DaMoshe:
You’re being extremely disrespectful towards the giant of the world. There’s an expression used in gemarah, I should be using here, I’ll spear you.
I already wrote there was nothing “NEW” about his movement. Read what I wrote, it’s written in plain easy English. He put YiddishKite into Torah, Avodah, Yiras Shomaim. He put a dagash into Davening with feeling, doing Mitzvos with intent and understanding. Nothing he did is not found in Gemarah, Medrash etc. HE INVENTED NOTHING.
True, the early opposers were wary of a new movement, ever since the advent of Shabsi Tzvi. They were greatly worried, however they were greatly mistaken. Time would tell – boy were they mistaken. As they say – without litvaks there would be no Torah (very untrue for today’s situation – Torah grows by leaps and bounds in Chassidishe courts in all areas התמדה, עמקות, לומדות, בקיאות, כמות, איכות), without Chassidim there would be no Yid.
You don’t have to believe about the Baal Shem Tov meeting up with Achiya, don’t ever חס ושלום attribute a “new torah” or ” a new Judaism” to him.
And while where at it may little me add, he did in fact have a mesorah, he was the last in line from the Baalei Shem, most of German descend
I shudder to think what you wrote, that caring Mod had to edit your post.