The Paradox at the Heart of Hasidism

[@Silent-Speaker]

I like to think of "Ratzo VaShov" as the constant oscillation between the meta and the physical. One moment, one is fully and completely indulged in the dualistic experience. The next, there is an absolute realization of that same experience as a pure manifestation of Selfiniti. That concept of going 'back and forth' seems to be a fairly common motif in comparative mysticism.

[@SeekersofUnity]

Oh that’s really beautiful Leo. I love that language and imagery. Thank you for enriching us with that. Yes, certainly, the oscillating pulse of existence. The diastolic systolic rhythm of all being.

[@stoneageprude3021]

When I Was 12 to 13 or so I was deeply involved in Chasidic learning. I eventually drifted away from it, and Yiddishkiet/Judesmo altogether, but I still fondly remember consuming all the worries and media involved in Hasidic philosophy and theology. Hasidism is one of the very few movements in Judaism that dared to make theological statements...

[@runwiththewind3281]

Thank you for teaching me.

[@SeekersofUnity]

You’re most welcome 🙏🏼

[@mwbgallery]

Self discovery is the greatest treasure adventure. Thank you for sharing your excellent communication skills. This is a seriously powerful, precise, and concise presentation. Wishing you and yours the best day.

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you Michael. Thank you for joining us for the journey 🙏🏼

[@DJW1981]

My recent discovery of the idea of divinity within everything has been a significant part of my spiritual journey. I went from a polytheistic pagan to whatever I am now. But I see no contradiction, as the divine is in everything, and the divine is everything, is one. It does make sense to me. I wish to learn more about the matter. Its interesting to have gone from a fairly narrow to a broader perspective, it was like opening curtains and letting in the sunshine. :)

[@kosmicwizard]

Your words are so beautiful!

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you friend 🙏🏼

[@kosmicwizard]

@SeekersofUnity No seriously, you are so eloquent and able to explain difficult concepts clearly. What an amazing gift! I loved your video on what daily prayer looks like. For an outsider, it was a wonderful glimpse behind the curtain. I've always been attracted to Kabbalah, I spent a decade in the hermetic order of the golden dawn and have been in Martinism for 5 years. The initaitic grades of gd are situated on the tree of life, but I left because it tries to build up the ego of the adept. Martinism is an obscure French mystical and initaitic philosophy that has the letter shin in the center of the yod heh vav heh as one should ignite the flame in one's heart, I think it is a very special symbol! Martinism is a way of the heart, verses intellectual dissection of the parts of the soul and their corresponding worlds. Everyone I know that is a part of it is there because they feel a yearning for something more meaningful than the answers provided by the post-modern physical and material paradigm. I used to study Kabbalah on the internet with Rabbi Moshe Miller (pbuh), but he's been gone for a year now. Maybe he's already back? But I'll be really old by the time he's teaching again. 3 weeks ago, I had my first mystical experience! I was fortunate enough to participate in a livestream of "reading zohar for world peace #6" (there's some unnameable feeling I get from, and don't like about, Michael Laitman, but I like what I know about his teacher the baal ha-sulam and his student Tony Kosinek). Anyway, being a part of a live group of 105 people from all around the world joining together with the intention of receiving peace and love as gifts from the divine upper realms really had an impact on my psyche, I had no idea that intention made that big of a difference in the results of spiritually seeking! The one who imbues, imbued, the same one who bestows, bestowed, and the hour went by in what felt like 20 minutes! I wasn't even paying attention to the words about coupling from the Zohar (my first time hearing words from it, as I had avoided it for many years because I thought I was unready for, or unworthy of, its teachings), I was just overwhelmed with realization. The feelings that accompanied the words from the higher realms being read just caused me to burst into tears. I openly wept, for all the pain and suffering we feel and that our actions make "others" feel. Words fail, but I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. We are so ignorant of what is real! We aren't even individuals, we aren't our jobs, race, religion, social status, we are all part of Adam Kadmon, and because we don't know that, we are god hurting and killing God. And through that sadness a feeling of peace and love was implanted in my heart, and I just wanted to always have that God-given feeling and for everyone to experience that feeling at least once in their lives as well. Have you had any similar experiences, Zevi? Can you talk to us about those?

