Imitatio Dei in 770

מנהרות חמאס בבית חיינו

Digging of Catacombs is a time-honored tradition for both Christians, Messianic Jews and traditional Jews. We find numerous examples in Rome. The Roman Jews started it, Messianic Jews continued. There is even a Jewish catacomb under Mussolini's home, Villa Torlonia. Maybe Mussolini's mistress Margherita Sarfatti dug it?

One of the frescoed chambers in Villa Torlonia (courtesy Amir Grenach).

There have been attempts by the Chabad PR undertakers to disassociate from the diggers. They are called “boys”, “renegades”, “nothing to do with us”, etc. Calling them “terrorists” is not possible, despite the most obvious parallel. Nothing could be further from the reality. They are part and the heart of the Chabad movement.

Extraverted Institutions for the Introverted Religion

A little history. When I was around 770, the dysfunction, always amazed me. And the broader deep dysfunction of all Chabad educational institutions that extends beyond NY or even beyond Hamas tunnels. Ramash himself never attended a yeshiva, certainly not in Lubavich. He learned from the Litvisher Rabonim who escaped to Ekaterinoslav during WWI. Of course, he learned from his father, but he never set a foot in a “Jewish School”, never been to Lubavitch. I heard that when Itche Mishulovin came from Samarkand, people used to go and see him learn in amazement, his learning so much exceeded the formal schooling.

Ramash opened Oholei Torah as a spite to Rashag. Maybe the yeshiva in 770 was a spite too? All the jobs for life assignments remind me of Biden. Dovid Raskin used to sit in his windowless office, that is really the corridor closet, with a blank stare at the outside. Zarchi in imitatio Dei now has no teeth. One wonders what values he instilled in his sons? From here in Boston, it appears different.

Note the menorahs. A painted chamber from the Villa Torlonia Jewish catacombs in Rome, depicting a holy ark. (courtesy Amir Genach)

Carnival in a Culture on the Spectrum

For better or for worse, the Jewish tradition was created and run by people on the Spectrum. Nobody knew that it had a name. They called it “holy”. One would expect that Ramash, an introverted man with the history of self-learning, he would understand the deep need for a solitude. Even in Lubavitch they had a Chabadniza where you could hide in meditation. Instead, Ramash was happy to oversee the dysfunction in 770 and other Chabad institutions. The tunnels are the natural extension of the alienation that an introverted and talented man feels inside Chabad, the suicidal longing. Rebbe’s cousin Zelda wrote a poem about it:

“Night after night, death opens in front of me its gardens”

Those are the tunnels. The urge to escape, the urge to bolt underground. When the Roman slaves had nowhere to go, they dug the catacombs. The pressing need to abandon the noisy carnival.¹

Meshichisten are Shpitz Chabad

Do I have to explain how Meshichisten is the extension of ideas of Ramash and his teaching? Part of the Stalinist Cult of Personalty that Menachem Mendel Schneerson created and overseen during his life. Selecting all the people to key position based on hiskashrus, not competence. Purging of the capable and the independent.

It’s like Satmar says they have nothing to do with the demonstrations against Israel. Except everyone knows that they only demonstrate the uncorrupted and pure teaching of Reb Yoel.

Israel, the land of our Salvation

There is Meshichisten indoctrination factory in Israel. In Tzfat, it is in the ground. I published the four parts podcast פרופ' אלחנן ריינר- הגליל הוא מקום קדוש

This was to highlight that Galil is the birthplace of all the key Jewish ideas, including the messianic disruption and kabbalah (the same thing, really). Jesus was from the Golan Heights, this was no accident. Meshichisten “boys” can’t help it, it comes straight into your kishkes. It’s in the air, and in the ground.

1. As we said before, “Flat Circle” of “The True Detective”, Season 1. Gaza [and 770] tunnels lead to the catacombs of Carcosa.