their parents or family were at the wedding, which was performed perfunctorily by a Yemenite rabbi who happened to be on hand at the time.

In June 1948, the young couple joined together with a group of Rumanian and Bulgarian Holocaust-survivor immigrants who had founded a secular kibbutz called Reshafim in the Bet She’an valley, and they remained there for 18 years.

During this period the Friedman Ben-Shalom’s religious observance was confined to their home, while any religious celebrations – such as the barmitzvahs of their sons – were transported to Tel Aviv, where Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom’s father now lived, in close proximity to his brother, Rabbi Yitzchak Friedman, who had become the new Rebbe of Bohush.

In the late 1960s, the Friedman Ben-Shalom family moved to a religious kibbutz called Sa’ad. They also spent time in Marseilles, France, as emissaries for the Jewish Agency.

Keen to broaden his knowledge, Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom enrolled at Tel Aviv University’s Jewish History department, where he completed a Ph.D. on the subject of “Beit Shammai’s political influence in first century Judea”.

During the 1970s, after the passing of his father-in-law, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, who, following the founding of the state, had become a leading voice in the ultra-orthodox non-Zionist faction within Israeli society, the Friedman Ben-Shalom family started to spend more time among the strictly-orthodox community, and to associate more closely with their prestigious Hasidic relatives.

In light of their familiarity and association with secular Israelis, Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom and his family acted as a bridge between secular Israeli  society and the insular Hasidic world, diverse communities that were divided by a gulf of mistrust and antipathy – on both sides of the fence.

When he eventually retired from his role as an educator, Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom and his wife moved to Jerusalem to be close to their son Hoshea Ben-Shalom, who had set up an “urban kibbutz” called Beit Yisrael in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Gilo.

Remarkably, besides for being an ordained rabbi and a spiritual mentor to thousands, Hoshea Ben-Shalom is also the Chief Reserve Officer of the IDF.

Indeed, all the Friedman Ben-Shalom children are remarkable – deeply committed Jews as well as extremely accomplished in contemporary terms – bright, charismatic, inspired, inspiring, and proactive in their mission to find common ground between the Jewish past and the Jewish present, between the glory of Hasidism and the miracle of the State of Israel.

But their inspiration was undoubtedly their remarkable father, along with their esteemed mother Zipporah, who is a sister of the Vizhnitzer Rebbe* (Monsey, NY), as well as aunt to the Vizhnitzer Rebbe (Bnei Brak), the Satmar Rebbe (Monroe, NY), the Belzer Rebbe (Jerusalem), and the Skver Rebbe (New Square, NY).

In his last few years, Rabbi Friedman Ben-Shalom finally evolved into a full time “rebbe”, with his own “court” and hundreds of followers – and was known as the Pashkan Rebbe of the Ruzhyn Dynasty. He attracted countless Jews from every walk of life into his orbit – each one of them moved by his authenticity, and by his genuine love for every kind of Jew.

Anyone who encountered the Pashkan Rebbe immediately understood that here was a man who embodied a uniquely modern Jewish narrative – a prince of Hasidic royalty, a master of Jewish history, a soldier of Jewish destiny, and a proud Zionist who had worked the land, and helped to build the State, preparing it for the Messianic age from the ground up, and from the Heavens down.

The “Pashkan Rebbe” was a Hasidic leader whose life story can truly be an inspiration to us all.

הרב ישראל שלום יוסף פרידמן זצוק”ל, אדמו”ר מפאשקאן זי”ע ועכי”א

תהא נשמתו צרורה בצרור החיים

* Who was still alive when this article was written.

All credit goes to Rav Pini Dunner

17 Cheshvan Yahrtzeit the Ahavas Shalom

5586/1825

Harav Menachem Mendel of Kosov, zt”l, the Ahavas Shalom

Harav Menachem Mendel was born c. 5529/1769 in Kolomaya. His father, Harav Yaakov Koppel Chassid, was one of the closest Chassidim of the Baal Shem Tov and was the baal tefillah in his beis medrash. His mother was Rebbetzin Chayah, daughter of Harav Zalman of Kolomaya.

He married the daughter of his uncle, Harav Shmuel Simcha Zimmel of Kosov.

Initially, Reb Menachem Mendel learned and developed under his distinguished father. Later, he traveled to other leading tzaddikim of the generation, including Harav Ze’ev Wolf of Tcharni-Ostroha, who, before leaving for Eretz Yisrael in 5558/1798, appointed Rav Menachem Mendel to serve in his stead as Rebbe.

Reb Menachem Mendel was a close Chassid of Harav Tzvi Hirsch of Nadvorna, zy”a, mechaber of Tzvi Hashem Latzaddik. Reb Menachem Mendel journeyed to Harav Tzvi Hirsch of Nadvorna for 12 years.

Reb Menachem Mendel was an outstanding talmid chacham. His Torah learning took priority despite living in abject poverty for most of his life. He was known as a baki in the entire Torah, but most notable was his knowledge of Choshen Mishpat.

The avodas Hashem of Reb Menachem Mendel was intense and full of hislahavus. This was especially noticeable on Shabbos Kodesh, both during davening — particularly the tefillah of Kabbalas Shabbos — and during the tischen, where he spoke divrei Torah with fervor.

Reb Menachem Mendel was famous for his gemilus chassadim. He helped any Yid, most notably the needy of Eretz Yisrael. He took many orphans under his wing to marry them off at his own expense.

