Sometimes abuse doesn’t look like cruelty. It looks like zeal for holiness.
The Misnagdim thought they were protecting Torah (the Hebrew bible) in the 1770’s. They banned, shamed, and even reported Chassidim to governments.
From their side — it was ‘defense’. From the Chassidim’s side — it was heartbreak.
To be attacked by your own brothers is the deepest pain. But in Chassidus, sadness is not the end — it’s a seed. A seed that can grow into awe.
And so, the Chassidic Rebbes dug deeper. Out of persecution came the deepest insights, truths about the soul, about G-d, about connection and compassion, that might never have been revealed without the struggle.
Abuse can hide under the mask of “guarding truth.”
But real faith doesn’t control. Real faith defends truth without hurting innocent people.
“Sometimes abuse doesn’t look like cruelty. It looks like ‘defending tradition.'”
Explore the NextSelf Blog. Start with this post explaining the world of souls. And my Youtube.
The blog lists all the difference patterns to study, understanding patterns is how one can develop 'Daas' [felt knowing].
Update: As awe, trust, and love deepen, they can allow greater openness and intimacy with the Creator. That intimacy can include sadness when you notice how much more of His goodness can be revealed.