This is actually the first time, comrades, that I call upon my Chabad or otherwise Chasidic readers (if, in fact, there are any (can't be too sure you know)) to explain to me the meaning of Chasidut (according to it's early literature) as they see it.
I ask because, as I was awaking today, I found the subject strangely caught in my mind. It's not a new question to me though, and I have the same question in regards to the mussar movement. Both seemed not to be creating anything new. There was mussar before Rabbi Yisrael Salanter, and there was Kabalah and simcha and whatever else before Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov. I've always wondered what novel ideas the early Chasidic works (such as the Toldot Yaakov Yosef, the Likutei Moharan, the Likutei Amarim, the Noam Elimelech for example) had in common. I obviously have some ideas, but I still feel my comprehension is lacking when I see people who are passionate about it, and don't understand them. ..the truth is I don't understand the passion of the "Na-Nach" people either, but I don't feel that's due to a lack in my comprehension..
I know it would obviously be better for me to do a little research myself, but it is written "מפי סופרים ולא מפי ספרים", and here on the blogs we have כמה וכמה תלמידי חכמים בתורת הנגלה ובתורת הנסתר, צורבי מרבנן דלא פסקי פומייהו מאורייתא, so why not ask..
22 comments:
The passion of the na-nach people is because there life's motto is "always be happy!"
I'm not Chassidish, but apparently, Chassidism is very similar to the avodat HaShem that Sefardim practice.
Here's my understanding:
before Chassidism came along, everybody (mitnagdim/litvaks) was studied halacha, G'mara, the "pshat", and didn't dwell much on "inspiration."
Chassidism brought in more inspirational philosophy and emotion.
A Rabbi at seminary once told us that he's a warm litvak but a cold chassid. When he was younger, he met a Lubavitch chassid who ate before praying Shachrit. My seminary Rabbi was shocked and asked "How can you eat before shachrit?! Halacha clearly says we can't." The Lubavitch chassid answered "you pray so that you can eat; we Chassids eat so that we can have energy to PRAY!"
typo...
it's *their. :D
I highly appreciate your comment : ), but I'm not fully sure I agree with your base idea:
"before Chassidism came along, everybody (mitnagdim/litvaks) was studied halacha, G'mara, the "pshat", and didn't dwell much on "inspiration.""
Since the 1500's there's been an influx of (my mind is failing me it seems; it took me two minutes to remember the word 'influence'!) Arizal-based kabalistic influence that made it's way, through Turkey, into the heart of Jewish eastern Europe. Those teahings too had a lot of 'inspiration' and 'emotion' in them (and obviously were stepping-stones to chasidut).
You said it's similar to "sefardiism", but "modern Arab" Sefardiism (i.e., as opposed to the practice of Spanish Jews) itself is a direct outcome of the Arizal's kabalism (too many isms here!).
Re last paragraph- I suppose that's actually a central theme in chasidut: As opposed to a stress on halacha, they stress the intent, sometimes with a relative disregard for halacha..
Yes, that's my plan; refute everyone who comments till I get a really good answer!
The Arizal clearly had more of an influence on the Jews in Sefardic and Mizrachi lands...
hence our nusach, minhagim, etc. than among European Jews.
I'm not exactly an advocate of Chassidut, but you stated that you'd like a bit more of an understanding of it...
soo...
Oh, and while you're here...
can you please be so kind as to answer my question on the haircovering post of yours.
"you stated that you'd like a bit more of an understanding of it...
soo..."- So...?
"can you please be so kind as to answer my question on the haircovering post of yours."- Oh, I see, anonymous. I don't know why I'm not already subsribed to comments on that post..
Thanks for reading older posts by the way (you know it's hard to market those!).
No problem :)
they're quite enjoyable reads!
Oh, I'm quite flattered..
You talk funny.
Just for the record, that last anonymous comment wasn't me. :P
Ha. That's the danger of writing with anonymous; there could be more than one.
"You talk funny."- I try. : )
Link to the post about head coverings (in case someone reads this and doesn't know what we're talking about).
http://sshriki.blogspot.com/2008/01/blog-post_13.html
"I don't know why I'm not already subsribed to comments on that post.." -- Are you actually subscribing to each post individually? Go through your settings and set them so that you receive emails whenever somebody comments on your blog.
"Are you actually subscribing to each post individually?"- Ummm, umm, *ahem*, well...
"Go through your settings and set them so that you receive emails whenever somebody comments on your blog."- Yeah I just I've just never felt tech-savvy enough to do that. Though I'll try to muster up my courage again, incase someone out there is commenting on old posts without my knowing about it!
"Ummm, umm, *ahem*, well..." -- Are you serious? I was expecting a reply more along the lines of, "No, of course I'm not. My email notifications are just malfunctioning a bit."
"Though I'll try to muster up my courage again, incase someone out there is commenting on old posts without my knowing about it!" -- Yes, you do that. And I'll comment on some of your old posts just to test if you actually took my advice (and maybe because I wanted to comment before but did not think you would check your comments on older posts).
ok, I think I'm good now, let's give it a go! (saying that as I rub the palms of my hands together)
By the way, it's nice of you as well to read my older posts : ). Maybe you can tell me if my writing has been improving or degenerating..
Wonderful.
And while you're changing settings around, please do something with that playlist of yours on the side. I have my own music playing loudly in my ears and then whenever I read your blog your playlist starts playing as well, and I have to keep shutting it off.
Why did you delete your own comment?
"By the way, it's nice of you as well to read my older posts : )." -- I'm reading them because they're interesting, not because I'm trying to be nice, but thank you.
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