The Shavuos edition of Mishpacha Magazine carried  a lengthy article about the rejuvenation of Chassidus throughout the Orthodox world that sparked much discussion on social media. Two weeks later, Mishpacha printed  a counterpoint  written by Rabbi Noach Shafran of Baltimore, alongside Rabbi Moshe Weinberger’s response. Earlier this week, Rabbi Weinberger elaborated on that response in a powerful speech delivered in his shul, Aish Kodesh, in Woodmere, NY. I would like to present some of my thoughts on this subject which…

We are living in a time of increased sensitivity toward abuse and its victims. In recent years, we have been empowered to speak up about how emotional deprivation in childhood has affected our ability to function in the real world. In recent months, we have been empowered to speak up about how physical abuse has shattered our trust in others and the institution of personal relationships. Overall, these represent positive steps forward for our society. We are finding the courage…

The Netzach Yisrael beis medrash on Mesilat Yosef Street in Kiryat Sefer looks like any other shul dotting the city’s Torah landscape, but it contains one of the best-kept public secrets of this staunchly Litvish town: The 120 avreichim who comprise the kehillah are actually closet chassidim. They still maintain their Litvish dress and haven’t switched their children into chassidic schools, but these graduates of Ponevezh, Tifrach, and Brisk have become students of Kabbalah and Chabad and Breslov – piling…

This back and forth between Rabbi Shafran and Rav Moshe Weinberger took place in the pages of Mishpacha magazine following their article on the movement toward Chassidus entitled “Meeting the Baal Shem Tov in 2018.” These important letters broaden the conversation by presenting some of the possible challenges to this movement and the counterpoints. A Dangerous Distortion Rabbi Noach Shafran Although I enjoy and value the way Mishpacha deals with a variety of topics, the article “Meeting the Baal Shem…

The Rebbe of Piacezna, R’ Klonymous Kalman Shapiro, z”ya, was approaching his fortieth birthday: “My heart pounds from my impending fortieth birthday, my entire body shakes from my oncoming declining years. Still, I will try to muster all my strength to commit myself and my life to G-d. Perhaps, perhaps, something will remain. But to what shall I commit myself? To learn more? I think that as far as possible, I don’t waste any time. To abstain from physical pleasures? If…

A prince once lay dying, and seeing that the doctors could do no more for him, the frantic king sent for a tzaddik known to be a master of medicine. The tzaddik told the king, “There is one cure that might help him. There is a rare precious gem that, if crushed and mixed into a potion, might cure your son. The gem can be found on a faraway island, but there is also one in the center of your…

“And those with understanding hearts walk around and around, tasting, at all times, small droplets from that great sweetness of the Heavenly Delight which illuminates our eternity.” Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook zt”l “On the way to the bar, one also needs a drink.” Chabad Anthem Perhaps the most famous and foundational anecdote in Chassidic lore describes a meeting between the Baal Shem Tov HaKadosh, in a state of aliyas Neshama, and the soul of Moshiach. “When is the Master coming?” he…

Approximately seven years ago I was approached by a group of individuals who were sincerely agonizing over the state of their commitment to Judaism. Although they had been raised in Orthodox homes and had attended fine yeshivos, they shared in common a general, painful awareness that “something inside had died;” leaving them observant and learned, but asleep.  Together we undertook an experiment and embarked on what has proven to be a remarkable journey to reclaim our lost spirituality. When asked to…