APPENDIX F1:* Hasidic v. Kabbalistic
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APPENDIX F1:*
Hasidic v. Kabbalistic
BAAL SHEM TOV (founder of Hasidism)
(b. 1698, Sara, Ukraine; d. 1760, Medzhybizh,
Ukraine)
Ukraine)
(“The Besht”)
“The foundation-stone of
Hasidism as laid by Besht
Hasidism as laid by Besht
is a strongly marked
pantheistic conception of
God.
pantheistic conception of
God.
He declared the whole
universe, mind and
matter,
universe, mind and
matter,
to be a manifestation of the Divine
Being; that this
Being; that this
manifestation is not
an emanation from God, as is
an emanation from God, as is
the conception of the Kabbalah, for nothing
can be
can be
separated from God: all
things are rather forms in
which
things are rather forms in
which
He reveals Himself…”
a
*a
Jewish Encyclopedia Online, http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/
view.jsp?artid=18&letter=B
(accessed October 5, 2009)
(accessed October 5, 2009)
BASIC IDEAS OF HASIDISM
Creator and Universe
“‘The hasidic leader R. Menahem Mendel of Lubavich
observes (Derekh Mitzvotekha (1911), 123) that the
disciples of the Ba’al Shem Tov gave the “very profound”
turn to the doctrine of the oneness of God so that it
means not alone that He is unique, as the medieval
thinkers said, but that
He is all that is:…there is
no other
He is all that is:…there is
no other
existence whatsoever apart from His existence, blessed
be He. This is true unication…just as there
was no
was no
existence apart from Him before the world was created
so it is even now.” …as a corollary of
hasidic pantheism
hasidic pantheism
(more correctly,
panentheism)…’”
panentheism)…’”
b
(author’s note: there are no extant writings
of the Besht)
of the Besht)
*b
As noted in
Encyclopaedia Judaica on Baal Shem Tov {1997} [CD-ROM]
Encyclopaedia Judaica on Baal Shem Tov {1997} [CD-ROM]
Author’s editorial comment / perspective on
the
the
classic and historic
‘dispute’ between Lurianism
and
‘dispute’ between Lurianism
and
Hasidism on the subject:
As the gemorah might say,
“Eylu v-aylu divre’ Elokim Chayim”
i.e. Both (exegesis)
positions stand valid
positions stand valid
side-by-side eternally
and, indeed, in this case,
both philosophical propositions:
The Lurianic
***
[The universe as EMANATION
from God] –
from God] –
and the Hasidic position
[The universe as MANIFESTATION of God]
Both tether different (intertwined) aspects of
the
the
proposed Quest for
Potential
Potential
∞
paradigm.
*
***Lurianic is a thrust of Kabbalistic
Meaning, philosophical thrust
#1 does not exclude
#1 does not exclude
philosophical thrust #2,
as the respective theological /
as the respective theological /
philosophical camps supposed;
On the contrary, BOTH
On the contrary, BOTH
philosophical thrusts must
be true side-by-side in
order
be true side-by-side in
order
to explicate and outline – in even the most general
terms – the contours of an all-embracing
metaphysics.
metaphysics.
*
