Thursday, October 05, 2006

What Would The Baal Shem Tov Say About Chassidus Today?

A Simple Jew asks:
If the Baal Shem Tov was physically amongst us and could comment on the state of Chassidus today, what advice do you think he would give to help return us to his original intended path?
The question is asked of Rabbi Tal Zwecker, of Ramat Bet Shemesh, who is in the process of translating the sefer Degel Machaneh Ephraim into English [you can read some sample chapters here]

To answer the question, Rabbi Zwecker describes the Baal Shem Tov's goals and delineates 4 basic paths (or approaches) that Chassidus has taken.

It is well worth reading both Rabbi Zwecker's answer, and a detailed rebuttal given by one of A Simple Jew's readers.

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