On 8/26 I received the following email from an unidentified author…

-----Original Message-----
From: <<< Faked address, confirmed as such by actual address owner >>>
Sent: Monday, August 25, 2003 11:24 PM
To: webmaster@chicagoanash.com
Subject:

i have read your website and wish t comment a few breif comments about this chillul hashem of a website

i myself am a shliach and know the way things go. I know the situation in chicago. let me tell you my point in a story

i was once at a farbrengen and a shliach said "you want to know what miserus nefesh of shlichus is?- when you work on shlichus for 25 years make someone frum work yourself tired for them and their family then when they become lubavitchers they spit on you and tell you "you are not a chossid

i know who you are (the one making this website) your frum today because of the rebbes shluchim how dare you step on the rebbes soldiers that work day and night for the rebbe(and you) you give the shluchim and therefore the rebbe much pain when you fight with the people the rebbe gave the responsibility to lead chabad (especially in these trying times after gimmel tammuz) just  to give yourself an identity. dont be so selfish i hope you think this over and have a change of heart make a cheshbon hanefesh about your actions and rethink the issue

signed

a concerned shliach

The following is my reply. Since the author, as usual, does not have the strength of his convictions enough to identify himself, I choose to reply here…

B"H

I only wish you were a shliach, but you're not -- for a shliach of the Rebbe represents the Rebbe in every way, in every second. The Rebbe never speaks the way you do about another Jew.

Unfortunately, some of the shluchim today have forgotten what it means to be a shliach. They've lost sight of the goal and think Lubavitch is a business... they focus their efforts on power, money, and control of others. Those individuals -- and from your comments I would guess you must be one of them -- I can no longer think of as shluchim, even though they might have done some wonderful things in the past, and perhaps even do some today.

I'm frum today because of the Rebbe. Period. The wonderful shluchim who helped me along the way many years ago knew that. There was no self-interest there, no power plays, no feelings of control. They were simply and honestly responding the the Rebbe's call -- minute by minute. I have no fight with any of them as long as they continue to do the Rebbe's work. But when a shliach decides that HE is the one calling the shots, that HE can dictate to an entire community of Anash, that HE is the one accomplishing things -- then there is something wrong. Shluchim were not sent out to be masters of Anash, they were sent out to bring Yidden back to Yiddishkeit. They were sent out to carry out the Rebbe's directives and act in every respect as representatives of the Rebbe. When they act in ways contrary to the Rebbe's ways, THEY have gone off the track, and are failing in their mission.

As for my motives, if I were looking for an "identity" my name would be plastered all over the web page. It doesn't appear once. However I also don't hide my identity, because I'm proud of my stance, and I know that I represent emes. Contrast that to you and your like, who always hide behind anonymous emails because deep inside they're embarrassed at what they're saying and how they're saying it. Would you for one second consider sending such an email in to the Rebbe to ask if it would be OK to send it? Never.

I'm sorry for you. Luckily there are still many 'real' shluchim out there. You'd probably be amazed to know the names of some of the people who privately give support to the Chicago community -- names you would well recognize -- forced to remain private because of the mob-like strong-arm policies in Lubavitch today. Stop using Gimmel Tammuz as an excuse -- the Rebbe knows what you're doing.