Plagues in the Service of God: Fear and Hope in the Hasidic Rhetoric of R. Tzvi Elimelech of Dynov

Plagues and the emotional reactions they arouse play an important role in religious and moral rhetoric. This paper discusses how the prominent Hasidic leader Tzvi Elimelech Shapira of Dynov (1783-1841) addressed plagues - utilizing their spiritual potential - by constructing two opposite emotions: fear and hope. I analyze a variety of documents that reveal the literary uses of these basic emotional stances, as socio-religious tools wielded by a prominent religious authority. This paper depicts the social impact the Hasidic leader hoped to create and to frame it in the context of his kabbalistic heritage and historical events. It also demonstrates how Hasidic leaders viewed catastrophes such as plagues as opportunities to advance their religious and political goals, not only through rational means of interpretation, but by loading them with emotional components. Through this, I hope to contribute a new chapter to the history of emotions in 19th-century Hasidism.