[@SeekersofUnity]

@kosmicwizard You’re most welcome. Thank you for joining us and for your kind words.

[@DarkMoonDroid]

I feel so satisfied and encouraged and relieved to know that the Transcendence/Immanence of God are offered in all Religions. I know that not every person is aware of it - that is, after all, what is made possible by the contraction - but it is always offered. One of my go-to prayers when things are awful and it is clear that I will not be "rescued" is, _"God. Live this!"_ Just knowing that what I'm experiencing is now part of God's Experience makes it less alienating and horrible.

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you Jennifer. That is a really beautiful meditation. Thank you for sharing it.

[@kikiki10103]

That makes it so much more personal than a god who is separate and “shielded” from suffering in heaven.

[@ignacioarias9150]

Ya Fatah Ya Wadud 🌹

[@lewiakk5844]

last night i was in 770 having deep discussions on chassidus and you basically summed it all up.

[@SeekersofUnity]

ברוך שכיוונתי ;)

[@SeekersofUnity]

Watch Part #1 of the series, The Philosophy of Hasidism: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKaqi5mZec6YaaM and Part #3 of the series, The Inner Work of Hasidism: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jIu6mHmqgqlkpa8

[@singhjasbeer5216]

It’s always amazing to have your video feeds like these. Thanks so much Zevi. Look forward to more such work, absolutely love it

[@SeekersofUnity]

Glad you’re enjoying it Singh. That you for the kind encouraging words.

[@AaronSherman]

I'd love to hear more about how something like Spinozan substance monism contrasts with this sort of imminence+transcendence...

[@OBK770]

Beautifully presented

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you Ta 🙏🏼

[@vianegativa5248]

Simply amazing. Thank you

[@SeekersofUnity]

You’re most welcome Albert. Thank you 🙏🏼

[@thesjewishpsychedelicsandbox]

being, being being

[@SeekersofUnity]

You’re most welcome. It’s a page out of his holy book. Glad to be connected with the Rebbe.

[@MrMikkyn]

Amazing lecture.

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you Michael. Glad you think so :)

[@maryamalwali765]

Great video 👍👍👏👏👏👏👏

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you Maryam.

[@tylergarner9484]

Thank you for your wonderful work!

[@SeekersofUnity]

You’re most welcome Tyler. Thanks for joking us.

[@gianluigisegalerba4543]

Very interesting.

[@justinbirkholz]

Interesting and informative as always! Those were some epic quotations, by the way! I think I'm going to save some of those for later.... The bi-directionality of Jewish mysticism is so intriguing and inspirational to me. I even wrote a poem about it.

[@SeekersofUnity]

You’re most welcome brother. Will you share the poem? 🙏🏼

[@justinbirkholz]

@@SeekersofUnity well I tried to share it but I don't think KZbin likes that for some reason... I don't really know why but my comment won't post. I've tried a couple times now lol.

[@SeekersofUnity]

@@justinbirkholz sorry about that. Maybe remove any links.

[@tonybklyn5009]

Your videos, lectures or sermons, however you may choose to refer to them, are all immensely interesting. I would say that I'm not confused at all; I like to think that I'm in a state of wonderment. Wonderment that for a brief moment the Universe became self conscious and I am that point of self consciousness. Oh, by the way, you have an excellent manner of speaking or delivery which greatly complements the subject matter.

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you Tony. I’m so deeply glad that the classes are triggering that state of wonderment for you. Thank you :)

[@adami1202]

I love that quote by Ram Dass bout God in drag. For me that sums up the whole shebang :) Also amazing that Chasidim have 'Form is emptiness and emptiness is form'

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thanks Adam. Ya, the metaphysical crossovers are wild, kinda makes you think there might be something universal going on here…

[@shloimeslavin5309]

Tremendous

[@AyneEverlast]

Salam Zevi, I just saw the video - Are our minds on the same wavelength? Because couple of days ago I wrote a poem on similar subject on Twitter. There are many things that we agree upon in essence. Though, amidst this myriad blur of concepts, there are few fundamental ideas that our School of Thoughts would disagree upon. I don’t have the energy right now to elaborate, so perhaps I’ll send a lengthy commentary about them later when the time suffice ensh’Allah, if you are interested. Thank you for bringing knowledge of deeper concepts of your religion and Mysticism to light, and taking the time and effort to clarify them with such clear simplicity in short duration. Wishing you peace, blessings and guidance to you all.

