Voicing the Shekhinah: The Habad Discourse in the Seventh Generation

AbstractVoicing the Shekhinah: The Ḥabad Discourse in the Seventh Generation by Shmaryahu Brownstein Doctor of Philosophy in Near Eastern Studies Designate Emphasis in Jewish Studies University of California, Berkeley Professor Daniel Boyarin, Chair/nWhile much work has been done on the history and thought of Ḥabad Hasidism, there has been insufficient attention paid to the interconnectedness of the two areas, particularly as it relates to the seventh Ḥabad rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson. Much scholarship on Schneerson’s thought does not adequately apprehend the subtle nuances of his philosophy, sufficing with analyzing his overt declarations without excavating the structures and patterns of his thinking. To greater regret, works that deal with the history and sociology of Ḥabad under R. Menachem Mendel’s influence often focus almost exclusively on the political aspects of his undertakings, paying little attention to his scholarship altogether. The present dissertation seeks to provide a methodology for rectifying this lacuna, by identifying the central component of Ḥabad identity and society, as well as the primary facet of the function and definition of a Ḥabad master, namely the ma’amar or discourse. The Ḥabad discourse is distinctive in its content, as well as in the ceremony with which it is delivered. Its draws on ideas from the Kabbalah, interpreted through the constructs of Ḥabad thought. It is conceived of as the “wellsprings of the Baal Shem Tov,” the putative founder of the Hasidic movement, meaning that it is supposed to promulgate and explicate the teachings and concepts conveyed by the Besht. From the second generation of Ḥabad and on, following its founding by R. Schneur Zalman, the discourse has also been presented as developing the ideas of the preceding rebbes. These concepts are explicitly present in the set of discourses discussed in this dissertation, called Bosi legani. Each of these discourses contains teachings from all the Ḥabad masters, who are cited by name. Additionally, the notion of disseminating the wellsprings of the Besht is a recurring theme throughout this series. The ceremony of its initial oration includes a number of practices such as the singing of a preparatory melody and of listening to it while standing that represent an awareness of hearing the words of the Living G-d as they emerge from the mouth of the rebbe. I propose a concept called “midrashic intertextuality” as a method to approach the discourse, understand how it works, and assess the metamessages it conveys. This approach recognizes that intertextuality signifies that the interaction between texts can take a variety of forms and “tones.” When one appreciates the relationship of Midrash to the Biblical texts it interprets, they may extend that same concept to describe the relationship between the various texts within the Ḥabad corpus, as well as that between the various rebbes who authored the texts. Thus a new dimension of the inner lives of the rebbes, as well as of their adherents, comes into view, and enriches our insight into their society and life choices.

Advisor: Boyarin, Daniel