Did you know that Hasidic Jews are considered a mystical sect of Judaism? I found that out recently. There are tons of them running around in NYC too, being all mystical and crap. I guess they are into the Kabbalah. I’m gonna look around for more on this.

From the Wikipedia entry about Hasidism:

…early Hasidism aimed not at dogmatic or ritual reform, but at a deeper psychological one. Its aim was to change not the belief, but the believer. By means of psychological suggestion it created a new type of religious man, a type that placed emotion above reason and rites, and religious exaltation above knowledge.

…Let man realize that when he is looking at material things he is in reality gazing at the image of the Deity which ispresent in all things. With this in mind man will always serve God even in small matters.”

Man! They rule! I’m doing some more looking and found out that the core stories of Hasidism revolve around characters who are “tzaddiks,” miracle-workers, or saints, who basically go around like healing people, exorcising demons and practicing magic based on the Kabbalah and other stuff that I don’t really know about. And apparently they are really heavy into story-telling as a religious act. I love it!