Controversy Erupts over Rebbe’s Quote on Bus Ad

A bus ad quoting the Lubavitcher Rebbe instructing a woman to ask her husband before traveling to New York has sparked controversy in Israel, with one Knesset Member demanding that it be removed.

From Arutz Sheva:

A new ad campaign featured on buses around Israel has sparked controversy, after quotations from the Lubavitcher Rebbe that some have called ‘misleading’ were featured.

According to one of the quotes ascribed to the Lubavitcher Rebbe, “A woman traveling [here] must do so with her husband’s agreement, since a ‘proper woman does her husband’s will.'”

In fact, the accepted explanation of the quote in the Chabad movement is that a woman creates her husband’s will (the Hebrew word “osah” can be understood as doing submissively, or creating actively). In addition, the Lubavitcher Rebbe in the instance quoted was discussing a case in which a woman wished to travel from afar to Crown Heights, New York, to speak to the Rebbe.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe was not discussing traveling on a bus or in a car to somewhere nearby.

Meretz MKs Tamar Zandberg and Michal Rozin turned to the Supreme Court insisting that the campaign be investigated.

“This is an embarrassing, chauvinistic, and inciting campaign which encourages discriminating against women and tells women they are their husband’s property,” they said.

Channel 2 asked the campaign leader how he “dared” to run such a campaign, as well as to “Dan,” the bus company which ran the ads.

Dan said the issue would be investigated and promised to remove the offending ads.

4 Comments

  • Berel

    “In fact, the accepted explanation of the quote in the Chabad movement is that a woman creates her husband’s will (the Hebrew word “osah” can be understood as doing submissively, or creating actively).”

    Yeah let’s lie about Torah, that always works. It means that, plus it means what it says too, have a look at Rambam. And yes, a wife should have her husband’s consent to travel abroad. Seriously, that’s a question now? The husband should also probably have his wife’s consent to do so. Isn’t that generally how it works in all but the most absurd marriages?

    To pick random quotes out of personal letters in igros to publish on bus walls is an excellent way to do, well, I’m not really sure what, really.

    • Milhouse

      It’s a clear halocho that a man needs his wife’s permission to spend even one night out of town,let alone to fly to another country. The Rebbe mentioned this halocho when he told the story about the Ari Zal telling his talmidim to accompany him to be mekabel Shabbos in Yerusholayim. The Rebbe said the point of the story was when your Rebbe says to do something you do it, even if it seems to contradict the halocho. He knows the halocho too, and if he says to violate it then you must trust him that it’s justified.

  • A grand mistake

    A horo’oh for Anash has no business decorating means of public transportation. Whoever did this (and spent tons of $$$ for hafotzo with the best of intentions) randomly fished out a quote of The Rebbe without too much thought.

    It’s always exciting to see The Rebbe’s heilige countenance bhamoyno shel Romi, but the text must be meaningful for the velt.
    It would be great in the Kfar, Nachle etc.
    L’chatchilla Ariber & Moshiach NOW

  • Alter Rebbe's brother...

    …was made to turn back from visiting the Magid by the (future) Alter Rebbe, because he didn’t have his wife’s permission. Husband AND wife need each other’s permission to leave home. Each is the property of the other, they are one, ans the Yiddish expression goes, when the talk about one another to others, they begin by sayine”mine says…” or “mine does…”,etc