Sunday, September 25, 2011

Stress-Free Hasid

No different than every level that came before it, the path to Hasidus is all in the mind. "What will be very helpful to acquiring Hasidus is great focus and much contemplation..." Although this time he doesn't say you're a fool to behave otherwise, nonetheless, the Ramchal believes that a Tahor who thinks deeply about God, man and the relationship between the two will be driven from Tahara into the awe and love of Hasidus.

What I found fascinating about this chapter is the role that Bitachon, "faith," plays in the life of the Hasid. According to the Ramchal, the Hasid needs Bitachon not for its inherent value, but for its side benefit as a stress reliever. Only a person with perfect faith that his livelihood is determined on Rosh Hashanah and is entirely in Hashem's hands will have the presence of mind to think clearly and contemplate deeply. Otherwise, he will always be too stressed and too distracted to realize that he ought to be a Hasid.

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