Interesting Resource on the Torah of the Rebbeim

I want to bring http://theyeshiva.net/ to the readers' atention. It is a good place to start for those who want an introduction to Chabad Chassidus on an intellectual level. It contains well organized presentations of key concepts in Chassidus, well arranged and well explained. mostly from LIkkutei Torah and Torah Oh but also from other classic Chabad works. It sticks closely to the published maamorim without the fluff.

Those who are not familiar with Chabad literature have little concept of its extent and rigor. Otzar Hachchma has an optional Chabad module for purchase - 7000.00 volumes. The Maamorim of various Rebbes are built on one another and interlace in various ways. presenting a profound, complex and self-referential approach to Kabbala in its Beshtian interpretation that I would put on par with, say, Ramchal's approach, except that it is a living tradition that is revered and studied by thousands in our own day (most of whom do not understand it or shrink from its potential implications). It is deeply paradoxical and properly understood is not for the faint of heart. This site is a good beginner's introduction to the actual maamorim, without undue emphasis on the complexity and paradoxes.

If you are interested davka in the paradoxes, consider these two books: by Levin and Wolfson. The former is clearly written; the latter will strain your mind to integrate disparate concepts and your ability to understand English sentences.

 

Comments

[Sara Raftenberg]

Thank you for this link, but it points out some of the disingenuousness of Chabad. Referring to itself as a "yeshivah" site, terming its conetxt as "Torah" and "Judaism" without an honest statement of intellectual bent and the like is off-putting and part of the problem of Chabad to my mind.Your honest analysis of it might have thwarted their aims. The wpoers that be may ask if you to remove this ....

[avakesh]

I don't think they see it as being misleading. I actually called someone in Chabad before writing this post to ask about the name. His response was, " And what, we don't have yeshivas?".

[Sara Raftenberg]

They have *Chabad* yeshivos which, as they proudly point out and which makes it even radically different from standard Chassidushe yeshivos, spend hours studying Chassidus. The response is pilpul and disingenuous.

[dissertation-writing-help.org]

I am not familiar with 'Chabad' literature but with the way you explained this topic, seems like it's an interesting one.