[Avodah] Where Bread Comes From

[Prof. Levine]

At 06:44 AM 4/23/2009, R. Micha wrote:

>To get back to my thesis, I'll summarize it again (as it exists in my head
>right now): I think you can't both lament the dry passionless observance
>of halakhah and insist that no one embellish their practice with other
>inspiring practices. What other pragmatic route would you give people
>to inspire themselves? Historically speaking, this was always part of
>the toolkit, and the source of numerous minhagim.
>
>Tir'u baTov!
>-Micha

Reb Yisroel Salanter did his utmost to correct "the dry passionless 
observance of halakhah," yet, to the best of my knowledge,  he did 
not suggest that anyone "embellish their practice with other 
inspiring practices." He started a movement based on the study of 
mussar seforim to a degree that was not prevalent in the past. Still 
it was within the framework of traditional Torah study. He also 
stressed the importance of making one's Bein Adom l'Chaveiro behavior 
at least as important as one's Bein Adom l'Makom.

Now you may argue that this is also innovation. Even if it is, IMO it 
is not the same kind of innovation that we see today, which is often 
based on esoteric practices.

YL
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