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.
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.
