As we are only a few hours away from Yom Kippur, I decided it would be a good time to share my thoughts about the day. One of the most ironic aspects of Yom Kippur is the after Yom Kippur events. Specifically, within minutes of finishing our process of confessing our sins while fasting for 25 hours, we already ask for forgiveness again. The most common answer for this has to do with the reality that once Neilah is over, people rush through the evening service to get home and eat. Therefore, we need to ask for forgiveness for not putting effort into this first post-fast event.

Perhaps, we if recognize that Yom Kippur is not the be all and end all of penance and change, it is easier to understand. Most people tend to enter the Day of Atonement and leave basically the same. We confess, confess, confess, but do we really think about it. Do we try to improve ourselves? For other people, Yom Kippur is the climax of the past 10 days and preceding month. Between Selichot and all the added things done to prepare for Yom Kippur, there might be a few thoughts about change. Then comes Maariv after the fast and we are already back to our old habits, rushing to get to the next thing. Maybe this year, we should try to consider the possibility that Yom Kippur, while climactic, is not the climax to the plot of our lives. It is another step along the path of improvement. It is a time of introspection, of desired change, but yet it is not enough. We must continue seeking forgiveness for our mistakes so that we might continue to improve ourselves.

With that, I wish my few readers a Gmar Chatima Tova and a meaningful fast.

Book Review: The Regal Way: The Life and Times of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin

David Assaf attempts to portray the life of perhaps one of the wealthiest Hasidic Rabbis of the early 19th century, Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin. The book is divided into three sections. The first presents a biography of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin, from his birth, through his imprisonment for an accusation of conspiracy in murder, to his expulsion from Ruzhin and his settling and remaining years in Sadgora. The second section analyzes Rabbi Israel as a Hasidic leader. The final part of the work contains a discussion of Rabbi Israel's Hasidic court.

Assaf introduces the study by explaining how he was able to compile a biography of a Hasidic Rebbe. One major problem which he faced was the reliability of the sources. Rabbi Israel himself did not leave much in writing, mostly resulting from his being semi-illiterate. However, a couple of his followers kept records of his life. Unfortunately, as is the case with many Hasidic Rebbes, much of what we "know" about them comes from hagiographic sources. In fact, Assaf spends much time justifying which anecdotes he accepts by often making claims that based on his assumptions, story X is reliable and story Y seems mythical. While the results might be accurate, it is hard to wonder if Assaf tries too hard at points to construct the data into a coherent story.

On a positive note, this work does open one's eyes to the more social aspects of 19th century Hasidism. Since there is little hasidische Torah left behind from Rabbi Israel, it is necessary to focus on how he lived and how he, as a Hasidic Rebbe, functioned in that capacity. I would like to mention two things which struck me as interesting. First, there seemed to be an anti-social aspect to Rabbi Israel. He did not like being overtly physical with his followers. A simple handshake seemed to be uncomfortable for him. Furthermore, especially in his years in Sadgora, he would more often than not be secluded from people. It was rare for him to partake of Seudah Shlishit on Shabbat with people. This is rather surprising when one considers that Seudah Shlishit was the customary time for the Rebbe to address the people and expound on Torah.

A second thing of interest was the constant description of his wealth. It seems the constant need to describe Rabbi Israel's wealth might have been a coverup for his lack of knowledge. Nevertheless, it would be a mistake to assume his wealth was an impediment to his righteousness. Rabbi Israel seems to have been able to overcome his materialism, to the point where he invoked a statement from Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, the compiler of the Mishnah, that he did not benefit from anything in the world. Wealth seems to be important for many hasidic courts because the money allowed them to thrive and would allow the rebbe to concentrate on the spiritual.

Overall, while this book did feel slow at points, I feel that it is an important read for anyone interested in the more "mundane" aspects of Hasidism. Assaf, even with the difficulty he constantly shows of finding truth, presents a very in depth study of a very fascinating Hasidic Rabbi.

This past week in Haaretz, there was a special section dedicated to articles about Yeshayahu Leibowitz. This past August commemorated 10 years since his death.

I want to wish my few readers a Shana Tova. May this coming year be a fulfilling year.
Ktiva V'Chatima Tova.

After Rosh Hashana, I hope to have some interesting posts, including analysis of the many books I have read in the past month and a half.

Just as a preview, let me present a list of the books - (disclaimer - I will engage as many of these as possible):

Arthur Herzberg - Jews : The Essence and Character of a People
Ari Goldman - The Search for G-d at Harvard
Colin McGinn - The Making of a Philosopher : My Journey Through Twentieth-Century Philosophy
Sue Fishkoff - The Rebbe's Army: Inside the World of Chabad-Lubavitch
Stephanie Wellen Levine - Mystics, Mavericks, and Merrymakers: An Intimate Journey Among Hasidic Girls
David Landau - Piety and Power: The World of Jewish Fundamentalism
David Assaf - The Regal Way: The Life and Times of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin

I just found a link to a website with links to many Jewish books online. The site is hosted by halachabrura.

For those interested, there was a piece in Haaretz regarding Aviva Gottlieb Zornberg, world wide lecturer and author of two works containing literary reads on Bible.