Circle magazine feature on Shabatei Tzvi

↑ b.chadash ↓

Sat, Aug 24 2024, 7:28 pm

I came across a book called Mavericks, Mystics & False Messiahs by Pini Dunner.
It is a very well-researched and interesting collection of people and episodes from "the margins of Jewish history."

The first chapter deals with the story of Shabbetai Tzvi, detailing his life and exploits, and the effect it had on world Jewry and the entire world. He also deals with the machlokes between Rav Yaakov Emden and Rav Yonason Eibeshutz- which was directly spawned by the Shabbetai Tzvi debacle- which split the entire Jewish world apart on its time.

For those of you who are fascinated by stories of these colorful characters and how they intersected with world history, I recommend this book.

amother

Mulberry ↓

Sat, Aug 24 2024, 8:03 pm

b.chadash wrote:

Sounds interesting. What about the huge machlokes between Chassidim and misnagdim, especially the Gaon? Also an offshoot of the Shabbetai Tzvi debacle.

↑ b.chadash ↓

Sat, Aug 24 2024, 8:11 pm

amother Mulberry wrote:

Sounds interesting. What about the huge machlokes between Chassidim and misnagdim, especially the Gaon? Also an offshoot of the Shabbetai Tzvi debacle.

True.
He doesn’t discuss it in the book.

But Rabbi Berel Wein's series on Schisms and Dichotomies in Jewish history discusses this at length.

Personally, I think there is a lot of information out there about the origins of Chassidus and the opposition of the misnagdim. But many people are ignorant of the machlokes between Rav Yonason Eibechutz and Rav Yaakov Emden, despite it being a major controversy in its day. Perhaps because the machlokes seemed to have died down after the death of the protagonists.

↑ b.chadash ↓

Sat, Aug 24 2024, 8:39 pm

amother Mulberry wrote:

Sounds interesting. What about the huge machlokes between Chassidim and misnagdim, especially the Gaon? Also an offshoot of the Shabbetai Tzvi debacle.

I've also read an article claiming that the Reform movement can also be directly attributed to the Shabbetai Tzvi fiasco. The claim is that people were so disillusioned and weary of waiting for Moshiach that they decided to go a different route to make their lives better.

amother

↑ Mulberry

Sat, Aug 24 2024, 8:46 pm

b.chadash wrote:

True, I've personally never heard about that particular machlokes until I was an adult. But that's true of many historical disputes, like the one between the Bais Halevi and the Netziv.

I imagine the reason we were taught about Shabbetai Tzvi and the origin of chassidus is because these were so monumental and their effects are likely felt until today while the same can't be true of other machloksim.

↑ b.chadash

Sat, Aug 24 2024, 8:58 pm

amother Mulberry wrote:

Possibly.
I think another idea is that in many of the schism, there was a clear side of right and wrong. Shabbetai Tzvi turned out to be a charlatan. So it's easier to talk about it.

But in the case of R Yaakov Emden and R Yonason Eibichutz, both of these were considered tremendous talmidei Chachamim, gedolei Yisroel and completely mainstream. Both of their works are still revered until today, despite the fact that at the time, every single jew was in cherem- from one side or the other- for supporting the enemy. So it's hard to discuss the machlokes and still maintain the respect due to each of these men.

In regards to Chassidus, the fear at the time was that Chassidus would form another breakaway from normative Judaism (similar to Karaim, Tzedukim or Sabbatians) and be completely cut off from the the Jewish people. Obviously, history has proven otherwise.

As an aside, Rabbi Dunner tries to make the case that the machlokes of R Emden and R Eibechitz still reverberates until today, as do all of these major disputes, because they have a residual effect in many unintended ways.

For example, he discussed a major controversy known as the "Get of Cleves", which was about a couple who got divorced. The outcome of that controversy impacted how halacha views a divorce in the case where the husband claims to be insane, and is relevant until today.