Ritual Practice and Cosmic Order in Hasidism
- Leore Sachs- Shmueli
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 10 hours ago
Leore Sachs-Shmueli on Ariel Evan Mayse's Law of the Spirit: Ritual, Mysticism, and the Commandments in Early Hasidism
Ariel Evan Mayse's new book, Laws of the Spirit: Ritual, Mysticism, and the Commandments in Early Hasidism (Standford University Press, 2024), dissolves the binaries between law and spirit, self and community, authenticity and tradition, body and soul, and the world and God. As one of the leading scholars of Hasidism and a professor of religion at Stanford, Mayse brings the unique socio-spiritual phenomenon of Eastern European Hasidism into the broader discourse of religious studies, particularly in the area of ritual. This book appeals to multiple audiences. It is accessible to scholars of mysticism and religion with little prior knowledge of Jewish tradition as well as Hasidic readers outside academic circles seeking a fresh perspective on their own tradition. At the same time, it speaks to all curious readers who want to delve deeper into Hasidism or seek contemporary spiritual wisdom from its tradition.
Building on his previous works, Mayse masterfully translates Hasidic idiosyncrasies into a framework of contemporary religious questions that transcend Jewish culture. He borrows philosopher Charles Taylor’s "affirmation of the ordinary" (the modern shift from hierarchical, exclusive values to a widespread recognition of the inherent dignity and worth of everyday life) and Rabbi Max Kadushin’s "normal mysticism" (ordinary daily activities like liturgical cycles and ethical behaviors become opportunities to experience God's presence, contrasting with traditional, extraordinary mystical experiences) to explain the internal logic and power within the 19th-century Hebrew texts. These texts sought to revitalize the enchantment of halakha and Jewish ritual—those seemingly mundane, repetitive actions and regulations—amidst the spirit of enlightenment and cultural decay.Ritual takes center stage in each chapter, and Mayse explores it in various dimensions of Jewish tradition that might seem oppositional but are unified in Hasidic teaching: ritual and intellect, ritual and study, ritual and mysticism (devekut), ritual and self, prayer and practice, ritual and the end of days. Each discussion weaves together ritual theory and Hasidic texts, demonstrating how to overcome the illusionary binary of opposition. Mayse writes, "Rituals are physical techniques for guiding the flow of intention, and, along with sparking somatic knowledge, these actions can impact the worshipper by transforming their vision of both world and self" Mayse's scope is impressive, engaging with broad fields such as Islamic legal thought, Buddhist practices, and multiple languages and cultural theories. He excels in writing the historiography of a modern movement, fully informed by its medieval and early modern roots while also addressing contemporary issues. Attuned to the "embodiment turn" in both academic religious studies and contemporary practice, Mayse discusses mitzvot as embodied rituals, beautifully explaining how "the commandments sensitize the worshipper by opening body and mind to the ceaseless symphony."
This book marks a high point in a decade of Hasidism research, challenging the German-Jewish "neo-Hasidic" philosopher Martin Buber, who sought to separate Hasidism from commandments. Mayse acknowledges his debt to Buber’s emphasis on "genuine religiosity being in the doing," but he corrects Buber's failure to appreciate the importance of operating "within the structures of traditional Jewish practice." Following scholars like Gadi Sagiv, Benjamin Brown, Boaz Huss, Menahem Lorberbaum, Levi Cooper, and his own prior research with Maoz Kahana, Mayse affirms the consensus among Hasidism scholars: one cannot uphold the Pauline dichotomy between the letter of the law and the spirit. Accordingly, Mayse argues that to fully grasp Hasidism’s vibrant vitality as an expanding religious social phenomenon, one must see its philosophical, mystical, and legal dimensions as intricately intertwined.
While primarily concerned with commandments and halakhic rituals codified by legal authorities, Hasidism also developed unique rituals, which, as Gadi Sagiv demonstrates, served as central means for systematizing mystical longings, reinforcing communal cohesion, and upholding the authority of the tzadik, blending spiritual and social dimensions. Mayse pays special attention to supererogatory practices—opportunities Hasidism emphasized for worship through materiality (Avodah ba-gashmiyut, e.g., food, sexuality, social interaction). He contends that these practices do not compete with or replace halakhah but rather extend ritualization into all aspects of life. This ritualization attitude, became a "hyper-nomain" way of life, borrowing Elliot R. Wolfson's depiction of the kabbalistis' approach to law and mysticism. Harkening back to Buber, Mayse is committed to a shared desire to communicate Hasidism's universal message, but he operates in a post-colonial, post-secular context, appreciating the significance of belonging to a specific cultural heritage and community without apology. After scholars like Saba Mahmood and Talal Asad, it is easier to explain how rituals express a subject-agent’s identity, where community and tradition do not threaten authenticity, and embodied piety does not contradict interiority.
One of the key strengths of Laws of the Spirit is Mayse’s use of cross-cultural comparisons, particularly his sporadic but insightful integration of Buddhist practices to shed light on Hasidic teachings. For example, when discussing Dov Ber of Mezhrich’s adoption of the kabbalistic triad of thought, speech, and action (maḥshavah, dibbur, ma’aseh), Mayse draws a parallel with the Buddhist "three gates" (tridvara), which emphasize body, speech, and mind as paths to enlightenment. In tantric practices, these domains serve as guides for visualization and emotional transformation, and in Vajrayana practices, they are identified with divine reflexivity. This comparison illuminates how these practices serve as arenas for divine reflexivity and a unified notion of body and mind in Hasidic and Buddhist traditions alike.
