A closer look
Fasting and weeping were officially canceled by the founder of Hasidic Judaism. The Baal Shem Tov realized that intellectual elitism and constant misery were terrible ways to reach God. He revolutionized Jewish mysticism by weaponizing euphoria, teaching that 'devekut' (constant attachment to the divine) was best achieved through ecstatic singing (niggunim), fervent dancing, and occasionally drinking a lot of vodka. By elevating mundane actions to mystical heights, he proved that you could hack the universe just by being incredibly happy.
