Religion - Hasidic Judaism
Hasidic Judaism
(Hebrew: Chasidut חסידות, meaning "pious" from the Hebrew root word
chesed חסד meaning "loving kindness") is a Haredi Jewish religious
movement. It is also known as Hasidism, and the adjective
Chasidic/Hasidic (or in Yiddish Chasidish חסידיש) is applied. It
originated in Eastern Europe (Belarus and Ukraine) in the 18th century.
The movement was founded by Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (1700-1760), also
known as the Baal Shem Tov (abbreviated as Besht). It was formed in a
time of persecution of the Jewish people, when European Jews had turned
inward to Talmud study; many felt that most expressions of Jewish life
had become too "academic", and that they no longer had any emphasis on
spirituality or joy. The Ba'al Shem Tov set out to improve the
situation. In its initial stages, Hasidism received opposition from
several contemporary leaders, most notably the Vilna Gaon of Lithuania,
united as the mitnagdim (Hebrew: "opposers").
Prelude
In Poland, where since the sixteenth century the bulk of the Jewry had
established itself, the struggle between traditional rabbinic Judaism
and radical Kabbalah influenced mysticism became particularly acute
after the Messianic movement of Sabbatai Zevi. Leanings toward mystical
doctrines and sectarianism showed themselves prominently among the Jews
of the southeastern provinces of Poland, while in the north-eastern
provinces, in Lithuania, and in White Russia, rabbinical Orthodoxy held
sway. Jews that follow this tradition are called Litvish (Lithuanian).
This was due in part to the social difference between the northern
Lithuanian Jews and the southern Jews of Ukraine. In Lithuania the
Jewish masses were mainly gathered in densely populated towns where
rabbinical academic culture (in the yeshibot) was in a flourishing
state; while in Ukraine the Jews were more scattered in villages far
removed from intellectual centers.
Pessimism in the south became more intense after the Cossacks' Uprising
under Bohdan Chmielnicki and the turbulent times in Poland (1648-60),
which completely ruined the Jewry of Ukraine, but left comparatively
untouched that of Lithuania. The economic and spiritual decline of the
South-Russian Jews created a favorable field for mystical movements and
religious sectarianism, which spread there from the middle of the
seventeenth to the middle of the eighteenth century.
Besides these influences there were deeply seated causes that produced
among many Jews a discontent with rabbinism and a gravitation toward
mysticism. Rabbinism, which in Poland had become transformed into a
system of religious formalism, no longer provided satisfactory religious
experience to many Jews. Although traditional Judaism had adopted some
features of Kabbalah, it adapted them to fit its own system: it added to
its own ritualism the asceticism of the "practical cabalists" of the
East, who saw the essence of earthly existence only in fasting, in
penance, and in spiritual sadness. Such a combination of religious
practises, suitable for individuals and hermits, was not suitable to the
bulk of the Jews.
Hasidism gave a ready response to the burning desire of the common
people in its simple, stimulating, and comforting faith. In
contradistinction to other sectarian teaching, 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.
Israel ben Eliezer
The founder of Hasidism was Israel ben Eliezer, the Ba'al Shem Tov, also
known as the Besht. His fame as a healer spread not only among the Jews,
but also among the non-Jewish peasants and the Polish nobles. He was
said to at times successfully predict the future. To the common people,
Besht was admirable. Characterized by an extraordinary sincerity and
simplicity, he knew how to gain an insight into the spiritual needs of
the masses. He taught them that true religion was not religious
scholarship, but a sincere love of God combined with warm faith and
belief in the efficacy of prayer; that the ordinary person filled with a
sincere belief in God, and whose prayers come from the heart, is more
acceptable to God than someone versed in and fully observant of Jewish
law. This democratization of Judaism attracted to the teachings of Besht
not only the common people, but also the scholars whom the rabbinical
scholasticism and ascetic Kabbalah failed to satisfy.
