From Haaretz, here’s a review of A Heart Afire, a wonderful book published last year by Reb Zalman and Netanel M. Miles-Yepez.  Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor

(From the February 8th issue of Haaretz.com)

A journey for those who wish to take it

  By Yael Unterman  

A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters, by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi and Netanel Miles-Yepez
Jewish Publication Society of America, 406 pages, $45

A friend interested in Hasidism, who saw me reading “A Heart Afire,” commented lukewarmly: “Do we really need another book about the Hasidic masters?”

It’s a question worth taking seriously. Indeed, a previous collaboration by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, the grand old man of the Jewish Renewal movement, and his student, Netanel Miles-Yepez, a comparative religion scholar and spiritual counselor, already covered the topic, seemingly. In this case the overlap is not major, for the earlier work, “Wrapped in a Holy Flame: Teachings and Tales of the Hasidic Masters” (2003 ), is wide-ranging, whereas this one is limited to examining three specific 18th-century masters and their circles: the Baal Shem Tov (Israel Ben Eliezer, the “Besht,” founder of the Hasidic movement ); Dov Ber (the Maggid ) of Mezritch; and Elimelech of Lizhensk.

There is, however, no lack of illustrious predecessors writing in the same genre as “A Heart Afire,” namely not from an academic-critical perspective but from an insider one. They too charted the tales, and in some cases the teachings, of the major players in the early Hasidic movement. To name just a few: Elie Wiesel (”Souls on Fire” ); Martin Buber (”Tales of the Hasidim” ); and more recently, Abraham J. Twerski, scion of the Hasidic Chernobyl dynasty (”Four Chassidic Masters” ), and Rami Shapiro, whose “Hasidic Tales: Annotated and Explained,” was dedicated to Schachter-Shalomi, his rebbe. So my friend’s question, even if meant rhetorically, appears to be a legitimate one.

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The following text by Reb Zalman is from this week’s Torah portion, Shabbos Beshalach. (Click here for Hebrew/English version). [Notes by Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor]:

“And Miriam answered them.” (Exodus 15:21).

[NOTE:  The traditional interpretation of this text is that Miriam and the women respond with another song.  Here, Reb Zalman reads the Hebrew literally as a mamash answer to a question.]

What question did she answer?  It was the question: “How are they reaching for that inspired song and giving of thanks, for thanking Hashem regarding the miracle of the splitting of the waters?”

Ah!  The answer is spoken through the feet, in dance.   (And working it through the dances, they can sort out much (Jeremiah 15:19) to bring forth “worthy, not worthless” words, for regarding the laws of Shabbos, ham’raked / one sifts through them.)

[NOTE:  A secondary meaning of reish-kuf-daled, רקד, to dance, is “to sift”.  So we can sometimes dance out our prayers.  And we can also dance with the laws of Shabbos as we sort things out. 

This emphasizes praying on all the levels, not just the intellectual one.  The prayer will be raised to a higher place if the body is engaged.  (Oy, there was some great praying at the last Aleph Kallah with Rabbis and dancers Diane Elliot, Shefa Gold,  Julie Leavitt and Nadya Gross!)]

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
from Yishmiru Daat (2009 revision),
“Parashat Shemot,” p. 32

The following text by Reb Zalman is for this week’s Torah portion, Shabbos Shemot. (Click here for Hebrew/English version). [Notes by Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor]:

“And he saw an Egyptian man striking a Hebrew man of his brethren” (Exodus 2:11).

Moses, our teacher, (may he rest in peace), while growing up in Egypt, followed the conventional wisdom put forth by the Egyptians that everyone is rewarded or punished according to hir actions, (and his thought processes were somewhat shaped by having had his education in Pharaoh’s elite schools).  But this day, he saw an Egyptian punish a Jew who had not done anything forbidden to slaves;  rather, it was a case of one Jew doing a thing for which s/he should have been punished and a second - one of hir Jewish brethren - being punished for the former’s guilty action. 

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Hanukkah video talk for Santa Barbara, November 2009
by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Contents

Sacred Time Consciousness
Hanukkah: Not Just for Kids
Lost Sanctity: A Crisis
Sanctuary: Alive and Conscious
Waning Daylight
Elu V’Elu
Miracles and Habits
One’s Own Perspective
The Aesthetic Dimension
Gaian Awareness
Enlightenment
Dreydl
Latkes

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Reb Zalman talks about his journey of faith and exploration of other religious traditions in this interview with Patheos CEO and Founder, Leo Brunnick.

• http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/In-Exile-Together-A-Dialogue-of-Faith.html

Don’t miss this sweet and wonderful talk.

