The Gaon of Vilna and the Mitnagdim in the eyes of the Hasidim

ENIn the spring of 1772, the Jewish community of Vilna began to wage an all-out war against the Hasidim, who had recently begun to spread troughout White Russia and Lithuania. The Hasidim were declared heretics, and the communal authorities took all available measures to suppress them. Moreover, other important communities aswered the call of Vilna and joined in the war against Hasidism. Thus began the organized struggle against the Hasidim, a struggle that lasted some three decades. Historical studies that have treated this subject have thus far focused upon two aspects: reconstructing the steps taken by the opponents of Hasidism, and attempting to assess their underlying causes. An aspect that has not yet been examined is the reaction of the Hasidim to the bitter campaign waged against them. In my examination of the reaction of the Hasidim, my intention is not to focus upon the actions taken by them, but first and foremost, upon their reaction in the realm of ideas and emotions. How did the Hasidim explain to themselves the fact that leaders of important communities, among them rabbis and judges, saw them as "heretics" to be rejected from klal yisrael? And on top of everything, how did they explain the fact that the man who led the struggle against them was none other than the GR"A - R. Elijah of Vilna, considered to be the greatest sage of the generation?!.In this lecture, I will focus upon the response of one Hasidic leader - R. Shneur Zalman of Liadi, who led the Hasidim of White Russia in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. R. Shneur Zalman stood at the forefront of the struggle with the Mitnagdim for many years. The primary reason for this was the fact that White Russia was one of the most important battlefields in the campaign against Hasidism. Moreover, many of the Hasidim who lived within Lithuania were among his followers. As we know, eventually R. Shneur Zalman himself became a target of the Mitnagdim. In the wake of informing against him to the authorities, he was twice arrested and interrogated [p. 81-82].