I've been up for about 24 hours, ever since I woke up on Shabbos morning. Which included a four-hour drive. Which means I don't have energy to write right now the several posts I wanted to write. Maybe later.
So, I give you my old post instead. To be continued... Gutt Yom Tov.
Actually, just before I go rest a bit, I can't help but give a little thought. Answering the question "Who is G-d?", Rav Saadia Gaon answered: "Ilu yadativ, hayisiv" — "If I knew [Him], I would be [Him]." Which makes sense. And is a separate topic on its own.
The thing is: Rebbe Rashab once said that when he meditated on Chassidus Chabad, on G-d, on His relationship with the world, on the purpose of the world's creation, on G-d's Essence and Revelation, etc., etc., — while meditating on all this, Rebbe Rashab "yadativ ve'hayisiv". "I knew Him and I was Him." There are several ways to understand this statement, and intelligent people will pick the more intelligent way.
And here comes the politically incorrect bit. A lot of people say that they have studied Chassidus. A lot of people say they have studied Chassidus Chabad. But, they say, "Chassidus is not for me. I can't say I am a chossid. I have learned Chassidus, I understand and know what I have studied, but..." My answer to that? "Ilu yadativ, hayisiv." If you knew it [Chassidus], you would be it [a Chossid]. No way around it. Sorry...
In my humble opinion. (Hey! No snorting!)
6 comments:
Interesting... Not sure I agree though!
I like this, and I think it's true. But what of the people who have learned chassidus their whole life, and still don't understand it, or live it? Would you say that they haven't really learned it?
Yeah. I would say they haven't really learned it. I think it's the same with all Yiddishkeit. People can learn Gemara twelve hours a day and never really learn real Gemara, Hashem's chochma. People can learn Chumash and never see what's it all about. Etc.
So, there are three levels.
1) People who think they've learned Chassidus. Just because you've learned Tanya doesn't mean you've learned Chassidus Chabad. You have to learn all the way down to the depths. The Rebbe's sichos and ma'amorim, Rebbe Rashab's hemschechim, FR's ma'amorim, Derech Mitzvoshecha, etc., etc., etc.
It's not different from the fact that one has to learn Chumash with Rashi and other meforshim and Gemara with Rashi and Tosfos. If you just read English translation of Chumash and say you were not impressed, there is an obvious explanation: you haven't really learned Chumash.
As far as learning Chassidus, not only is learning of the Chassidic concepts to their depths required, but also a proper teacher (I guess it's the same with all Yiddishkeit, again). Somebody who will open up what Chassidus Chabad is.
2) People who actually learn Chassidus but don't understand it. A lot of what I said above applies (learning with proper sources, commentaries, teachers), but also regarding this case, a person needs to work extra hard on transforming his intellect. There is a famous story of Reb Yekusiel brought down by Frierdiker Rebbe in Kuntres Limud HaChassidus. He was a dumbbell and could not understand any concepts in Chassidus except the most basic ones. He decided he's going to understand Chassidus. He sat down with people who understood Chassidus and had them explain to him concepts one by one and dissected them and worked on them and developed his own intellectual abilities, until he became one of the major scholars of Chassidus (iirc).
3) People who learn and understand Chassidus, but don't live it. This is the so-called problem of narrow neck. When brain does not communicate well with the heart. When a person has chochma and binah, but not daas.
The way to rectify this is to daven. Daven b'arichus with chisboinenus. Daven slowly, meditating at length on the concepts learned and on words that one is saying.
One can also learn certain texts which are more focused on avoida than haskalla (although for me it was learning Samech Vov that made me focus on avoida — I went so high up that I realized the preciousness of what's below). And, obviously, get a mashpia.
This all I know in theory. Because I haven't gotten to a satisfactory level on any of the above myself, even as far as where I am holding in my avoida (which is almost nowhere).
Wow. Talk about coming down to earth with a thump. It's a big eye opener to hear all this coming from someone who hasn't learned it all their life.
I've not learned Chassidus myself as I get the feeling I'm alot younger than younger than you CR, but I'm weary of saying there is a one-size-fits all out there, as if it were, surely it would be mandated by everyone, misnagdim included? This was why I wrote I disagreed, but visiting back I realised I should have explained why that was the case.
I am 24.
It's not mandated by everyone, but it should be. Ramak says that those who don't learn Kabbala are two steps from being appikorsim. And Alter Rebbe elaborates. And the Rebbe elaborates. Arizal clearly says learning pnimiyus haTorah is a necessity, not a luxury. Vilna Gaon said you can't pasken Halacha without knowing Kabbala. FR said that those who learn only nigleh nowadays and not nistar are delaying the coming of Moshiach. Rambam says that those who are capable should learn about the Unity of G-d in detail and in depth. The Rebbe says that Chassidus Chabad is for everyone.
And so on, and so forth.
I have respect for other paths, but I do believe that being a misnaged nowadays is a mistake. And Rebbeim agreed. They didn't take the liberal view that everyone is right; nor did they say "eilu v'eilu". (On the other hand, the Rebbe insisted that Sefardim are served rice on Peisach.)
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