About 1740 the Besht established himself in the Podolian town of
Miedzyboz. He gathered about him numerous disciples and followers, whom
he initiated into the secrets of his teachings not by systematic
exposition, but by means of sayings and parables. These sayings were
transmitted orally, and were later recorded in the works of his
disciples, who developed the disjointed thoughts of their master into a
system. Besht himself did not write anything. Being a mystic by nature,
he regarded his teachings as a prophetic revelation.
Fundamental conceptions
The teachings of Hasidism are founded on two theoretical conceptions:
(1) religious panentheism, or the omnipresence of God, and (2) the idea
of Devekut, communion between God and man. "Man," says Besht, "must
always bear in mind that God is omnipresent and is always with him; that
God is, so to speak, the most subtle matter everywhere diffused... Let
man realize that when he is looking at material things he is in reality
gazing at the image of the Deity which is present in all things. With
this in mind man will always serve God even in small matters."
Devekut (communion) refers to the belief that between the world of God
and the world of humanity there is an unbroken intercourse. It is true
not only that the Deity influences the acts of man, but also that man
exerts an influence on the will of the Deity. Every act and word of man
produces a corresponding vibration in the upper spheres. From this
conception is derived the chief practical principle of Hasidism -
communion with God for the purpose of uniting with the source of life
and of influencing it. This communion is achieved through the
concentration of all thoughts on God, and consulting Him in all the
affairs of life.
The righteous man is in constant communion with God, even in his worldly
affairs, since here also he feels His presence. An especial form of
communion with God is prayer. In order to render this communion complete
the prayer must be full of fervor, ecstatic; and the soul of him who
prays must during his devotions detach itself, so to speak, from its
material dwelling. For the attainment of ecstasy recourse may be had to
mechanical means, to violent bodily motions, to shouting and singing.
According to Besht, the essence of religion is in sentiment and not in
reason. Theological learning and halakhic lore are of secondary
importance, and are useful only when they serve as a means of producing
an exalted religious mood. It is better to read books of moral
instruction than to engage in the study of the casuistic Talmud and the
rabbinical literature. In the performance of rites the mood of the
believer is of more importance than the externals; for this reason
formalism and superfluous ceremonial details are injurious.
Liturgy and prayer
Most Hasidim pray according to the Nusach Sepharad (prayer style), a
liturgy that is a blend of Ashkenazi and Sephardi liturgies, based on
the innovations of Rabbi Isaac Luria (also know as the Arizal). The
Hasidim, though, pray in very strong Ashkenazic Hebrew that contains
many nuances that were picked up from Yiddish. Hasidim that are devotees
of dynasties that originated in Galicia pray in a different type of
Hebrew. This is because when seculars began to speak the modern Hebrew
language the Galician Hasidic leaders mandated that the words of the
Liturgy be pronounced differently as to differentiate themselves from
the seculars. This has come to be known as Galician Hebrew. Hasidic
prayer is known for being accompanied by melodies called nigunim (or in
America "nigguns") that represent the overall mood of the prayer; even
many non-Hasidim attend Hasidic synagogues in order to hear this.
Hasidic prayer is also known for taking a very long time (although some
groups are known for praying quickly). Some very pious Hasidim will
spend seven seconds of concentration of every single word of the prayer
of Amidah. Hasidim are known for having a lot of Kavanah (mental
concentration) during prayer. Overall Hasidim regard prayer as one of
the most paramount activities during the day. In fact, one of the most
controversial innovations of Hassidic practice is the near-abolition of
the traditional specified times of day by which prayers must be
conducted ("zemanim"), particularly the morning prayer; the preparations
for prayer, including partaking of food (also proscribed by strict
halachic literalism) take precedence and may extend into the alloted
time.
The spread of Hasidism
Israel ben Eliezer's disciples attracted many followers; they themselves
established numerous Hasidic sects across Europe. After the Besht's
death, his cause was carried on by his followers, especially Dov Ber of
Mezeritch. From his court students went forth; they in turn attracted
many Jews to Hasidism, and many of them came to study in Mezhirech with
Dov Ber personally. Hasidic Judaism eventually became the way of life of
the majority of Jews in Ukraine, Galicia, and central Poland; the
movement also had sizable groups of followers in Belarus-Lithuania and
Hungary. Hasidic Judaism came to Western Europe and then to the United
States during the large waves of Jewish emigration in the 1880s.
