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Hasidism
Note: The Hebrew word
Hasid means "pious" and is employed in classical Jewish sources to designate one whose spiritual devotion extends beyond the technical requirements of Jewish religious law. The term came to denote an adherent of the popular East European Jewish religious movement whose history and doctrines are outlined below.
Background to the Rise of Hasidism
17th- Century Massacres and Pogroms
- 1648--Cossack massacres led by Bogdan Chmielnicki murdered thousands of Jews in Ukraine and Poland--about one half of the population--utterly devastating hundreds of Jewish communities. In addition to the death tolls, the impoverished Jewish communities had to cope with excessive taxation, support for widows, orphans and disabled; and extortion from bandits and Christian clergy
- After 1654--Poles massacred more Jews, who were accused of collusion with the Swedes during the Swedish invasion of Poland. These events were followed by church-instigated pogroms.
- 1668--Russian peasant revolts produced further riots that killed thousands more Polish Jews.
Internal Developments
- The above catastrophes brought about a decline in Jewish learning in Poland. The intellectual of the community centre now moved to Lithuania. Polish Jewry fell into ignorance and superstition, with a preference for the eschatological speculations of the Kabbalah.
- Like other communities, Polish Jews were caught up in the enthusiasm for Shabbetai Zvi, the Turkish Jew who was widely believed to be a mystical Messiah. Shabbetai's subsequent apostasy to Islam, and his death in 1676, deepened the demoralization.
- Jacob Frank (1726-1791), a Polish messianic pretender, encouraged an orgiastic cult. After he was rejected by the Rabbinic leadership, he converted to Christianity. Frank's slanders of his former correligionists led to further persecutions.
- Class divisions in the Polish Jewish communities:
The wealthy Jews and the Talmudic scholars who led the communities often did not distribute the tax burdens fairly, imposing the heaviest obligations upon the poor. The Rabbinic leadership was not vocal in protesting this situation, leading to their being discredited them among the common people.
- Rabbinic learning continued to focus on casuistic Talmud study (pilpul), providing little spiritual nourishment or consolation.
- The educated classes looked down on the ignorant Jewish masses.
- Popularity of magic and wonder-workers who could perform miracles through magical manipulations of the names of God ("Masters of the Name"--Hebrew: Ba'alei Shem). Widespread faith in demons, incantations, amulets, etc.
Rabbi Israel Ba'al Shem Tov (c. 1700-1760)
- Life
His name: Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, Ba'al Shem Tov. The epithet means: Master of the good name; to distinguish him from the other "Masters of the [divine] name," i.e., common magicians or "practical Kabbalists."
He is frequently designated by the Hebrew acronym: BeshT. Note: Much of the biographical information about him must be extrapolated from the immense quantities of legendary traditions that were woven around him.
- c. 1700--born in Okopy, Ukraine. Was a poor student, and preferred to meditate in the forests.
- Worked as a teacher's assistant, leading the children to and from school. Inspired his charges with songs and stories. Became sexton of the synagogue. Spent his nights studying Kabbalah.
- c. 1718--Married, but his first wife died soon afterwards.
- Moved to Brody, Galicia, where he married the sister of the local Rabbi. His brother, embarrassed at Israel's ignorance, encouraged him to live elsewhere.
- He moved to a remote Carpathian village, supporting his family as a lime-digger. His expertise in medicinal herbs earned him a reputation as a "ba'al shem." As he practiced his healing craft he also began to preach his religious teachings.
- c. 1736--Hasidic legend speaks of the Besht publicly revealing his mission at the age of 36. This signifies his widespread acceptance as a figure of religious authority. He spread his teachings effectively by means of simple stories and parables that appealed to the uneducated Jewish masses.
- Principal Teachings
- Priority of emotion over intellect:
Simple, sincere, intuitive devotion is preferable to the ideal of Talmudic erudition that was commonly regarded as the hallmark of religious authority.
- God's Immanence:
Overwhelming consciousness of God's presence ("sparks of holiness," to use the Kabbalistic imagery) in all things, even in outwardly simple objects and actions. Appreciation of God in nature. The experience of the Divine is thus accessible to all.
- Joy:
The consciousness of a loving, ever-present Creator should lead to a feeling of profound joy. Therefore the appropriate mood for worship is one of good cheer; whereas suffering impedes a proper relationship with God.
The Ba'al Shem Tov was providing an effective antidote to the overwhelming demoralizing forces that beset Polish and Russian Jewry when he taught his followers to feel good about themselves and their relationships with God.
He encouraged the cultivation of joy through activities of singing, dancing, story-telling, drinking, etc.
Hasidic doctrine explained that peasant love songs and fairy tales were in reality profoundly allegorical religious texts (e.g., the songs that the Levites had sung in the Holy Temple, expressing the love of God and Israel) that were now being "restored" to their proper purpose.
