Why doesn't Lubavitch sleep in the Sukkah?

[Quotes from Frumteens]

[Posted 15 June 2001]

Lubavitcher Chassidim do not sleep in a Sukkah on Sukkos. Note: All Lubavitcher Chassidim in all previous generation did sleep in a sukkah (weather permitting), and NOT A SINGLE REBBE – CHABAD OR OTHERWISE – has ever instructed their Chassidim not to sleep in the Sukkah. But the last Rebbe did.

The Rebbe's reasoning goes as follows … {His distorted rendition of the Rebbe’s Sichah will be quoted and dealt with in Part II} Obviously, anyone familiar with Halachah will not accept such “reasoning” to rip a Mitzvah out of the Torah. That the Gemora, the Shulchan Aruch, the responsa, and even the Seforim of Chabad all say that sleeping in a Sukkah is an obligation without exception. And even the Rebbe Rayatz NEVER exempted his Chasidim from sleeping in the Sukkah even though he should have, according to this reasoning, would be enough to reject this entire idea, never mind the impossibility of the entire reasoning.

And such reasoning would never be accepted anywhere else in Klall Yisroel, because anyone else would say OK so I don’t know why the Rebbe didn’t sleep in the Sukkah. But he never said we shouldn’t, and all the Halachah seforim say we should, so we will. In Lubavitch, however, being “like” the Rebbe takes precedence over following proper Halahcha.

[Posted 03 August 2001]

The issues is NOT that people do not sleep in a Sukkah - as you say, many people do not sleep in the Sukkah. Either because it's too cold, or because it's dangerous, or because they will be w/o their wives - all these are legitimate reasons, and probably that's why Lubavitcher Chasidim haven't slept in the Sukkah in Lubavitch. It was cold there.

The problem is, the Lubavitcher Rebbe said that Halachicly all Lubavitcher Chasidim - whether marired or single, warm or cold, safe or unsafe - do not ahve to sleep in the Sukkah, not for any of the above reasons but simply because they are Lubavitcher Chasidim, and "Toras Chabad" brings the spiritual feelings into reality and the pain the Mitteler Rebbe felt by sleeping in the Sukkah needs to be felt by the Chassidim etc. etc.

Meaning, all other Jews in the world, including all other Chasidim, must sleep in the Sukkah. But for Lubavitcher Chasidim, ti si a higher level if they don't! And indeed, they are not obligated to do so.

The problem is not the sleeping in the Sukkah - for that can be due to many reasons (if they apply) - the problem is the idea that there is a NEW exemption from sleepign in the Sukkah - not cuz of cold or danger or being seperated form your wife - but simply because you are Chabad. Regardless of anything else.

No Chabad Rebbe ever said such a thing before.