We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
HABAD TEACHINGS on prayer give a personal, individualistic dimension to the life of the hasid, as do Bratslav teachings on hitbodedut. Further, Habad teachings on contemplation, particularly in the twentieth century, constitute an interesting form of response to modernity: a reaching into the deep spiritual resources of hasidism in order to confront a changing world. However, would spiritually demanding systems of contemplation be relevant to the average member of the hasidic community? Does Habad contemplation lead away from the world or towards it? Such issues are discussed in this chapter together with consideration of examples of the contemplative individual, who, rather than being a lone mystic, fulfils a significant role in Habad society as a mashpia, spiritual guide, seeking to bond people together and maintain awareness of spiritual values.
PRAYER WAS IMPORTANT for all branches of early hasidism. However, a distinctive feature of the Habad approach in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was the endeavour to create and popularize one or more contemplative systems. At this early period tracts on contemplation were compiled by Rabbi Shneur Zalman, his son R. Dov Ber, known as the Mitteler Rebbe, and the latter's rival, R. Aaron of Starosselye (1766–1828).
The first part of this chapter explores the paradox implicit in this task. A system of contemplation suitable for an elite group of men of stature may well be unsuitable for the needs of a wider echelon of society. Indeed we find that Rabbi Dov Ber of Lubavitch felt forced to rein in many of his followers and substitute a more simple and accessible path. However, it is striking that at the beginning of the twentieth century there was a revival of some intense varieties of spiritual quest which previously had seemed inadvisable. This development in Habad- Lubavitch was itself a response to modernity. One had to be something: Zionist, Bundist, contemplative. It was an intense period in Russia leading to global changes in world history and powerful transformations in Jewish history.
The second part of the chapter considers the social ramifications of contemplative prayer in the context of modernity and postmodernity. What is contemplative prayer? Otherworldly mysticism or love of one's fellow?
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.
