Individualism, Truth, and the Repudiation of Magic as the Tsadik’s Prerogative: Pshiskhe-Like Elements in the Theology of Rabbi Menahem Mendel of KosovPshiskhe-Like Elements in the Theology of Rabbi Menahem Mendel of Kosov

Abstract

This chapter describes Rabbi Simhah Bunem of Pshiskhe as a Polish tsadik who created an elitist, individualist, almost anarchic form of Hasidism. It discusses the Hasidism that emphasized the inner dimension of divine worship, required the individual to be true to himself, and decried the culture of miracle-work that prevailed in the courts of many other tsadikim . It also mentions Menahem Mendel, who is commonly depicted as a typical Galician-style tsadik , whose popular branch of Hasidism was centred on the tsadik ’s absolute supremacy over the ordinary Hasidim. The chapter highlights how Menahem Mendel encouraged his Hasidim about worshipping simply without seeking to transcend everyday practical observance. It clarifies what inspired the elitist Simhah Bunem with the desire to visit Menahem Mendel.