Turn Aside from Evil and Do Good

TurnAside from Evil and Do Good was written by ZeviHirsch Eichenstein (1763–1831), a hasidic master and renowned adept in Lurianickabbalah. He wrote it with the intention of providing a guide to would-behasidic kabbalists on how to live a holy life. Eichenstein was unusual in thehasidic world in that as well as being a kabbalist he was a competent talmudistand was also acquainted both with the science of his day and with medievalJewish philosophy. His views differ from those of other hasidic masters,principally in the importance he attributes to studying the kabbalah, which heconsiders an important antidote to unbelief, and in his more positive attitudeto the enjoyment of sexual activity and to business activity; he is concernedto show how both can be integrated in a holy life.

This lively translationby Louis Jacobs of the second edition (1850), which includes the notes of R.Zevi Elimelekh of Dynow, gives the reader an insight into a highlyunconventional hasidic master and the basic ideas of Lurianic kabbalah as heperceived them. Through hundreds of scholarly annotations, printed at the footof each page for ease of reference, Louis Jacobs helps the reader to understandthe kabbalistic ideas and imagery and other opaque terms, and clarifies thesources to which the author alludes.

TurnAside from Evil and Do Good conveys the fullflavour of an original hasidic approach to kabbalism. Immensely readable, itwill be of interest to anyone interested in hasidism and Jewish mysticism orthe religious way and its social history. Louis Jacobs has added a veryaccessible introduction to explain the Lurianic system of kabbalah; he alsoprovides biographical details of Eichenstein and his school, and a fullbibliography.