Wrapped in a Holy Flame: Teachings and Tales of The Hasidic Masters

Rating:
Summary: A realistic look at Hasidic thought
Review: Dr. Schacter has written a very accessible presentation of the main philosophies of Hasidim. Rather than focus on the outward behavior of present sects, religious practices, or current political and socioeconomic conditions of Hasidim, he returns to the roots of Hasidism and exposes them for the layman (bot Jew and Gentile) to view. Most telling is his presentation of the evolution of CHABAD philosophy, often overlooked and overshadowed by its current practitioners' behaviour, demeanor, and "in your face" presence.

Boldly, the author includes in his roster of Hasidic masters Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook and Rabbi Schlomo Carlebach - "modern" and non-Chasidic but acting as Rebbes to multitudes of Jews.

One can fault his lumping of Heschel and Buber together at the beginning of the book. Buber was a student and teacher of Hasidim; he explained it and made it somewhat accessible to the modern, Western world. Heschel was a Hasid; he was a Rebbe with a universal constituency. As a teacher, scholar, and social activist he brought his own Hasidut to the world.