Turn Aside from Evil and Do Good: An Introduction and a Way to the Tree of Life (The Littman Library of Jewish Civilization)

Turn Aside from Evil and Do Good was written by a somewhat unconventional hasidic master Zevi Hirsch Eichenstein (1763-1831), with the intention of providing a guide to how to live a saintly life. His views differ from those of other hasidic masters principally in the importance he attributes to studying the kabbalah, which he considers the sole antidote to unbelief, and his positive attitude to sex and to money. From all accounts he himself led a comparatively frugal life, but he still advocated that his followers should have due regard for material prosperity gained by honest means and should certainly devote time to business activity. This lively translation by the distinguished scholar Louis Jacobs gives the reader access to the thoughts and modes of expression of an unusual hasidic master and to the basic ideas of Lurianic kabbalah as he perceived them. Through hundreds of scholarly annotations, printed at the foot of each page for ease of reference, Louis Jacobs helps the reader to understand the kabbalistic ideas and imagery and clarifies the sources to which the author alludes.

Turn Aside from Evil and Do Good conveys the full flavour of original hasidic-kabbalistic thinking. It will be of interest to anyone interested in hasidism and Jewish mysticism or the religious way of life more generally, as well as to social historians. Louis Jacobs has added a very accessible Introduction that provides a succinct explanation of the Lurianic system of kabbalah. He also provides biographic details of Eichenstein and his school, and a full bibliography.