- Customs:
Hasidism, true to the longstanding traditions of Central and Eastern European ("Ashkenazic") Jewry, attached much importance to popular customs. However it replaced the established Ashkenazic liturgical rite with a version of the Spanish ("Sepharadic") liturgy that had been sanctified by its use among the Kabbalists, especially in the school of Rabbi Isaac Luria in 16th-century Safed. Unlike the "fire-and-brimstone" preaching that was so common in his time, the Ba'al Shem Tov eschewed asceticism and self-imposed deprivations as expressions of lack of faith in a loving Father.
- Good and Evil:
Evil differs from Good only by degree in the hierarchy of holiness. Therefore the sinner is not completely rejected by the compassionate God, but always has the potential for self-improvement.
- Prayer:
Strong emphasis on the importance of sincere prayer, which can elevate the soul of the worshippers towards their Creator, as well as invoking divine blessings.
The Ba'al Shem Tov's doctrine of prayer imbued it with two important mystical ideals:
- Devekus ("clinging"; constant devotion): The unceasing consciousness of God's presence.
- Hislahavus ("bursting into flame"; ecstatic enthusiasm): The experience of spiritual exultation as the soul is elevated towards God.
Hasidic prayer was known for its disregard for the technical regulations and ritual formalities imposed by Jewish law, especially the fixed times for prayer. It celebrated the sincere devotion of the unlettered--through simple whistling or recitation of the Hebrew alphabet, etc.--over precise but mechanical recitation of the liturgy. Hasidism also encouraged the participation of all limbs and forms of expression in worship: through gesticulation, dance, song, etc.
- Messianism and Eschatology:
Scholars disagree over the importance of Messianic aspirations in the doctrines of the Ba'al Shem Tov. In a surviving letter of his he expresses the belief that the spread of his teachings will serve as a prelude to the final redemption. However G. Scholem has argued that he intentionally tried to neutralize the eschatological themes that had caused so much disappointment to previous generations, reinterpreting them as allegorical expressions of processes that take place internally within the soul of the individual.
- "Ahavas Yisro'el" (Love of Israel):
an ideal of indiscriminate solidarity and love for all fellow Jews.
Subsequent Development of Hasidism
The Ba'al Shem Tov himself does not appear to have defined a framework for leadership of his movement following his death. After some disagreement among the circles of his disciples, one leadership model did emerge as the characteristic one of the movement: that of the
Tzaddik ("righteous one").
Rooted in Kabbalistic doctrines, the
Tzaddik was a charismatic figure of extraordinary spiritual calibre. Since the common folk who made up the majority of the Hasidic movement did not possess the material or spiritual means to achieve full religious perfection, the
Tzaddik would provide a vicarious fulfillment. By devoting oneself to a worthy
Tzaddik, the individual could benefit from the latter's spiritual guidance and achievements.
The first generation of
Tzaddikim consisted of the actual disciples of the Ba'al Shem Tov, and included individuals of remarkable stature. The cultivation of personal charisma resulted in an immense variety among the individual Hasidic communities, as each was stamped with the imprint of its leaders, emphasizing different aspects of religious piety.
Some of the better known leaders include:
- Rabbi Dov Baer, the Maggid (Preacher) of Meseritz:
the most prominent of the Besht's original disciples, largely responsible for the organization of the movement after its founder's death.
- Rabbi Jacob Joseph of Polnoye:
who formulated the Hasidic doctrine of the Tzaddik.
- Rabbi Shneiur Zalman of Ladi:
founder of the "Chabad" school in Lithuania that integrated a profound Hasidic theology with the traditional Lithuanian emphasis on Talmudic study.
- Rabbi Nahman of Bratslav:
a troubled, controversial and contentious figure with Messianic aspirations, known for his collection of allegorical "fairy tales." His followers, who never acknowledge a successor to Rabbi Nahman, are referred to as "the Dead Hasidim."
- Rabbi Levi Isaac of Berditshev:
the renowned "advocate of Israel" who found virtue even among the sinners of Israel, boldly arguing in the Jews' defense even against the Almighty Himself.
- Rabbi Menahem Mendel of Kotzk:
an "anti-Tzaddik" who lost patience with his followers' reliance on him, and withdrew completely from public contact.
Subsequent generations of Hasidic leadership would be handed down to the principal disciples of the reigning
Tzaddik, which in many cases were their own sons. This situation evolved into a system of dynastic succession, in which the heirs to the title of
Tzaddik did not necessarily share the qualifications of their predecessors. Abuses of authority became widespread, as
Tzaddikim established "courts" with trappings of royalty, to which their followers were expected to furnish generous gifts and make pilgrimages.
Nevertheless, the movement continued to produce several remarkable leaders and religious models, as well as inspiring instances of devotion among the followers. Although they suffered gravely from the devastation of the European Holocaust, many Hasidic groups continue to exist and thrive on the contemporary Jewish scene, especially in the United States and in Israel. Hasidic factions play prominent roles in both the
Naturei Karta anti-Zionist movement, and in the
Aguddat Israel.