[@SeekersofUnity]

Shalom Aya, We must be ;) I’d love to see what you wrote. You’re most welcome sister. Glad I can be of service. Wishing all your beautiful blessings back on you 🙏🏼

[@luvnlife3332]

Wonderful! 🙏❤️

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you Luv 🙏🏼❤️

[@FiveNineO]

This was interesting, I wasn't aware that the umbrella of Judaism contained within it something this close to the truth. Adonai vasu borragus

[@HonestPerson96]

You're a legend

[@SeekersofUnity]

Coming from a legend himself ;)

[@davidkuder4356]

This stuff is SO Rich. Thank you for sharing. How do i sign Up..?! 😆

[@SeekersofUnity]

Welcome brother. You’re already signed up 😉

[@davidbates9358]

Wonderful work Zevi, l really appreciate you're level headed approach to scripture. And this episode feels like a movement towards interpreting the sublime sense of creation that is signified by the word God. A journey beyond the perceptual problem of reification, as a functional illusion?

[@SahasraraIm]

:) Beautiful!

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you friend :)

[@mendysel]

Beautifully done. You might enjoy The Urban Guru Cafe Podcast. You’d make a great guest (if they’re still producing)

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you Menachem. We’ll check them out 🙏🏼

[@franciscoc1261]

3:43 is this state of seamless boundary crossing similar/same to idea of apotheosis?

[@miriamrhodes666]

bravo!

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you Miriam ☺️

[@zackmin2min876]

The more I learn about Hassidic thinking the more I understand why the Gaon of villa was right about the danger of the study (btw still love studying both)

[@SeekersofUnity]

;)

[@erdood3235]

will you talk about the Chabad mitzvah campaigns?

[@SeekersofUnity]

I don’t think they fall within the purview of this series, focusing as it is on the philosophy, metaphysics and inner work of Hasidism.

[@TheNemeton]

I clicked the moment I saw the title lol

[@SeekersofUnity]

Good man. Thanks for coming by River. I hope you’re finding this helpful.

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

When that shtreimel envy hits...

[@SeekersofUnity]

😉

[@TheEsotericaChannel]

@@SeekersofUnity the struggle is real - such great work, brother.

[@SeekersofUnity]

Thank you Justin. I really appreciate that. Thank you for leading the way.

[@tevis3]

You’re both pretty rad IMHO.

[@BcClarity]

Zevi

[@loneyid]

What's the difference between what rashbi propagated vs rashbi and arizal

[@SeekersofUnity]

That's a really great question. I don't know enough yet to answer properly. I'll have to get back to you on that one :)

[@beagru5706]

🎼💖🍀🌻

[@SeekersofUnity]

❤️❤️❤️

[@zevilover3591]

What does that actually mean?

[@erdood3235]

can i ask: will you talk about the politics of Hasidic movements? because here in israel, the party the represents them, Agutat Israel, as part of the united torah judaism party, is part of the bigoted bloc of Netanyahu. and about Chabad specifically: there are Chabadnics that try to do Proselytism to their faith to secular jewish children. they put Tefillin stands outside of schools and kindergartens

[@SeekersofUnity]

The policy of Seekers is to not get political. Political discourse, at least as carried out today is inherently and inevitably divisive and we, seekers of unity, are after unity, not divisiveness. Thanks for understanding.

[@theperfectbastard451]

@@SeekersofUnity Trump (along with most US politicians) kiss the ass of Netanyahu, who then answers to Chabad. So who really runs the show? My concern for Israeli's (and the diaspora) is not politically divisiveness, but the lengths at which Chabad is willing in order to create unity for Jews. What or who is Chabad willing to sacrifice in order to create unity and fulfill prophecy?

