Via Passiva in Early Hasidism

Summary

That the human soul must conduct itself in a mode of passive receptivity whilst God takes the active part is said to be one of the fundamental principles of mysticism. Indeed, it is claimed that this particular quality of consciousness is a permanent postulate of all mystical experience. One of the most prominent students of medieval mysticism wrote: “Mystiker wollen reines Passivum sein.”

This point, the mystic's craving for quietude and passivity, seems to be one of those rare instances where there is general agreement between the theologian of mysticism and the student of the history of religion. Just as speculative mysticism is nearly always associated with pantheistic leanings, so one is justified in considering practice and teaching as to the passivity of the soul to be another, hardly less characteristic mark of religious experience of the mystical type: the requirement of passiveness is as closely connected with mysticism at the practical level as is pantheism on the theoretical plane. Statements of passivity are made both in the works of formal theologians of mysticism and in the description of historians and phenomenologists.

One will find in the literature of the mystics ardent recommendations of complete passivity. All mystical writers use a common language in regard to the question of passiveness and appear, in this respect, to live in the same spiritual climate. Indeed, Miss Underhill echoed the great chorus of mystics, theologians, and historians of religion when she wrote (in her eloquent book Practical Mysticism) about passivity as follows:

This unmistakable experience has been achieved by the mystics of every religion, and when we read their statements, we know that all are speaking of the same thing…. They are the passive objects upon which it works.

This being so the basic texts of early Hasidism, and in particular the texts of the Great Maggid, will now be examined, in an endeavor to determine to what extent they conform to the pattern described above.

The claim is that passivity is conducive to ecstasy, and indeed instrumental in attaining it; and it is this that I shall attempt to trace in the literature of early Hasidism. If the mystical spirit is present in that literature, as I believe it to be in abundance, Hasidism will show affinities to all other mystical trends and the aspect of passivity will not be lacking.