[Avodah] Hasidism and the Akedah

[Zev Sero]

On 18/09/2011 1:05 PM, Prof. Levine wrote:
> I have no doubt that many will disagree with the article at
>  http://tinyurl.com/3p7plvb which says in part

Why are you even citing an article by a C "rabbi", who writes that:
> most modern readers critically view this story from a Kantian
> perspective ­ how a benevolent God who forbids murder could command
> human sacrifice and how Abraham could be a model for humankind if he
> is willing to kill his son, even for God
; what do you expect such a kofer to see in chassidishe divrei torah?
To him indeed "The episode is not taken literally, or as real, but as a
spiritual metaphor for teaching the reader how to serve God", so naturally
he sees that in whatever sources he consults.  The three tzadikim he
cites certainly took the story literally and as real, and they were
certainly not bothered by its "ethical" implications, any more than were
any of the non-chassidic meforshim.  All one needs do is look at the
siddur and machzor to see the correct attitude, the universal Jewish
attitude to the akeda.  His claim that "Hasidic masters mostly had other
things on their minds" is just his own excuse to exploit and twist their
words for his own purposes.



-- 
Zev Sero        If they use these guns against us once, at that moment
zev at sero.name   the Oslo Accord will be annulled and the IDF will
                 return to all the places that have been given to them.
		                            - Yitzchak Rabin