Sacred Emotions - (Stanford Studies in Jewish Mysticism) by Leore Sachs-Shmueli (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Scholars have long argued that early Hasidic teachings introduced a psychological dimension to kabbalistic traditions and revitalized modern Judaism. Focused on the inner soul, Hasidism encouraged worshippers to experience joy and delight through their enthusiastic practices. In this new work grounded in the historical study of emotions, Leore Sachs-Shmueli shows that Hasidic teachers and preachers also nurtured and even promoted the negative emotions of yirah, an emotional cluster that encompasses fear, apprehension, anxiety, and awe.

Exploring their roots in classical texts of Kabbalah, including the Zohar and works of Safed Kabbalah, Sachs-Shmueli demonstrates how early Hasidic masters like the Baal Shem Tov, the circle of the Maggid of Mezhrich, Shneur Zalman of Liadi, and R. Nachman of Bratslav deliberately cultivated a tense emotional culture through the mental guidelines in their texts. Through an emphasis on God-fearing and the fear of sin, they motivated followers of the new movement to attain the mystical ideal while simultaneously fostering a social community devoted to divine worship according to Jewish law, in the face of persecution and secularization.

For readers interested in Jewish mysticism and Hasidism, Sacred Emotions argues that negative emotions serve as crucial catalysts for intensifying religious devotion and shaped the rise and cohesion of the Hasidic movement.

Review Quotes

"Sacred Emotions is a major breakthrough in the history of emotions and the study of Hasidism. Skillfully and lucidly blending theoretical sophistication and massive textual erudition, Sachs-Shmueli reveals the sheer complexity of Hasidic psychology, exposing new and subtle spiritual vocabularies." --Jonathan Garb, Hebrew University

"This book will be required reading for all scholars and students of Kabbalah and Hasidism. Sacred Emotions is a brilliant and highly readable study of an important chapter in Jewish history and the history of Kabbalah." --Hartley Lachter, Lehigh University

About the Author

Leore Sachs-Shmueli holds the position of Senior Lecturer in Jewish Philosophy at Bar Ilan University.