Chassidim and Mitnagdim

B"H

In my German blog, I just started publishing some articles about the differences between Chassidim and Mitnagdim. Explaining the Vilna Gaon and why it came to a certain dispute between the two groups. Hopefully, some English readers will be also interested in this subject, as I am going to translate it.

Even if I do not exactly look chassidic, I do consider myself as something like chassidic. I keep certain customs and I study as much as I can about the subject. As I have mentioned before, I do have some litvishe Yeshiva background as well and, therefore, know about the livishe life as well.

My first steps into the chassidut I started with Chabad eleven years ago. Who does not somehow start with Chabad ? No, I did not become a Meshichist but just learned about chassidut. Actually I am very grateful to Chabad. However, when I later decided to learn in a more professional way about chassidut, I realized that there were great discrepancies between what we had learned at Chabad and what Kabbalists (the Arizal) and other chassidic rebbes or writes said.
Already in the early days of chassidut, different chassidim gave the Lurianic Kabbalah a slightly easier approach and, therefore, certain ideas were changed. I realized that Chabad does the same. Not everything what the Alter Rebbe wrote in his TANYA is really from the Lurianic Kabbalah but a Chabad idea, and it took me quite a while to differentiate between Chabad ideas, the Arizal, other Kabbalists and chassidic writers. I was definitely not the first person realizing this. Already the Vilna Gaon had his problems with Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi and his writings.

Although I prefer being chassidic, I do understand the litvishe point of view about chassidim as well.
I am going to give further explanations in the next above mentioned article and hope that, thus, chassidim learn more about the Vilna Gaon, that the Litvaks learn more about the chassidim and that everybody else learns more about both sides.