Abstract
Several socio-cultural factors complicate mental health care in the ultra-Orthodox Jewish population. These include societal stigma, fear of the influence of secular ideas, the need for rabbinic approval of the method and provider, and the notion that excessive concern with the self is counter-productive to religious growth. Little is known about how the religious beliefs of this population might be employed in therapeutic contexts. One potential point of convergence is the Jewish philosophical tradition of introspection as a means toward personal, interpersonal, and spiritual growth. We reviewed Jewish religious-philosophical writings on introspection from antiquity (the Babylonian Talmud) to the Middle Ages (Duties of the Heart), the eighteenth century (Path of the Just), the early Hasidic movement (the Tanya), and modernity (Alei Shur, Halakhic Man). Analysis of these texts indicates that: (1) introspection can be a religiously acceptable reaction to existential distress; (2) introspection might promote alignment of religious beliefs with emotions, intellect and behavior; (3) some religious philosophers were concerned about the demotivating effects of excessive introspection and self-critique on religious devotion and emotional well-being; (4) certain religious forms of introspection are remarkably analogous to modern methods of psychiatry and psychology, particularly psychodynamic psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy. We conclude that homology between religious philosophy of emotion and secular methods of psychiatry and psychotherapy may inform the choice and method of mental health care, foster the therapist-patient relationship, and thereby enable therapeutic convergence.
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Notes
The original Arabic title is Ketab Al-Hadaya I’la Feraed’ al-Kulub كتاب الهداية الى فرائض القلوب
Also of import is the historical context from which the Ramhal’s approach emerged. The Ramhal, who was writing in the wake of Jewish history’s most prominent and destructive false messiah, Shabtai Tzvi, took a strong stance against the Sabbatean movement which engaged in powerfully evocative rituals that were contrary to the basic tenets of Jewish law and philosophy (Gallant 1986). The enormous collective failure of both intellect and emotion represented by the mass flocking to Shabtai Tzvi may well have motivated the Ramhal in his formulation of a Jewish guide to the synchronization of intellect, emotion, and action.
This is partially attributable to the lingering influence of a rift in the Orthodox community, created when Hasidism gained popularity in the mid-eighteenth century in an environment of post-Sabbatean fear of mysticism and messianism (Assaf 2010; Nadler 2011). Elements of Judaism which Hasidism either introduced or re-emphasized, including the centrality of joy and the elevated status of its spiritual leaders—called Rebbes, caused prominent rabbinical figures to excommunicate Hasidic rabbis (Nadler 2011). Although considerable philosophical and cultural differences persist between Hasidic and non-Hasidic (called Litvak) communities, the antagonism which characterized the initial division has faded somewhat.
Though Jung would likely reject the notion of a particularly Jewish collective unconscious and emphasize that archetypes are universal, the application of his construct to the Jewish people in particular serves to illustrate the way many ultra-Orthodox Jews perceive their relationship to other Jews and to the symbols, stories, characters, and commandments of the Torah.
The Musar movement was a revivalist movement of the late nineteenth century which, like Hasidism, sought to breathe new life into an Orthodox Judaism which seemed increasingly disconnected from the realities and challenges of looming modernity. But unlike Hasidism, which focused primarily on living life joyfully, Musar focused primarily on improving one's character. Generally, it did not enjoy popularity in communities which had already adopted Hasidism and its popularity in other communities varied during its initial period of growth in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries (Mirsky 2010). Though the impact of both Musar and Hasidism is tremendous, there exist today many communities only minimally affected by either movement, such as the communities built around the Brisk Yeshivas, which actively opposed Musar, and many other Litvak communities.
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We acknowledge Dr. Kevin Paine for his assistance with the psychiatric literature search and thank Dr. Anthony M.C. Brown for his support of our research.
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Bloch, A.M., Gabbay, E., Knowlton, S.F. et al. Psychiatry, Cultural Competency, and the Care of Ultra-Orthodox Jews: Achieving Secular and Theocentric Convergence Through Introspection. J Relig Health 57, 1702–1716 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-018-0678-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-018-0678-z