Laws of the Spirit - (Stanford Studies in Jewish History and Culture) by Ariel Evan Mayse (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This book investigates a fundamental tension in Hasidic studies: How did a religious movement known to be radical in its views about God, revelation, and personal religiosity simultaneously produce commitment to the structures and obligations of Jewish law? Exploring the movement from its emergence in the mid-1700s until 1815, Ariel Evan Mayse argues that nomos, eros, and mystical piety merged in Hasidism to produce a daring and highly original theory of the commandments and their significance. The novum of Hasidism is visible not in whether its leaders broke or upheld rabbinic norms, but in the movement's vivid attempt to rethink the purpose of ritual. Shedding allegiance to the notion of law, Mayse claims that the methods and vocabulary of ritual studies are better suited to helping us understand the contradictions and tensions of this religious movement as well as its remarkable intellectual vitality. Delving into the full range of Hasidic sources (legal writings, sermons, regimen vitae, theological treatises, responsa, letters, and hagiography) and reading them together with studies of ritual across the past three decades, this book argues that Hasidism offers a sophisticated intellectual vision that pushes beyond a host of hopelessly insufficient binaries such as law and spirit, nomos and eros, mind and body, tradition and innovation"--

Book Synopsis

The compelling vision of religious life and practice found in Hasidic sources has made it the most enduring and successful Jewish movement of spiritual renewal of all time. In this book, Ariel Evan Mayse grapples with one of Hasidism's most vexing questions: how did a religious movement known for its radical views about immanence, revelation, and the imperative to serve God with joy simultaneously produce strict adherence to the structures and obligations of Jewish law? Exploring the movement from its emergence in the mid-1700s until 1815, Mayse argues that the exceptionality of Hasidism lies not in whether its leaders broke or upheld rabbinic norms, but in the movement's vivid attempt to rethink the purpose of Jewish ritual and practice. Rather than focusing on the commandments as law, he turns to the methods and vocabulary of ritual studies as a more productive way to reckon with the contradictions and tensions of this religious movement as well as its remarkable intellectual vitality.

Mayse examines the full range of Hasidic texts from the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, from homilies and theological treatises to hagiography, letters, and legal writings, reading them together with contemporary theories of ritual. Arguing against the notion that spiritual integrity requires unshackling oneself from tradition, Laws of the Spirit is a sweeping attempt to rethink the meaning and significance of religious practice in early Hasidism.

Review Quotes

"Laws of the Spirit reinvigorates my best aspirations. Mayse's research has made clear that the hasidim lived a halakhic life not as a default--just because that's 'what we do'--but as a conscious choice, motivated by a belief that it is a spiritual path that will connect the seeker to the Divine." --Jonah Mac Gelfand, Gashmius

"Laws of the Spirit is not merely a work of intellectual history and Jewish thought, it is also a reflection of the 'relationship between ritual, devotion and the life of the spirit' that will find meaning with the observant practitioner. The accessible academic book will resonate deeply with scholars and learned readers." --David Tesler, Association of Jewish Libraries Reviews

"Ariel Evan Mayse's Laws of the Spirit presents a novel reading of the early Hasidic movement using the tools of ritual studies." --Brian Hillman, Religious Studies Review

"This outstanding, insightful, well-written book sheds light on Hasidism by applying ritual studies analysis to Hasidic sources, revealing the inner spiritual world of Hasidut.... The book makes timely and relevant the ethical teachings of Hasidism, demonstrating lessons for the fragmented, nihilistic present. Highly recommended." --D. B. Levy, CHOICE

"Laws of the Spirit brings profound attention to the 'spirit of the laws' in the legal ritual practices of Judaism, as cultivated by the masters of early modern Hasidism. Integrating a mastery of the sources and contemporary theories of ritual, old polarities fall to the wayside and the inner-world of Jewish spirituality is revealed for all to see." --Michael Fishbane, author of Fragile Finitude: A Jewish Hermeneutical Theology

"Laws of the Spirit seeks to view Hasidic attitudes towards Halacha not primarily as law but as ritual. Weaving together Hasidic sources with insights drawn from the field of ritual studies, Ariel Evan Mayse shows how spiritual meaning is gleaned from and developed through devotional ritual behavior. This book takes the study of Hasidism into a new dimension in its fresh thinking about halakhah, relevant for our study of the past and towards a future vision." --Melila Hellner-Eshed, author of Seekers of the Face: Secrets of the Idra Rabba (The Great Assembly) of the Zohar

"Required reading in Hasidism and Jewish ritual, Laws of the Spirit offers an experiential reinterpretation of many core themes of Jewish thought, and is a groundbreaking contribution to religious studies in general. This is one of those exceptional books in which all the parts are excellent and the whole is greater than their sum." --Jonathan Garb, author of A History of Kabbalah

About the Author

Ariel Evan Mayse is Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Stanford University.