LIVING IN THE PRESENCE

A rabbi charts his intellectual and spiritual journey to Hasidism in this debut memoir.

At almost 90 years old, Jacobson admits, “I don’t know how much longer I have on this earth, or what will happen to me—if anything—after my death.” This reflection, rife with ambiguity, is emblematic of the author’s approach to spirituality. In this self-styled “intellectual journey of discovery,” Jacobson offers a chronicle of his spiritual path to Hasidism. While the book’s autobiographical framework provides chronological guideposts, from the author’s asthmatic childhood in 1930s Cleveland to his rabbinical training at Manhattan’s Jewish Theological Seminary, the text largely consists of Jacobson’s reflections on his exploration of the teachings of Ba’al Shem Tov (affectionally referred to throughout the book as “the Besht”). It was while at seminary that the author studied under renowned Jewish scholar Abraham Joshua Heschel (whose daughter writes the book’s foreword) and was first drawn to the ideas of Ba’al Shem Tov, the 18th-century mystic and founder of Hasidic Judaism. Dissatisfied with mainstream Conservative Jewish thought—particularly its prioritization of Talmudic learning over the development of an inner life—Jacobson found that the Besht’s teachings offered a fresh approach to spirituality. The book is a nuanced work; Jacobson does not hide his admiration of Ba’al Shem Tov, though the author willingly admits that “I’ve come to understand that I don’t have to accept everything the Besht believed.” Indeed, many of the book’s chapters blend the Besht’s teachings with the author’s learned takes on Buddhism, Hinduism, Kabbalah, and Jungian psychology. Given Jacobson’s lifelong career as a spiritual leader and rabbi, it is not surprising that the book ends with a practical guide that offers readers advice on how to apply the teachings of Ba’al Shem Tov to their own lives. At over 600 pages, this is not a light read, though its accessible writing style welcomes readers at all stages of their spiritual journeys. The work includes hundreds of endnotes—scholars will be impressed by Jacobson’s research, which is informed by more than a half-century of study.

A thoughtful reflection on the continued relevance of Ba’al Shem Tov.