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Chabad Messianism is a trend within the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement that raises the late Rabbi and leader of that movement Menachem Mendel Schneerson to the level of the Messiah. Adherents to this belief are termed Messianist or Mishichist in Yiddish (Plural: Mishichisten). The pervasiveness of this belief within the movement is disputed but various report attest that at the very least, this is a mainstream belief within the modern Chabad movement.

Before Schnerrson's death in 1994 a significant body of Chabad Hasidim believed that he was soon to be crowned as the Messiah - an event that would herald the Messianic Age and the construction of the Third Temple. Books and pamphlets were written containing purported proofs for the Rabbi's status as Messiah, some of which Schneerson opposed.

Attempts by his followers to persuade him to reveal himself as the Messiah were to no avail. Followers routinely sang the mantra "Long live our master, our teacher and our rabbi, King Messiah for ever and ever" in his presence - a chant that he often encouraged.

During the later years of his life Rabbi Schneerson's teachings were interpreted by many to mean that he was claiming to be the Messiah.

His death in 1994 did not quell the messianist fervor. Believers soon developed new rationales to justify the belief the Schneerson was the Messiah despite being dead. Some argued that he had in fact not died at all and was still physically present. Others argued that though he was dead Judaism did not rule out the possibility of the Messiah returning from the dead.

The development of this messianism and its impact on Chabad in specific — and Orthodox Judaism in general — has been the subject of much discussion in the Jewish press, as well as within the pages of peer-reviewed journals.

Expresions of Messianism in Chabad

• Some express the belief that Rabbi Schneerson was the best candidate for the Messiah in his generation, but now say that people were mistaken to believe that he was the Messiah. Rather, he could have been the messiah if God willed it to be so, but it was not to be. As such, the Messiah will come nonetheless in the person of some other great leader.
• Some emphasize the belief that the classic meaning of death does not apply to a truly righteous person such as Rabbi Schneerson. In this view Rabbi Schneerson never "died", and is still alive in some way that ordinary humans cannot perceive. According to this view, the Rebbe would later be revealed as Messiah. . Many Chabad Hasidim refuse to put the typical honorifics for the dead (e.g. zt"l or zecher tzaddik livrocho, "may the memory of the righteous be for a blessing") after Rabbi Schneerson's name. They rely upon the Rebbe's statement that the world has entered a new period in its history and that, contrary to what has happened in the past, the leader of the generation will not be hidden "even through burial", but that he would remain alive until the revelation of the Messiah. .
• Some argue that one leader in every generation has the potential to be the Messiah and that since Schneerson is still alive (in thier view) he remains the only posibilty in this generation.
• Some elements within Chabad go further still describing Schnnerson as the greatest man who ever lived and/or perfect. They view Schneerson as godly to the extent that he is a part of God and is God "clothed in a body". The prevalence of this position within Chabad is disputed, but certainly exists to some degree. This group is sometimes refered to as Elokist, though they view themselves as Messianist.
• A small number of Chabad adherants have gone so far as to call Scheerson God, or even God's creator. These people have generally been ostracised by more mainstream Chabad elements. These people are termed Boreinuniks a reference to the creator.

References

• A Brief History of Lubavitch Messianism, Melech Jaffe
• On the Spectrum of Messianic Belief in Contemporary Lubavitch Chassidism, David Berger
• Chabad and Messianism, Adam Dickter, Haddasah Magazine
• The Once and Future Messiah in Early Christianity and Chabad, Joel Marcus
• The Lubavitcher Rebbe as a god, Saul Sadka, Haaretz

2. (see e.g. Rabbi Levi Yitzchack Ginsberg, of Kfar Chabad Yeshiva, in his book Mashiah Akhshav, volume IV, 1996)
3. Dvar Malchut, Parashat Shoftim, 5751; Sefer Hisvaadiyus 1991 vol. 4 Page 204