Hasidism gradually branched out into two main divisions: (1) in Ukraine
and in Galicia and (2) in Lithuania. The first of these divisions was
directed by three disciples of Dov Ber of Mezeritch: Elimelech of
Lezhinsk, Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, and Menachem Nahum of Chernobyl,
besides the grandson of Besht, Baruch of Tulchin. Elimelech of Lezhinsk
affirmed that belief in Tzaddikism is a fundamental doctrine of
Hasidism. In his book "No'am Elimelekh" he conveys the idea that the
Tzaddik ("saint") is the mediator between God and the common people, and
that through him God sends to the faithful three earthly blessings:
life, a livelihood, and children, on the condition, however, that the
Hasidim support the Tzaddik by pecuniary contributions ("pidyonim"), in
order to enable the holy man to become completely absorbed in the
contemplation of God. Lithuanian Hasidim followed Rabbi Shneur Zalman of
Liadi, who founded Chabad Hassidism.
This teaching practically led to the contribution by the people of their
last pennies toward the support of their tzaddik ("rebbe"), and the
tzaddik untiringly "poured forth blessings on the earth, healed the
sick, cured women of sterility," etc. The vocation of tzaddik was made
hereditary. There was a multiplication of Hasidic dynasties contesting
for supremacy.
Opposition
Early on, a serious schism evolved between the Hasidic and non-Hasidic
Jews. European Jews who rejected the Hasidic movement were dubbed by the
Hasidim as "mitnagdim", (lit. opponents). Some of the reasons for the
rejection of Hasidic Judaism was a novel emphasis on different aspects
of Jewish laws; even more problematic was the overwhelming exuberance of
Hasidic worship; their untraditional ascriptions of infallibility and
Miracle-working to their leaders, and the concern that it might become a
messianic sect, which in fact had occurred among the followers of both
Shabbatai Zvi and Jacob Frank.
The Vilna Gaon, the head of the Mitnagdim and the most famous opponent
of Hasidism
Enlarge
The Vilna Gaon, the head of the Mitnagdim and the most famous opponent
of Hasidism
Some of other important differences between Hasidim and Mitnagdim
included:
* Hasidism believed in miracle workers; they believed that the Ba'al
Shem Tov and some of his disciples literally performed miracles. Stories
of their miracles became a part of Hasidic literature. In opposition
many Jewish religious rationalists held such views as heretical, based
on classical rabbinic works such as Saadia Gaon's Emunoth ve-Deoth.
* The Hasidic way of dress was seen as a way to outwardly appear pious;
this was opposed as improper.
* Chassidic philosophy (Chassidus) holds as a core belief that God
permeates all physical objects in nature, including all living beings.
Depending on how such a teaching is stated, this could constitute either
pantheism or panentheism. In opposition many Jewish religious
rationalists held such views as being a violation against the
Maimonidean principle of faith that God is not physical, and thus was
seen as heretical.
* Chassidus teaches that there are sparks of goodness in all things,
which can be redeemed to perfect the world. Many held such a view to be
false and dangerous.
On a more prosaic level, other Mitnagdim argued that Jews should follow
a more scholarly approach to Judaism. At one point Hasidic Jews were put
in cherem (a Jewish form of communal excommunication); after years of
bitter acrimony, there was a rapprochement between Hasidic Jews and
those who would soon become known as Orthodox Jews. The reconciliation
was brought on by the even greater threat of the Haskala, or Jewish
Enlightenment. Since then all the sects of Hasidic Judaism have been
subsumed into Orthodox Judaism, particularly Haredi Judaism.
Lifestyle
Dress
Hasidim are known for their distinctive attire. Within the Hasidic
world, different groups can be distinguished by subtle differences in
appearance.
Hasidim most commonly wear a long black robe called a bekishe with which
they use a gartel (a type of prayer belt). A Hasidic Rebbe on Shabbat
traditionally wears a white or gold bekishe rather than a black one, but
this practice is not universal today. Hasidim customarily wear black
hats during the weekdays. On Shabbat many married Hasidim wear a
shtreimel while the Gerer Hasidim wear a spodik, since the 1950s members
of Chabad have worn fedoras (trilbies in England), even on Shabbat. It
is also common to see Hasidim wearing white socks and/or buckled shoes.
