A Sober Way Of Looking At Hassidism and Ethics

Hassidus, or hassidic movements started in 17th century, as a result of Cossack pogroms in Poland and Ukraine, which was a part of it. Also due to a Jewish false Messiah phenomenon of Shabtay Tzvi. 

Jewish life was of grueling work in poverty, and in fear for one's life, and not even safe to move within a village. The rabbinic leaders introduced song and dance to brighten up Jewish life, and were the nearly only ones to learn Torah, leaving the average followers to sing and dance, and admire the rebbe (not coincidentally in Hebrew such a rebbe is really called an Admor, an acronym, which they don't know that in Yiddish also alludes to someone to admire. (Adoneinu, Moreinu, Rabeinu - our master, our teacher, our rabbi)

The hassidim developed a Sephardic liturgical rite, abandoned the original Ashkenaz rite, added the clothing styles of the host Polish or Ukrainian villages, and accounts of near magic deeds and talents of their Admor's dynasty. And they nearly abandoned the yeshiva as the basis of learning. So in effect, hassidus became the first reform movement(s).

Every hassidic sect bravely teaches mysticism and things like afterlife included.

The mainstream, or mainstay Judaism, called Litvishe, is based on everyone learning Torah, which includes oral tradition, which of course includes Ethics, or Mussar (מוסר, not мусор, garbage in Russian, as some Hasidim say humorously). This Mussar learning starts with the famous Pirkey Avos printed in every prayer book. Mussar is or was taught at these yeshivas in Jewish-defined Lithuania, which includes Lithuania proper (Vilna, Mir, Ponevezh), Slabodka, Novhorodok and Slonim (Belarus), Brisk (Brest Litovsk, Belarus-Ukraine-Poland), and Zhitomir (Ukraine). Jews born in Central Europe  naturally choose to associate with the Lithuanian observance and rite, which is practically the same as the notable law authorities at the Pressburg Yeshiva (Bratislava), such as Nodeh BiYehuda and Hatam Sofer.

Other Litvishe authorities are not necessarily from Eastern Europe, since the rule is to go and learn from the brightest Jewish law rabbi. The names like Yakov Emden( a.k.a. Yabetz, see the blog label), Nodeh BiYehuda, Hatam Sofer all from Central Europe, the famous Litvishe authority called Hagro, and Shaagas Aryeh ( see the blog label), who ventured all over Europe, and upbraided many communities and their leaders.

Later significant authorities are the famous Chofetz Hayim, Moshe Feinstein (Belarus-Russia-USA) - the source for all American and the rest of Ashkenazis, and Shlomo Zalman Oyerbach, the source of law for all Ashkenazim in Israel, which may include R. Feinstein. Other great and later authroties are R. Soloveichik, R. Hutner, R. Sorotzkin, and R. Aharon Kotler.

The reminder to learn quetly at a Hagro shul.

So the Litvishe are a low key, quiet observant Jews who are following the principles as I defined in the 3 Principles below, know Tora and talmud well, are very skeptical about the hassidic superstitions, tales, cultish shenanigans, and are boring, compared to hassidic song and dance shpiels. So hassidim stick out, and demonstratively hijack Jewish heritage, sometimes teaching the unlearned that their particular village is the only true inheritor and even to say that their Eastern European traditions originate from the Revelation at Mount Sinai.

The hassidim stick out in USA, of course. The natural attraction works, and the American girls influx at the Neveh girl's prep school, obviously influenced its ideology. It used to be a rational Litvishe prep school, and what is heard means it is more fun studying there if more hassidic concepts are being taught. Another of their concepts is something they dug out from mysticism, that in the 17th century they somehow received the gift of the feminine heart, and this is the Hasidim's attraction for and from women and homosexuals. it's enough to note the wedding and commercial songs sung by men in soprano voices, or even entire boys' choir sounding as a flock of little girls.

Of course nobody knows about afterlife, and according to the mainstream/mainstay authorities, nobody has the right to tell a girl/young woman - not one's daughter - about afterlife, or such concepts. Sadly many open-minded girls fall for the charismatic mystics who turn out to be molesters, abusers, manipulators, con artists and their wives/assistants.

So a hassidic women's school would push for a narrow minded dogma, where electronics are mystically evil; all the while a Litvishe school would teach a woman its rational, analytical thought, and sometimes dry Jewish practical law (kashrus, shabbos, children's education, and practical specialties like CPA, graphic design, computer/web engineering, or special ed.)

Hassidim rely on learning Torah for its mysterious, charismatic value, as if it is a mass effort to impress themselves and the mass of non-osbervant Jews with their Admor's deeds of near-hocus-pocus miracles.

A Hassid supervisor 

To give Hassidim credit: they preserved the Jewish practices from Eastern Europe, they insist on saving and speaking Yiddish, and they point out that working for a living is a divinely permitted by Torah. That is seen at the diamond exchanges in NYC, Belgium and Israel. Most of Litvishe Jews try to learn full time, almost 18 hours a day, based on the precept of Toroso Emunaso ("Torah is His Profession").

The three main concepts of Litvishe ethics

Litvishe principles below have been confirmed by a mashgiach (councellor) of the Pachad Itzhak yeshiva, Har Nof:

1. "What is this? Who am I?" the equivalent of Yiddish Shayach nisht - “not for me, does not belong to me”

What is this - is this for me? Who am I to need this? To want this? Do I know enough to say/do things on an impulse? Am I ready for the consequences? Can I be responsible afterwards?
Based on these Torah concepts: Guard your eyes, Do Not Covet, How to Reproach

2. Do not do any holy deeds at someone else’s expense, whether they know it or not.

Not to ask less observant, non-observant, ignorant, or gentiles to perform tasks which free you up to perform liturgical functions, spiritual endeavors, strictures, etc.

Women who due to political ideologies want to demonstratively pray the men's ritual, among men, or even among women, should not embarrass the mainstream women.

based on Torah concepts:

Pirkey Avos - Separate yourself from the government: do not accept government money, do not get involved with party, government, etc, and do not let yourself, your family, your community be influenced by parties, government, political favors, rewards, reforms

Do not do anything to anyone that you don't want to be done to you.

Love your neighbor (re’akha), first of all means your neigh (old English nearest dear one), like the wife, but not a geographic neighbor.

Darkeyo Darkey Noam vNativoteyo Shalom -Mishley -(Torah ways must be pleasant, with no inconveniences, crudeness, negativity, deceit).

3. Do not do anything you don’t understand: no mysticism, no charismatic movements, no Chassidus, no new rituals, procedures, rites, symbols. We have no prophets, no messengers, or men of clairvoyance to introduce amulets, rites, recitations. Secrets are juxtaposed to learning the Torah as explicitly taught to us, and are the tools for manipulating the less learned.

Challenge and analyze rulings, even the recent ones i.e. from the past 200 years (as expressed by Hagra and his brother)

Mitzva observance must be consistent, peaceful, and enjoyable

based on Torah concepts:

Be innocent before your God (Tiyu tmimim lifney Hashem elokekha).

You shall learn this Torah.

Torah is not in heaven, or beyond the seas, for you to venture far, it is in on the tip of your tongue.