Transcript Nov 7
Monday Spinoza and Mendelssohn Haskela Wed. • Rise of Reform: • Reformers: know why you are reforming... – Goals. – Questions will be asked… • Everyone else: plan your responses! Friday: • Early Orthodox response. Mysticism and Messiah • Isaac Luria 1534-1572 • taught that a saintly teacher could redeem a generation • Revolutionary Messiah replaced by Heroic messiah Lurianic Kabalah • Tzimzum: Ein Sof (GOD) contracts to open a space for creation remnant of divine light preserved in jars. Lurianic K. • Breaking the vessels Light cannot be contained. Shards of vessels are root of evil Light scattered and surrounded by matter Lurianic K. • TIKKUN: Repair. Separating divine sparks from shards. Obedience to torah etc: Elevating world to original purity Luria: Gradual redemption. Acts of righteousness prepare the way for Messiah Jews have special obligation to help bring Messiah Breslauer, p. 100 • Torah a secret code – Open to any interpretation outside of Oral Torah • Prayer has magical power – New prayers will replace the old • Disorder is fundamental to nature – Descent into disorder necessary to restore cosmos • Leader is essential to salvation. – Small step to Messiah 1648 “Messiah will come…” • Eastern European Kabbalists determined that Messiah will come in 1648 1648-1649 Ukraine / Poland • Slaughter • Cossack rebellion • 300,000 Jews left dead? New prediction: • Messiah in 1666 Sabbatai Zevi 1626-1676 • 1648 Claimed to be Messiah. • Overturned traditional Halakhah • Turks forced conversion to Islam. • Died in prison as an apostate • Many followers saw his “descent into sin” part of mystical repair of the universe. 17th -18th century • Increasing violence against Jews in East Europe • Jewish economy falters • Considerable poverty Jacob Frank (1726-1791) • • • • • • Polish Claimed to be Messiah Overturned sexual ethics. Rejected by Rabbinic leadership, Converted to Christianity. Speaks against Judaism – Incites further violence. Jewish classes differences • Poor Jews feel they are made to bear the burden of supporting the wealthy and the rabbinical schools. • Rabbinical schools not providing spiritual leadership for the larger community: – Elitist Alternative religion • Many Askenazi Jews in Poland • Turn to mystically influenced religious teachers astrology magic • Miracle-workers manipulate divine name. • Belief in demons, spirits etc grows. Amulet to protect baby Baal Shem Tov 1700-1760 • Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer • Massive legendary material • Herbal Doctor “Baal Shem” Good Name • Distinguishes him from magicians. Simple teacher Stories / Parables Appealed to the uneducated. Studied Kabbalah Teachings Emotion over intellect Intuition more important than even Talmud God’s immanence “sparks of holiness” In nature & simple objects Joy in life and worship antidote to bigotry Songs, dancing drinking Folksongs seen as religious allegories. BeshT (B. Shem Tov) Prayer • Clinging: continual awareness of God’s presence • Ecstasy / Enthusiasm: Traditional prayer regulations ignored spontaneous. BeshT on Messiah: 2 theories. • His teachings were a prelude to redemption by Messiah. • Downplays “eschatology” (end of the world) • Reaction to false messiahs Sees eschatology as allegory of personal transformation. Legend • 1747 BeshT sees Messiah “When will you come?” • “When every Jews is as spiritual as you” • Mission: to bring the Messiah. Modern Denominations Is Messiah a person or Is there only a “messianic period” when justice will prevail? Successors • Tzaddik “righteous” • Rebbe • Disciples of BeshT who form their own schools. • Became dynastic Hasidic Jews R. Zalman of Ladi 1745-1812 • Habad (Chabad)– Lubavitch Hasid • Integrated Mysticism with renewed emphasis on Oral Torah Backlash • Rabbinic Elite challenges Hasids • “Mitnagdim” • Elijah ben Solomon Zalman 1720-97 “Gaon of Vilna” Modernity • Hasidic Judaism: anti-modernist in many respects. • Return to tradition, and Judaism as a special people • Rejected rise of modern “citizenship” Irony • Mitnagdim taught Hasidism was a dangerous innovation • Hasidism rejected modernity and became a force for orthodoxy. sources • http://www.williams.edu/library/citing/styles /chicago1.html • http://www.arts.ualberta.ca/axismundi/The _Rise_Of....htm#anchor596778