Dear Friends:

Reb Zalman and Rebbitzin Eve recently returned from the trip to the UK. 

Before the trip, Reb Zalman wrote in the Rosh Hashanah Yesod Foundation Newsletter: 

“God willing, this November, Eve and I will be participating in a meeting convened by Prince Philip at Windsor Castle in the United Kingdom. It is to be a summit of religious leaders proposing ways in which the power and wisdom of our traditions can blend with the needs of the hour. Please keep this in mind during your High Holy Day prayers this year, and also pray for the grace to be able to shift our shared consciousness in the direction of our most harmonious integration, for the good of the life we share. All this can sweeten the good that is in store for us this coming year.” 

And here’s Eve’s report on the trip:

Report from Windsor
by Eve Ilsen

“For the first three days of November, Reb Zalman and I were privileged to participate in an event in the UK, hosted by ARC, the Alliance of Religions and Conservation, aptly called “Many Heavens, One Earth”.

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Dear Friends:

Thanksgiving is just about here.

Many of us will have a festive meal.

But the important part is that at this dinner we should invite some needy people so that we might feed them.

It is also important before Birkhat Hamazon, the grace after meals, to count our blessings and to give thanks to God.

Based on the model that we have for Hanukkah and Purim I have written an insert prayer to include both in the Amidah as well as in the Birkhat Hamazon and I offer this as a suggestion for your Thanksgiving celebration.  (CLICK HERE FOR A COPY)

Blessings,

Reb Zalman Hiyyah Schachter-Shalomi

In the following article, Reb Zalman makes accessible some of the core practical teachings of the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of Chabad-Lubavitch.  With Reb Zalman’s help, the Baal Tanya’s teachings extend to universal applicability.  You will find at the end prescriptions for Anxiety.  The message from the Sefer Beinonim is pertinent to all, regardless of identifications or level of observance.  Please feel free to leave comments at the end with any thoughts or reactions.  Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor

Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Ladi on
THE PREDICAMENT OF THE BEINONI
by Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

Contents

Anxiety And the Beinoni
Tzaddik
Rasha
Beinoni
The Psychology of Beinoni
The Rational Soul
Habad and Affect
The Vicissitudes of the Beinoni
The Remedy
It’hapkha
Inner and Outer Reality

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The following text by Reb Zalman is for this week’s Torah portion, Shabbos Chaye Sarah. (Click here for Hebrew/English version).   Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor

“And before I had finished lidaber / speaking to my heart, behold, Rebecca came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder.” (Genesis 24:45).

The “speaking to my heart” refers to the previous line, where Eliezer, the servant of Abraham said, (ibid, 42), “And I came this day unto the well and said, ‘havaye God of my lord Abraham, etc.’“  And the prayer there was described here as a dibbur / speaking to the heart, i.e. that havaye dwells within the inside of the heart. 

As explained by the holy Rabbi, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel of Apt, on the section of Leviticus 26:12,”And I will walk among you,” in the holy book, Ohev Yisrael, on section bechukotai, expounding on the text, “v’hit-halachti / and I will walk,” here’s what he says: 

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The following text by Reb Zalman is for this week’s Torah portion, Shabbos Vayera. (Click here for Hebrew/English version). [Notes by Gabbai Seth Fishman, BLOG Editor]:

“And He appeared unto him” (Genesis 18:1).

(Shabbos 127a) “Hospitality to wayfarers is more important than an encounter with the Shechinah / in-dwelling of God.”  

[NOTE:  Avraham interrupted his union with Hashem, (Genesis, 18:1, “Vayera“ / and God appeared), so that he could take care of the visitors who showed up in the meantime (ibid 18:3, “Adonay… please pass not from thy servant.”)  The Rabbis took the word Adonay in this context as referring to God.  (It is also sometimes translated as referring to the visitors.)  The Talmud makes the above conclusion, that one should give precedence, as Avraham did, to an opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of hachnassat orchim / hospitality to the wayfarers, over a union with God.]

For Abraham came to be a host to the wayfarers amidst that sense of cleaving during the encounter with the Shechinah, for there was a sense that he would see the holy Shechinah in the wayfarers.

[NOTE:  As Reb Zalman has spoken in lectures, even greater than the heresy of making God too small is the heresy of making ourselves too small vis-a-vis God.  In addition to the good feeling we will have when we perform the mitzvah of hachnassat orchim, we should also remember that the Shechinah is accessible when we do so; in fact she is there in our guests and in all of us.]

Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi
from Yishmiru Daat (2009 revision),
“Parashat Vayera Eilav,” pp. 30-31