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On another thread a reference was made to “kalte Litvaks”. What is the basis to this kaltkeit? And why are Chasidim reputed to have a “varemkeit”?
This is their mehalach. The Litvakes were always the great Talmidei Chachamim – no-nonsense ppl (ex: The Vilnar Gaon).
Chassidus OTOH, was created for the pashut ppl who weren’t too great in Torah. The Baal Shem Tov started this movement to get the Hamon Am to be frum in spite of their ignorance. In order to win them over, they did it in a simchadike fashion. (There were great chassidish tzaddikim too, of course, but, this is the reason why the movement started.) Therefore, the chassidim are to this day “varemdik” and “lebedig”.
This may come to end up in the third category: people.
Eh, we’re all mutts. (No offense, canine.)
The Baal Shem Tov wrote that the purpose of Chassidus was to rid the world of the ‘baise Lamdan’- talmidei chachamim who would be angry and unpleasant to people.
The Baal Shem Tov saw that learning and mitsvos was much greater when done with simcha- for everyone, whether learned or ignorant. Especially the kalte Litvak needs fixing, and that is still true today.
Chassidus was certainly not designed ‘just for the ignorant’. It was to lift up everyone’s avoda. Even the smallest should remember that ‘H-shem is with you wherever you are’- but equally, chassidus it to remind the greatest talmidei chachamim that they have far to go to reach H-shem. In chassidus even if you’re a kalte Litvak, you can became a varme Yid (warm jew)!
From a Breslov Chassid in Yerushalayim
The baal shem tov writes? Where? There is exactly one piece of writing that we know 100% was written by the BeSh”T himself and not a talmid and this isn’t it. (10 points to whoever knows what it is)
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