The Phoenix Jewish news., 1962-02-23

in the days of the Zaddik. He saw
how rabbiS were using their learn
ing to flatter their ego and how
they had nothing sincere to motive
their feelings of one for another.
Most of the rabbis, as he saw
them, were looking for prOmi-
nence and prestige. They were
not doing the kind of work which
would bring TOrah to those who
hungered for it.
Many scholars turned their hearts
away from the welfare of people
to the constant collection of money
for one thing or another.
How fierce are the denunciatlonS
of the Zaddik to his colleagues
when he defiantly says: For the
sake of food and drink and salary,
they bow down and PROSTATE them
selves before the wealthy of the
generation that they might be the
means of their welfare Gas if God,
Himself, is not able to care for the
livelihood of each one)."
The crisis of this spiritual bank
ruptcy was met by creating new
kind of personality called the Fad
dix, whose personality and mini
stry was to lift the spirit of the
people. He was to bring Torah
down from the mountain and at the
same time he was to lift the spirit
of the people by becoming involved
with their lives and struggling to
inspire them with the beauty of do
ing the Mitzvah with pure heart.
1t was to bring the people closer
to the God of their fathers, and to
feel a spiritual relationship to the
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
A process called devekut was one
of the key words of Chassidic liter
allure. It was a means of tranSlat-
ing the study of prayer of man by
acquiring that closeneSS to the God
of our fathers and to feel a sense
of spiritual communion and identi-
ty. Thus the Zaddik became ia
cob's ladder, the link between
heaven and earth, that medium of
communication between man and
God.
This book emphasizes in its con-
clusfon that the most important
principle which a spiritual leader
must bring to his people is Musar,
which means ITO preach in a
strong manner"
The writings of this famous
Zaddik, although 200 years away
from our own times, contain a
great deal for us to contemplate.
is a spiritual emptiness and
many spiritual leaders have be-
come so involved in the business
of religion that they have failed
to hear the voice and the spirit
of the people.
Perhaps the attack by the Zad-
dix against the leaders of his own
times falls very close to our own.
Within our own Union of Ameri-
can Hebrew Congregations it is
true that we have become so in
tent on Embarrassing and constant
needs of expansion that we have
not always cultivated the best and
the finest spiritually to lead us.
The most wonderful value of this
whole literature and the people
who wrote it was that they were
spiritually conscious that we have
a great purpose to fulfill on this
earth, and we cannot forget it.
ChaSSidiSm made the people
spiritually sing a new song and lift
their hearts with enthusiasm for a
new life. We must not lose the kind
of optimism that made these peo-
pie sing with joy. We cannot be-
come so sophisticated and mater
ialistic that we do not realize that
the simple soul that yearnS to find
itself is as important as the wealth.
lest and socially most prominent
man.
The literature which Rabbi
Dresner has given to us in the
Zaddik will go down as an in
spired study of mystical, spirit
uaI leader whose voice should be
listened to again in our time. We
need to be rebuked and some
times it is good for us to look
into our own souls and to see
where we are lacking. Then we
can face the world with spirit
ual armour that will conquer the
problems that face us.
We cannot go back to their way
of life for it was rooted in the
ghetto and in whole stream of liv-
ing that is not of our own time, but
the powerful melody which they
sang still fingers in our souls. Let