Hasidology

An interesting new blog, "Hasidology", that focuses on academic treatments of Chabad theology.

By locating its exploration of Chabad thought within the academic discourse, this blog has the potential of building the bridge to other currents of contemporary Jewish thought and of dispelling the suspicion that many outside of Chabad feel toward those who attempt to expain Chabad concepts to non-Chabadniks. After all, academia is supposed to be objective, isn't it? This blog explains concepts in a manner that is rare, rarefied and refreshing. By focusing on how academicians, such as Eliott Wolfson, perceive and conceptualize Chabad thought, much antipathy can be short-circuited.

It is a pity that the grand edifice of Chabad thought is so unavailable to those outside of Lubavitch. It is a great construct and interpretation of the thought of Ari, unrivaled, in my estimation, in sophistication and complexity, except by the thought of Ramchal; but then, Ramchal is not a living tradition. Ari Hakodosh left a corpus of arcane and obstruse knowledge, and many after him attempted to decipher and systemize it. Among them, in addition to Ramchal, must  be listed the Leshem, Mikdash Melech and R. Ashlag.

Chabad is the most comprehensive. It is so voluminous, so repetetive but subtly innovative  in its various manfestations, expressed by so many different authors in mediums of maamorim, sichos and teachings. Otzar Hachochma includes an optional Chabad module of more than seven thousands volumes. Couple that to a living tradition and a community that seriously engages in the study of this corpus and you have a unique and multifaceted interpretation of the teachings of the Ari. Hasidology, so far, appears to be able to give an objective inkling to the uninitiated, of the subtlety and complexity of Chabad thought. B'hatslacha!

Comments

[Yaakov Feldman]

Yashar Koach for mentioning Ramchal, Leshem, Ashlag, et al. But mention must also be made of one of the greatest students of the Ari who, supposedly because he was a Sefardi,has been largely overlooked was HaRav Shalom Sharabi.His best contemporary exponent to my mind is HaRav Iche Meyer Morgenstern. And HaRav Sharabi's is indeed a living tradition.

[aa]

Actually, anyone who reads the weekly transcripts of his Rav Morgensterns teaching can see that he is more of an exponent of chassidus then Rav Sharabi. He quotes Chabad seforim counless more times than he quotes Rav Sharabi.

[Yaakov Feldman]

Dear aa -- R' Morgenstern has whole, lengthy and complex explications of R' Sharabi in his voluminous Yam HaChochma series, and not in the weekly transcripts which you're right about.

[aa]

Still as a whole more of an exponent of chassidus than of r. Sharabi.

[Eli_rubin]

Thank's for taking note of #Hasidology !

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Ridiculous story there. What happened after? Thanks!