Mayse compares the Hasidic idea, adopted from Maimonides, that one mitzvah can lead to a heightened awakening and fulfill the goal of all commandments, with the medieval Japanese Buddhist schools that focused on a single precept to encompass all monastic rules. However, as his subsequent discussion suggests, the Hasidic movement developed an increasing concern for stringency and detail, becoming ever more meticulous, and thus they never adopted the "single commandment" concept as a social program akin to a single-rite monastery. Nevertheless, these comparative insights are gems scattered throughout the book, offering rich and novel perspectives that open new horizons for understanding the cross-cultural similarities of spiritual movements.
Mayse’s portrayal of a unified orchestration of Hasidic thought, particularly in its approach to ritual and embodiment, is compelling and valuable in its ability to capture the broader forest beyond the specific trees. However, it also raises an important question: given the heterogeneous nature of Hasidic schools—as Tsippi Kauffman has demonstrated, for instance, in her analysis of the worship of materiality—do all Hasidic thinkers conceptualize the relationship between divine embodiment and practical performance in the same way? When considering the varied approaches among Hasidim to pantheism, tzimtzum, asceticism, and other core theological principles across traditions like Chabad, Bratslav, or Komarno, one is encouraged to build on the path Mayse has charted and further the analysis by comparing and differentiating the distinct voices within the various Hasidic streams, and those evolving with time, in later periods, outside the historical scope of "early Hasidism" (roughly ending in 1815).
Mayse’s book is not only an intellectual achievement but also a highly valuable resource for contemporary spiritual seekers. As a contemporary rabbi and spiritual leader, head of the Institute of Jewish Spirituality and Society (IJSS), Mayse recognizes the profound relevance of these texts. His poetic and compelling voice does not only explain the power of Hasidic thought for past practitioners, but also communicates its enduring relevance for today. In a recorded interview with the "Valley Beit Midrash" channel on YouTube after the publication of his book Speaking Infinities, Mayse admits that his motivation extends beyond academic circles, hoping that his work "has something to offer to a contemporary need and concern." This same desire permeates Laws of the Spirit, where Mayse communicates not only academic rigor but also the practical and spiritual insights needed for today’s readers.
What is the contemporary challenge? Like the Hasidic preachers of old, it is the challenge of showing how appealing commandments are, how to maintain the charisma of these rituals and ensure their ongoing efficacy in making God present in the immanent experience of everyday life. As Mayse succinctly puts it before citing Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, "the commandments thus serve as crucial tools for entering an ecstatic state of rebirth in God." This might explain why when it comes to the discussion of theurgical and magical dimensions, Mayse focuses primarily on the affective, emotional, and experiential aspects of Hasidic mitzvot, emphasizing their power to transform consciousness in the here and now, rather than their post-mortem, theurgical or magical implications. This sets him apart from other scholars. For instance, Moshe Idel has extensively explored the magical aspects of both Hasidic and kabbalistic traditions, particularly in their function as tools that manipulate divine energies and cause direct changes in the cosmos. Moreover, scholars such as Goldschmidt and I have emphasized the theurgical and post-mortem implications of mitzvot, highlighting how they serve as vehicles for influencing divine realms and ensuring favorable outcomes after death.
Mayse himself has developed a nuanced reading of reincarnation as a post-mortem consequence of performing the commandments in Hasidism, explored in a chapter of The Life of the Soul (SUNY, 2024), co-edited by Andrea Gondos and myself. These aspects, deeply rooted in kabbalistic thought, illustrate how ritual practice can affect both the practitioner’s soul and the cosmic order, often with an eye toward eternal consequences. In Laws of the Spirit, while Mayse acknowledges the significance of these theurgical effects, he places greater emphasis on the emotional and affective dimensions of ritual, focusing on how mitzvot transform human consciousness in the lived moment, rather than merely serving as tools for divine or magical manipulation. Mayse’s relatively limited engagement with the theurgical, magical, and post-mortem aspects of ritual may reflect the Hasidic texts themselves, as well as the historical modern shift toward emphasizing immanent divinity in this-worldly experiences. More importantly, by focusing on the emotional and affective transformations that commandments bring to life—specifically their power to unite body and soul and affirm the mundane—Mayse highlights their role in immanent divinity and the epiphany of the ordinary.
Mayse book resonates with contemporary concerns regarding embodied piety and subjective experience that are relevent to all people seeking a more integrated understanding of the world. This contemporary framing could well place Mayse’s book among those 21st-century works unveiling the inner experiences and deeper meaning behind traditional practices in a way that not only sparks intellectual curiosity but may also ignite personal engagement across modern ways of life.
Leore Sachs- Shmueli is a Senior Lecturer in the Jewish Philosophy Department at Bar Ilan University. Her expertise lies in the fields of Kabbalah and Hasidism, with a particular emphasis on topics related to ethics and morality, the rationale of commandments, the history of emotions, and gender studies. She is currently engaged in research projects that employ computational analysis to examine various conceptual and linguistics constructs of Hasidic traditions and mystical texts.
