[Avodah] Fwd: Torat Chaim VeAhavat Chesed

[Ysoscher via Avodah]

Chana, 

Three quick points: 

1) You are making the mistake many others are making as well, conflating
chassidim with chassidut. Chassidic life today has very little to do with
original chassidut. Early chassidut was a revolutionary theological
movement which appealed to a small elitist group. As time went by
more people started joining. As the masses joined, the theology became
diluted. The theologically influenced practices reminded but the ethos
became stagnant.

Therefore, your attempt to disprove my thesis from the way Chassidim
behave today is wrong. I'm advocating for chassidic theology which
was prevalent during the first and second generation of the chassidic
movement, people like the Besht, the Magid, the Toldos Yakov Yosef,
Reb Nachaman, the Ba'al Hatanye and others.

I have no doubt that their philosophy informed Rav Kook and Lubavitcher
Rebbe when dealing with tensions between Halacha and modernity. And,
their philosophy can help us today as well. Incorporating a chassidic
ethos would allow us to infuse our encounters with modernity with kedusha
and meaning.

Which brings me to my second point.

2) Kabbakah and chassidut isn't about warmth and community. It's a highly
sophisticated philosophical system which offers a nuanced alternative
to the Maimonidean/rationalist approach.

While the approach is a-rational, it isn't irrational.

However, more to the point, the warmth and sense of community is a
byproduct of this theology, not its primary focus.

3) Finally, I'm not sure I understand your point about the Rambam. The
Rambam says that he believes it is justified to fool and mislead the
masses. That to me is highly problematic.


Rabbi Ysoscher Katz
Chair, Department of Talmud,
Yeshivat Chovevei Torah Rabbinical School; Director of the Lindenbaum
Center for Halakhic Studies; Educational Director of Judaic Studies,
Luria Academy, Brooklyn, NY.; Rabbi, Prospect Heights Shul.
E-mail: ysoscher at gmail.com