Q&A: Why Don’t They Qualify the Study of Hasidic Works?
Why Don’t They Qualify the Study of Hasidic Works?
Question
Hello,
I studied in various hesder yeshivot, and there on every shelf and every day there are books and classes on various Hasidic works such as Breslov, Chabad, the Seer of Lublin, and the like.
But why don’t they explain from day one that the entire “world of Hasidism” is under very serious doubt according to enormous Torah authorities.
For example, Wikipedia says (assuming what is written there is correct):
The Vilna Gaon opposed the Hasidic movement[21] because of various distortions he saw in it, which led him to classify it as heresy and as a movement that draws from impurity. As early as 1772, the Vilna Gaon’s signature appears on the ban issued by the Vilna community against Hasidism. In 1781 he again placed it under a ban. As part of the ban, he refused to meet the founding rebbe of Chabad, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, and instructed that the book “The Testament of the Rivash” be burned publicly.
Here you can find more sources for various opponents: http://jewishhistory.huji.ac.il/kuntress/Chassidiana/chassidiana.pdf
Why do I need to study for years from sources like these when it is possible that they “draw from impurity” altogether? And what is the Rabbi’s opinion about the various Hasidic books / the Hasidic movement?
Thank you
Answer
You could just as well ask why they don’t explain that there are serious problems in Maimonides’ books and that great Torah authorities came out against them. And what about the books of Kabbalah? Why does every single thing have to be explained to you? Someone who teaches this apparently thinks it is beneficial, and that is why he teaches it. If you think not—don’t study it.
No source draws from impurity. All this nonsense is empty demagoguery.
My personal view is that Hasidic books do not contribute very much and usually suffer from vague definitions and imprecise discourse. Bottom line, in my opinion it is not all that instructive. But that is my personal opinion, and leave aside all this talk of “drawings” and “impurities” and other fantasies.
Discussion on Answer
Impurity is a concept from Kabbalah? You might want to try skimming through the Five Books of Moses a bit. Recommended.
What does this have to do with believing or not believing in Kabbalah? If someone claims that a book he disagrees with draws from impurity, does that obligate everyone who believes in Kabbalah to accept it?
I didn’t understand the sentences “No source draws from impurity. All this nonsense is empty demagoguery,” and “leave aside all this talk of ‘drawings’ and ‘impurities’ and other fantasies.”
“Drawing” and “impurity” are very basic concepts in Kabbalah. Do you not believe in Kabbalah at all?