Rainbow Hasidism in America — the Maturation of Jewish Renewal
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Rainbow Hasidism in America — The Maturation of Jewish Renewal A Review Essay of Wrapped in a Holy Flame: Teachings and Tales of the Hasidic Masters by Zalman Schachter-Shalomi (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003) BY SHAUL MAGID “Sometimes legends make reality, and with Havurat Shalom in Somerville, become more useful than the facts.” MA and continuing with B’nai Or — Salman Rushdie, (later changed to P’nai Or) in Phila- Midnight’s Children delphia, PA, Reb Zalman’s vision of cre- ating a modern and countercultural “When Kabbalah came, it made of God American “post-Hasidic” Hasidism has a human; when Hasidism came, it expanded into a national and interna- made of the human, a God.” tional phenomenon. Annual confer- —Rashbatz ences and kallot (gatherings) are com- monplace, and scholars of religion are “The primal danger of man is ‘religion.’” beginning to take an interest in Jewish —Martin Buber, "Spinoza, Sabbatai Renewal as a unique dimension of Zevi, and the Baal-Shem Tov” American religion. This essay is not only a review of a ver the last 35 years, Rabbi new book by Reb Zalman, Wrapped in Zalman Schachter-Shalomi a Holy Flame: Teachings and Tales of the O (Reb Zalman) has developed Hasidic Masters. More specifically, it is what is arguably one the most creative about the way Wrapped in a Holy Flame and influential movements in America is a lens through which one can view Judaism in the past half century. Now the maturation of Jewish Renewal. As known as Jewish Renewal, this move- is well known, the organizational, com- ment has made an impact on all exist- munal, and ideational vision of Reb ing Jewish denominations. Beginning Zalman’s Jewish Renewal arises out of Dr. Shaul Magid holds the the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Chair in Jewish Studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, where he is associate professor of Jewish studies. The Reconstructionist Spring 2004 • 34 the Hasidic movement in Eastern Eu- Jewish Renewal has become the pan- rope and its transplantation to America denomination of contemporary Juda- initiated by Habad Hasidism in the ism, recently adding to its organiza- early decades of the 20th century. Ha- tional structure a decentered course of sidic teachings, devotional practices study toward rabbinical ordination and lifestyle (tapered to fit the particu- mediated through the Internet and a lar needs and values of countercultural network of devoted mentors around America) are the foundation of Reb the country. Zalman’s ongoing project. Practical guidebooks, such as the The First Jew- Trilogy of Major Works ish Catalogue in the early 1970s were the first popular manifestations of his Although Reb Zalman has been new approach to Hasidism.1 quite prolific (his works include trans- lations of Yiddish poetry as well as of Writing and Teaching Hasidic literature, theology and spiri- tuality), to date two main works stand Reb Zalman’s writings were not as out: Fragments of a Future Scroll (1975) widely influential as his public teach- and Paradigm Shift (1993).2 The first ing and mentoring. Although he served is largely selected translations of Ha- as a professor of Judaism at several uni- sidic texts accompanied by Reb Zal- versities (University of Winnipeg, Tem- man’s modest commentary. It is a work ple University, and now at the Naropa that breaks the ground for what will University in Boulder, CO), he rarely become a more mature statement of chose academic venues for his publica- Jewish Renewal in Paradigm Shift al- tions. In the spirit of Habad Hasidism, most 20 years later.3 the source of his own Hasidic training, Before Wrapped in a Holy Flame, Par- Reb Zalman’s early works were in- adigm Shift was the most comprehen- tended for a young, estranged Jewish sive statement of Jewish Renewal. In audience, many of whom were travel- it, Reb Zalman addresses the major ing the country and globe in search of themes of his humanistic, universal, an alternative lifestyle that was organic, ecumenical, yet deeply ritualistic Juda- joyful, non-materialistic and spiritual. ism. Paradigm Shift is a collection of His later work widened this narrow lens previously written essays, interviews, and contributed to the burgeoning meditations, theology, practical advice new-age religiosity of contemporary (e.g., “transcending the Sefer Barrier”) America. and even politics (e.g., “An Open Let- Reb Zalman is a master organizer, ter to the Honorable Teddy Kolleck”). creating a network of Renewal groups The book has a stream-of-conscious- that have started to become part of the ness (some would say disorganized) existing American synagogue structure, feel, but I have always thought at least as well as creating their own grass-roots part of this was intentional. Reb Zal- prayer