Among his leading talmidim were many who later served as Rebbes: Harav Tzvi Elimelech of Dinov (the Bnei Yissaschar), Harav Eliezer of Dzikov, Harav Naftali of Lizhensk, Harav Shraga Feivish of Bradshein, Harav Meshulam Nosson of Berdichev, Harav Menachem Mendel (mechaber of Derech Emunah), Harav Shmuel of Shinev (mechaber of Ramasayim Tzofim on Tanna d’vei Eliyahu) and many more, zechusam yagen aleinu.

Reb Menachem Mendel had two sons, Harav Chaim of Kosov, who wrote Toras Chaim, and Harav Dovid of Zablatov, who was the son-in-law of Harav Moshe Leib of Sassov, mechaber of Tzemach Dovid. Reb Menachem Mendel had an only daughter as well; her zivug sheini, Harav Gershon Ashkenazi of Kolomaya, mechaber of Avodas Hagershuni, put together and arranged his father-in-law’s sefer, Ahavas Shalom.

Reb Menachem Mendel was niftar on 17 Cheshvan 5586/1825 in Kosov and was buried there.

Zechuso yagen aleinu. All Credit goes to Hamodia.com

Rav JB Soloveitchik Says in Recording That he is Clandestine Chabadnik

I’m a Clandestine Chabadnik, Rav JB Soloveitchik Says in Recording

An extraordinary address by the Rav, Rabbi Joseph Ber Soloveitchik at a Chassidic farbrengen in Boston in 1968 dispels the foundations of the opposition to Chassidus and reveals that the reason the Vilna Gaon refused to meet the Alter Rebbe.

January 8, 2020

108

By COLlive reporter

An audio recording of Rabbi Joseph Ber Soloveitchik, the “Rav” who was the outstanding figure of modern Orthodox Judaism in 20th century America, is said to have profound historic significance as it authoritatively refutes the traditionally accepted basis for opposition to Chassidus.

The recording is of an extraordinary address that the late Rosh Yeshiva of Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS) at Yeshiva University in New York City gave at a Yud Tes Kislev Farbrengen in Boston, Massachusetts in 1968 celebrating the Rosh Hashana of Chassidus.

In this captivating oration, Rav Soloveitchik dispels the foundations for this widely accepted approach to the opposition to Chassidus prevalent in the Litvish yeshiva world. Rav Soloveitchik’s authority in this topic is based on his family traditions, as a scion of the Brisker dynasty and a direct descendant of the most foremost disciple and primary spiritual heir of the Vilna Gaon, Rav Chaim of Volozhin, who founded the Volozhin yeshiva, which became the mother of all Lithuanian-style yeshivas.

In his talk, Rav Soloveitchik attested that his family tradition confirms the attempt of the Alter Rebbe to visit the Vilna Gaon in an attempt to persuade him to abandon his opposition to Chassidus (except that in the Brisker family tradition it was Rav Levi Yitzchok of Berdichev who accompanied the Alter Rebbe on this visit, whereas according to Chabad tradition, as recorded by the Alter Rebbe himself in his Igros Kodesh letter 52, it was Rav Mendel Horodoker).

The Rav then revealed that the reason the Vilna Gaon refused to meet the Alter Rebbe was because the Vilna Gaon was so awestruck by the holy countenance of the Alter Rebbe (which he saw through a crack in his door) that he felt that if he allowed the Alter Rebbe in, he would be persuaded to leave hand-in-hand with the Alter Rebbe and would (not only desist from opposing him, but, on the contrary, would) join him in spreading Chassidus

The Rav contended that although Rav Chaim Volozhiner wrote his magnum opus “Nefesh Hachaim” at the request of the Vilna Gaon with the express purpose to contradict and refute the contents of the Tanya and demonstrate that its philosophy is contrary to the accepted beliefs of Torah – in reality, the opposite is true and the Nefesh Hachaim overwhelmingly confirms the tenets, principals and beliefs articulated by the Alter Rebbe in the Tanya (and the areas of apparent disagreement are marginal and primarily semantical).

He then concludes that, based on all the above facts and factors, the historic opposition to Chassidus was unwarranted and all its tragic consequences in dividing the Jewish people into two hostile camps (resulting in such malefactions as the mesira of the Alter Rebbe to the Russian government and his imprisonment) was misinformed and misguided and only due to the efforts of “slander-mongers, troublemakers, psychopaths and corrupt individuals who found malicious delight in promoting feud and hate.”

Calling himself “a Clandestine Chabadnik,” the Rav said that Chabad chassidim who populated the cities in Lithuania and Russia where he grew up, were talmidei chachamim, lomdim and devout Jews of the highest caliber.

A Chabad chossid who heard the recording told COLlive.com that “It should be noted, however, that the Alter Rebbe wrote (Igros Kodesh of the Alter Rebbe letter 52) that there were irreconcilable differences regarding basic tenets between the Alter Rebbe and the Vilna Gaon (since the Vilna Gaon did not accept the kabbalah of the Arizal in its entirety).

As a reference, he pointed to the Rebbe’s letter to Rav Eliyahu Eliezer Dessler regarding the areas of agreement and disagreement between the Tanya and the Nefesh Hachaim in Igros Kodesh I:11 and 3:551, and also Heichel Baal Shem Tov vol. 4 page 39-48.

All Credit goes to COL Website