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It is known that the Vilna Gaon put 2 sectors of Chassidus in Cherem. I am wondering who has permitted them now seeing as we non-Chassidim don't make borders between them and ourselves.

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You could improve this question by pointing to a source with more information about the Cherem you're talking about. –  Isaac Moses Jul 8 '12 at 22:04
related: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/16881/759 –  Double AA Jul 8 '12 at 22:09
Who says anyone has? –  Double AA Jul 8 '12 at 22:09
i dont have a source but will look for one –  Yehuda Jul 8 '12 at 22:23
Similar: judaism.stackexchange.com/q/33780 –  msh210 Dec 8 '13 at 17:09

2 Answers 2

According to Rav Chaim Berlin z"tl it would appear that the cherem no longer applies in what may be the earliest formal expression of the current status quo:

ולהתפלל בבית הכנסת של החסידים אין שום חשש בזה, וגזירת רבינו הגר"א ז"ל לא הי' אלא בזמנו שהקילו אז בכבוד תלמידי חכמים לומדי תורה, ולא כן בימינו שהחסידים חולקים כבוד לכל לומדי תורה והם יראי ה' ושומרים תורה ומצוה

"And to pray in a Chassidic synagogue, there isn't any reason to be concerned about this. The decree of our Master the Gra z'l (HaGoan Rav Eliyahu zt'l, the Vilna Gaon) was only in his time since they were lax then regarding the honor of scholars who study Torah, and this is not so on our days when the Chassidim give honor to all students of Torah, and they are God fearing and observe Torah and Mitzvos."

Shu"t Nishmas Chaim #7

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What year is this from? –  Double AA Dec 26 '13 at 5:49
@DoubleAA -- I'm working from a secondary source a (which is where the link leads to) so I don't know if the teshuvos are dated, but it looks as if they were printed posthumously. The odds would seem to be in favor of it being the later part of the 19th Century. –  Yirmeyahu Dec 26 '13 at 6:10

I heard personally From Rav Moshe Heineman Rav of Agudath Israel Baltimore and close talmid to Rav Ahron Kotler that one summer a bochur asked Rav Ahron this question. Rav Ahron answered that "the whole reason the cherem was put out agaisnt the Chassidim is because they didnt learn Gemara, but nowadays (then in the late 1950's) some of them know how to learn better than us!"

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How does this answer the question –  Double AA Jun 10 at 19:38
Very simply. The cherem does not apply anymore because the reason is not applicable. Seemingly Rav ahron had a kabalah that it is not applicable –  Nafkamina Jun 10 at 19:52
I wasn't aware Charamim can just disappear without being permitted. –  Double AA Jun 10 at 20:33

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