Machshava:

Prophecy 

Collections: Rabbi Weinberger: Mevoh Hashe'arim

Description

Before the Ba’al Shem Tov, we could only uplift our physical actions through proper kavanos (concentrations). Before chassidus people tried to suppress their troublesome midos. Chassidus taught us how to properly utilize all our midos. Chassidus enables simple people to experience hislahavus (fervor) in Judaism. Professors incorrectly claim that chassidus was an original idea to uplift bitter souls. Chassidus was actually a new revelation which stresses perfecting character traits rather than engaging in holy kavanos. The students of the Ba’al Shem Tov disagreed about how much kabbalah simple people should learn.