Overview

The first scholarly biography of Levi Yitshak of Berdychiv in English in over thirty-five years.   Defender of the Faithful explores the life and thought of Levi Yitshak of Berdychiv (1740–1809), one of the most fascinating and colorful Hasidic leaders of his time. It is an intellectual and religious biography, a reading of the development of his thought and career. Featuring examples of Levi Yitshak’s extraordinary texts alongside insightful analysis by scholar Arthur Green, Defender of the Faithful is a compelling study of both Levi Yitshak’s theology and broader philosophy.  

Full Product Details

Author:   Arthur Green
Publisher:   Brandeis University Press
Imprint:   Brandeis University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 16.20cm , Height: 2.70cm , Length: 22.90cm
Weight:   0.596kg
ISBN:  

9781684581016

ISBN 10:   168458101
Pages:   296
Publication Date:   13 December 2022
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In stock  
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Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments Introduction Part I: Levi Yits?ak as Hasidic Leader 1. The Life and Times of an Eighteenth-Century Rabbi 2. Levi Yits?ak in the Maggid’s Circle: The Challenge of Leadership 3. First Steps: The Evidence of Shemu‘ah Tovah 4. The Hasidic Tsaddik and the Quest for Models 5. The Mezritch Circle: A Later Look Part II: Mystic Disciple and Teacher 6. Translating the Transcendent 7. The Mystic and the Religious Revival 8. The Question of Miracles 9. An Emerging Religious Personality 10. Power and Pleasure in Serving God 11. Defending the Commandments 12. Interpreting Torah 13. Looking into the Future? Abbreviations Used in Notes Bibliography

Reviews

“Arthur Green, a modern master of Jewish thought, explores the life and thought of Rabbi Levi Yits?ak, one of the towering, formative figures in early Hasidism. In Green’s lucid presentation, Levi Yits?ak emerges as a mystic, but also a realist who faces the fact that we live in a world seemingly not guided by divine will. Boldly, Levi Yitshak claims that a righteous individual can actually implant a new will within God. A fascinating, profound book.” -- Daniel Matt, author of Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation and the multivolume annotated translation The Zohar: Pritzker Edition “A brilliant intellectual biography of a spiritual hero, a leading eighteenth-century Hasidic master and leader, a mystical revolutionary thinker who took upon himself to act in a world seemingly not guided by divine intervention, hidden or revealed. Skillfully and felicitously written by one of the world’s leading scholars of Hasidism, it presents new dimensions of the thoughtful, profound, and original author of Kedushat Levi (1798), and contextualizes the mystical-Hasidic phenomenon in the spiritual and historical circumstances in which it evolved.” -- Rachel Elior, John and Golda Cohen Chair in Jewish Philosophy, Hebrew University “In this stunningly interesting study, Arthur Green sets aside the legendary Levi Yitshak of Berdychiv in pursuit of the historical figure, whose life and thought Green explores with his signature combination of extraordinary erudition and finely-honed sensitivity to the psychological and spiritual dimensions of classical Hasidism. A wonderfully crafted landmark study of a seminal figure, richly contextualized and bringing to light many of the complexities that characterized Hasidism in its early stages of development.” -- Lawrence Fine, author of Physician of the Soul, Healer of the Cosmos: Isaac Luria and His Kabbalistic Fellowship “Arthur Green blends meticulous historical scholarship with delicate textual analysis and poetic writing to help us understand anew the life and teachings of one of the most important leaders of early Hasidism, a daring theologian who was also remembered as a popular spiritual hero and an iconic Jewish leader. Much like his pathbreaking intellectual and religious biography of Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav, Green inspires us again. This book is a must read for scholars and seekers alike!” -- Biti Roi, Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, and author of Love of Shekhina

Arthur Green, a modern master of Jewish thought, explores the life and thought of Rabbi Levi Yits?ak, one of the towering, formative figures in early Hasidism. In Green's lucid presentation, Levi Yits?ak emerges as a mystic, but also a realist who faces the fact that we live in a world seemingly not guided by divine will. Boldly, Levi Yitshak claims that a righteous individual can actually implant a new will within God. A fascinating, profound book. -- Daniel Matt, author of Becoming Elijah: Prophet of Transformation and the multivolume annotated translation The Zohar: Pritzker Edition A brilliant intellectual biography of a spiritual hero, a leading eighteenth-century Hasidic master and leader, a mystical revolutionary thinker who took upon himself to act in a world seemingly not guided by divine intervention, hidden or revealed. Skillfully and felicitously written by one of the world's leading scholars of Hasidism, it presents new dimensions of the thoughtful, profound, and original author of Kedushat Levi (1798), and contextualizes the mystical-Hasidic phenomenon in the spiritual and historical circumstances in which it evolved. -- Rachel Elior, John and Golda Cohen Chair in Jewish Philosophy, Hebrew University In this stunningly interesting study, Arthur Green sets aside the legendary Levi Yitshak of Berdychiv in pursuit of the historical figure, whose life and thought Green explores with his signature combination of extraordinary erudition and finely-honed sensitivity to the psychological and spiritual dimensions of classical Hasidism. A wonderfully crafted landmark study of a seminal figure, richly contextualized and bringing to light many of the complexities that characterized Hasidism in its early stages of development. -- Lawrence Fine, author of Physician of the Soul, Healer of the Cosmos: Isaac Luria and His Kabbalistic Fellowship Arthur Green blends meticulous historical scholarship with delicate textual analysis and poetic writing to help us understand anew the life and teachings of one of the most important leaders of early Hasidism, a daring theologian who was also remembered as a popular spiritual hero and an iconic Jewish leader. Much like his pathbreaking intellectual and religious biography of Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav, Green inspires us again. This book is a must read for scholars and seekers alike! -- Biti Roi, Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, and author of Love of Shekhina

Author Information

Arthur Green was founding dean and is recently retired as rector of the Rabbinical School and the Irving Brudnick Professor of Jewish Philosophy and Religion at Hebrew College. He is professor emeritus at Brandeis University, where he occupied the distinguished Philip W. Lown Professorship of Jewish Thought. His books include Tormented Master: A Life of Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav; The Heart of the Matter: Studies in Jewish Mysticism and Theology; A New Hasidism: Branches; and Judaism for the World: Reflections on God, Life, and Love, for which he was awarded a National Jewish Book Award.  

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