E-Book, Englisch, 400 Seiten
Reihe: Princeton Legacy Library
Uffenheimer Hasidism as Mysticism
1. Auflage 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4008-7280-0
Verlag: De Gruyter
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark
Quietistic Elements in Eighteenth-Century Hasidic Thought
E-Book, Englisch, 400 Seiten
Reihe: Princeton Legacy Library
ISBN: 978-1-4008-7280-0
Verlag: De Gruyter
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark
Offered here for the first time in English translation, Hasidism as Mysticism is a classic in its field. Using the tools of phenomenology, Rivka Schatz Uffenheimer places Hasidism squarely in the context of religious studies. Hasidism's theoretical texts have been largely ignored by historians of the movement, but Schatz Uffenheimer analyzes these materials fully, disclosing the mystical, quietistic tendencies that existed alongside Hasidism's more activist, popular elements. The author carefully reviewed this translation of her work; it includes a revised introduction with much new material, two new chapters, and an appendix containing a translation, history, and literary analysis of one of the few extant texts attributed to the Baal Shem Tov.
Schatz Uffenheimer's inquiry covers the full gamut of Hasidic life and thought, embracing such topics as the emphasis on joy and the concomitant ban on sadness and regret in Hasidism, the focus on contemplative rather than petitionary prayer, the subordination of the mizvot (commandments) to the spiritualistic goal of devequt (attachment to God), and the anarchic elements of Hasidism's approach to life within society. Also discussed are the problematic role of Torah study resulting from this spiritualistic emphasis, the movement's neutralization or internalization of the traditional concept of a historical messiah, and the transformation within Hasidism of traditional concepts borrowed from Kabbalah. The author's illuminating hints as to the affinity between Hasidism and Christian Quietism should be of particular interest to scholars in the field.
Rivka Schatz Uffenheimer (1927-1992) was the Edmonton Community Professor of Jewish Mysticism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. One of the outstanding students of Gershom Scholem, she forged her own path in the world of scholarship. Her research encompassed a wide range of areas: Zohar and Lurianic Kabbalah, Sabbatianism, Hasidism, and the typology of Jewish messianism. In addition, she was deeply involved in the ongoing discussion concerning the major spiritual and existential issues confronting contemporary Judaism and the State of Israel.
Originally published in 1993.
The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
Fachgebiete
Weitere Infos & Material
Foreword 9
Introduction 15
Ch. 1 The Basic Argument of Quietism 65
Ch. 2 The Concept of Annihilation (Ayin) and the Extinction of Human Will 67
Ch. 3 The Standing of Existential Problems 80
Ch. 4 Despair, Sadness, Regret and Their Connection with Sin 93
Ch. 5 The Status of the Mizvot 111
Ch. 6 Petitionary Prayer and Its Position in Hasidism 144
Ch. 7 Contemplative Prayer 168
Ch. 8 Divine Immanence and the Question of Prophecy 189
Ch. 9 The World of Speech and the World of Thought 204
Ch. 10 The Doctrine of Kavvanot and its Place in Hasidism 215
Ch. 11 Anarchic Manifestations in Hasidic Life 242
Ch. 12 Habad: Anti-Spiritualism as a Quietistic Value 255
Ch. 13 Diary of an Agnostic: "I Know Not" as a Quietistic Value 290
Ch. 14 The Problem of Torah Study in Hasidism 310
Ch. 15 History and National Redemption 326
Afterword 340
Appendix: The Baal Shem Tov's Commentary to Psalm 107: Myth and Ritual of the Descent to Sheol 342
Bibliography 383
Index of Names 393
Index of Subjects 396
