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<font size=3>At 06:44 AM 4/23/2009, R. Micha wrote:<br><br>
<blockquote type=cite class=cite cite="">To get back to my thesis, I'll
summarize it again (as it exists in my head<br>
right now): I think you can't both lament the dry passionless
observance<br>
of halakhah and insist that no one embellish their practice with
other<br>
inspiring practices. What other pragmatic route would you give
people<br>
to inspire themselves? Historically speaking, this was always part
of<br>
the toolkit, and the source of numerous minhagim.<br><br>
Tir'u baTov!<br>
-Micha</blockquote><br>
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. <br><br>
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.<br><br>
YL</font></body>
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