MAHARAL AND EARLY HASISISM

Bezalel Safran

Notes by Josh Yuter
I take no responsibility for errors, typos, or transliterations in these notes.
However, if you find any mistakes, please let me know.
My email address is jyuter@ymail.yu.edu.

Would like to prove 1) the Maharal was a major intellectual influence on the Hasidic movement as exemplified in R. Menachem Mendek of Vitebsk and 2) Sensibility to the thought of Maharal is an important context for understanding early Hasidic teaching.

DEFINITIONS OF MAHARAL'S TERMINOLOGY

Yosher: The way of integrity. Adam Shalem = self acceptance, therefore, he cannot resent others as he is really resenting himself. In judging others, yosher is violated. The two names of Ya'akov (heel - humility) is connected to Yeshurun - reconciled.

D'veikut: One achieves the "image of God" by a divine endowment - it is not innate. Once gets this as a result of living in communion with God.

Ayin: Not being as a result of fright or failure. Experiencing Ayin, anxiety or fear, without resentment or despair leads to the experience of the divine. During this stage, a person perceives that he was caused and not independent. If one interprets irritations as a result of mundane causes, he loses the contact with the Divine and thus slips out of D'veikut.

Kiyum: God's divine sustenance of items to maintain their reality.

Mah: Where man is aware of his total dependence and thus is able to receive "good."