[@erdood3235]

@@SeekersofUnity well, *I* can't be "apolitical" about this. metaphysical and spiritual beliefs *can't* be separated from politics, from the physical world. beliefs and political views inform each other. Chabad and other hasidim have political power in israel, which they use to oppress people like me.

[@logo2462]

Love hearing new takes on how god relates to their creation. I’ve heard a bit about the panentheistic thoughts coming from Spinoza and Cordoverian Kabbalah before, but this is the first deep dive I’ve seen on Hasidic thought. Thank you for making it easy to learn about this sort of stuff! How related is Hasidic thought to Lurianic Kabbalah?

[@SeekersofUnity]

You're most welcome Logo. We discussed the relationship between Hasidic thought and Lurianic Kabbalah very briefly in the first video, check it out here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKaqi5mZec6YaaM We'll have to dedicate some further study and teaching to that specific question. Thank you.

[@elizabethford7263]

I don't understand why they are opposites. Why can't g-d be all AND within?

[@theilluminator4778]

Nice one bro. Religion greatest failure is interpreting the secret knowledge literally, without divine enlightenment, they come into simple illogical conclusions and also deliberately altering some of them.thanks once again Freedom through knowledge (Gnosis)

[@allmertalex]

מה עם ספר התניא? למה אתה לא מזכיר אותו?

[@yossifelder6775]

התניא… ליובאוויטש הם כהיום לא חסידים אמיתיים. הם מדרניים וציונים רח״ל.

[@SeekersofUnity]

We most certainly do, at 8:30 in the video, followed by Torah Ohr as well later on in the video.

[@lewiakk5844]

@@yossifelder6775 770 is the shul of the lubavitcher rebbe z"l yes there are crazy people with crazy beliefs in there but thats not all of it.

[@joyhunter2362]

I dreamed about a shtriemel once

[@SeekersofUnity]

How can you be sure you’re not a shtriemel dreaming you’re a human? 😏

[@spiralthinker]

There's a wonderfully concise (and touching) Torah from the Maggid emphasizing that constantly looking at all one sees as nothing but IT/Him is requisite for realizing IT, in which he hangs the authenticity of his pantheism (or panentheism (in the passage it seems impossible to determine which)) on the SheLaH's perush of YHWH hu haElohim, and urges his audience to see for themselves that the Shelah already spelled it out clearly... if you have access to Derech Hasidim, i can easily point you to this Passage... but do you know where this can be found in the SHeLaH? ty

[@SeekersofUnity]

I’d love to see that but i don’t have the Sefer unfortunately.

[@spiralthinker]

ugh, typo: is

[@spiralthinker]

i just doubled back to mention that i'm working on translating (what likely will be YOUR favorite material from these 2 likutim (and some others), G"W into something like what Danny Matt did in The Essential Kabbalah and Art Green and Barry Holz did in Your Word is Fire, SO WHILE I'M V HAPPY TO SHARE THESE GREAT SOURCES WITH YOU, if u would kindly not go THERE w/ them! but btw i notice that the link i sent you to Derekh Hasidim isn't showing in this thread, only my p.s. about i typo i realized too late i'd made --- is it because this youtube thread doesn't accept links??? if so, and u can agree w/ my above request, hint to me an email or a facebook way of reaching it to you, like that Michelangelo image of HaSHPaA...

[@codywurtz6221]

I myself am Jewish but struggle upstanding things. If is all unity with God what about evil not sure any thoughts or direction? Also what does unity with God mean ? If I am one with the Almighty dont I no longer exist for how can we be one but separated?

[@SeekersofUnity]

Those are really great questions Cody. Maybe the greatest questions. Check this out for a Jewish direction perhaps to begin unpacking this difficult journey: Introducing Tzimtzum kzbin.info/www/bejne/nJmwpnelfsh-gcU

[@threestars2164]

Strange stuff

[@knowone3031]

"Gods" perspective" is not confined to a hebrew book is the irony that smashes temples.. Yoohooey? 2221 I give u thumbs 177.. Perhaps u the one..

[@bloodcell9529]

תהיה שמח בגאווה ... אבל לעולם לא בן אדם ממזר .... זכור ..... אלוהים הוא אתה ואלוהים הוא אתה I say is as a גוי