and ritual centers. In some way, man’s Judaism is one that seeks to chal- The Reconstructionist Spring 2004 • 35 lenge the linear and scholastic way of ism. This work moves far beyond pre- thinking about religion. In this sense, vious similar exercises (for example, in the literary style of Paradigm Shift ac- the works of Aryeh Kaplan or Adin curately reflects the literary style of Steinsaltz)5 because there is no reso- many Hasidic works, although many nance of apologetic thinking. Hasidic texts import the order of the Reb Zalman is not trying to present Hebrew Bible or the yearly cycle as a Hasidism, and by doing so, to defend structure.4 Paradigm Shift’s non-linear it. As he puts it, “Jewish Renewal dif- trajectory moves from theology to fers from Restoration, which seeks to prayer to ritual to politics to the Holo- hold on to a dying or former para- caust almost inadvertently. It does not digm.”11 In fact, at moments he is quite seem to be a book that is intended to critical of Hasidism and is quick to be read cover to cover. point out areas where a particular Hasidic value or teaching simply can- Hasidic Spirituality not be salvaged. It is in this sense that it is post-Hasidic and neo- The final piece to Reb Zalman’s tril- Reconstructionist. (A chapter in Para- ogy is Wrapped in a Holy Flame. This digm Shift entitled, “Reconstructionism book is much better organized, struc- and Neo-Hasidism: A Not-So-Imagi- tured as a collection of Hasidic teach- nary Dialogue” addresses this issue di- ings and stories according to Hasidic rectly.) masters. However, underlying this seemingly non-ideological guise, it is a Creative Reconstruction radical reconstruction of Hasidic spiri- tuality. It seeks to do what Paradigm For readers interested mainly in the Shift and his other works do not — it tales and teachings of the Hasidic mas- is Reb Zalman’s attempt to place him- ters as retold by Reb Zalman, the first self in a particular modern trajectory chapter, “A Renaissance of Piety,” as a Jewish theologian of Hasidism. In might seem merely prefatory. However, short, it is his personal summa of Jew- this chapter is one of the most impor- ish Renewal. In this work, one can most tant in the book. Without it, one can readily discover Reb Zalman’s “project,” easily overlook the underlying purpose although it is easily missed if one reads it of Reb Zalman’s retelling and recon- only for the retelling of Hasidic teach- structing these Hasidic teachings into ings. something useful for the new age. This Reading this book, one can under- creative reconstruction is scattered stand how Jewish Renewal is both an throughout the book, and is largely an outgrowth of, and also an impetus for, extension of this chapter, where Reb a radical reconstruction of Hasidism. Zalman reflects on the trajectory of That is, Jewish Renewal’s success be- modern interpreters of Hasidism and yond its own cultural context requires finds his place among them. The chap- an unambiguous revaluation of Hasid- ter also contains some important au- The Reconstructionist Spring 2004 • 36 tobiographical material in that it traces their respective theories. And, Buber Reb Zalman’s thinking over 30 years adds, each failed by overextending his on the two fundamental questions that respective critique: Spinoza by elimi- this book attempts to answer: “What nating the personal God completely, is Hasidism?” and “How can one be a and Sabbatai Zevi by overextending the Hasid?” universality of Jewish messianism by In order to analyze this important converting to Islam. chapter, I have taken the interpretive The historical, or theological, accu- license of dividing it into four distinct racy of Buber’s argument is not at is- parts: the situational, the psychologi- sue here. What is relevant is that Reb cal, the theological and the method- Zalman claims that, in a similar way, ological. In each part, Reb Zalman both Buber and Heschel paved the way demonstrates how Hasidism has and for Jewish Renewal, but could not take can continue to survive the test of time, their theological observations into the as well as create and carry us to a new realm of a devotional life. Each con- paradigm. tributed to a revaluation of Hasidism, but neither answered the fundamental Reb Zalman and Buber question, “How can one be a Hasid?” Reb Zalman understands Buber’s Martin Buber and Abraham Joshua neo-Hasidic project and agrees with it Heschel are the two most influential up to a point. Yet for Reb Zalman (and figures who introduced Hasidism to a this is still his early thinking, c. 1960), modern, North American audience. Buber gives us the individual “I,” and Reb Zalman engages both thinkers in even gives us a systematic philosophy/ a way that resembles Buber’s analysis theology of the “Thou,” but he doesn’t in his essay, “Spinoza, Sabbatai Zevi give us a human other who can point and the Baal Shem Tov.”6 There, Buber the way.