The reasoning behind this is threefold. Firstly, the clothing is very
pious-looking, which is commended among Hasidim. Secondly, this style of
clothing was worn by many Jews in Ukraine two hundred and fifty years
ago, and Hasidim are opposed to any changes to their traditional way of
life and believe that the same applies to the type of clothing they
wear. Thirdly, Hasidim wear distinctive clothing simply to look
different than the general population. The belief is that to be Jewish,
and to feel Jewish, one must look Jewish.
The actual Hasidic styles are not different from the attire of Eastern
European noblemen centuries ago. Hasidim, and other Jews, believe that
one has to look his or her best before God in synagogue.
Hasidic women wear clothing that is less distinctive than their male
counterparts, but answers to the principles of tzeniut (modest dress in
the sense of Jewish law). Long, conservative skirts and sleeves past the
elbow are the rules, but other than that, Hasidic women wear clothing
like other women in the non-Jewish societies in which they live. In some
Hasidic groups, such as Satmar, many married women shave their heads,
and many wear wigs. Other Hasidic groups consider it hypocritical to
wear false hair, so they simply put their hair into nets or kerchiefs
(called "snoods"). Before marriage, the hair is allowed to be uncovered
by all Hasidic groups.
Following a Biblical commandment not to shave the sides of one's face,
male members of some Hasidic groups wear long, uncut sideburns called
payot (Ashkenazic Hebrew payos). Not every Hasidic group requires long
payot, but all groups forbid the cutting of the beard. All Hasidic boys
receive their first haircuts ceremoniously when they are three years
old. Until then, Hasidic boys have long hair. The custom has been
adopted by many non-Hassidic (and even non-Orthodox) Jews.
The white threads that are seen at the waists of Hasidim and other
Orthodox Jews are called tzitzit. The requirement to wear fringes comes
from Numbers. "Speak to the children of Israel, and bid them that they
make them fringes on the borders of their garments throughout their
generations." (Numbers 15:38) By tradition, a Hasidic boy will receive
his first fringed garment on his third birthday, the same day as his
first haircut.
Bathing
Male Orthodox Jews customarily use the mikvah (ritual pool of water)
before major Jewish holidays (and particularly before Yom Kippur), in
order to achieve spiritual cleanliness. Many Hasidim have extended this
to a daily practice preceding morning prayers.
Families
Hasidic men and women usually meet through matchmakers in a process
called a shidduch, but marriages are made by mutual consent of the
couple and the parents. A bride and groom are expected to be about the
same age. There is no custom of an older man marrying a young woman.
It is a myth that Hasidic couples have intercourse through a sheet. In
fact, this is forbidden by Jewish law.
Yiddish
Most Hasidim speak the vernaculars of the lands in which they live, but
try to use Yiddish amongst themselves as a way of keeping distinct and
keeping tradition. Thus, contrary to popular assumption, Yiddish is
still being taught to children and is not a dying language. There are
Yiddish newspapers that are still published and there is a relatively
healthy production of Yiddish fiction within the Hasidic world,
primarily for women.
Some Hasidic groups actively oppose the everyday use of Hebrew as in
Israel, holding that Hebrew is a holy language that is profaned by being
used for anything other than prayer.
Hasidic Judaism in the 20th century
During the Holocaust the Hasidic centers of Eastern Europe were
destroyed. Survivors moved to Israel or America, notably Brooklyn, and
established new centers of Hasidic Judaism. Some of the larger and more
well-known Hasidic sects still extant include Breslov, Lubavitch
(Chabad), Satmar, Ger, and Bobov Hasidim.
For years, the two "superpowers" of the Brooklyn Hasidic world were
Satmar and Chabad -- based, respectively, in Williamsburg and Crown
Heights. Despite being so similar in the eyes of other Jews, the two
groups had a hostile relationship. Satmar was militantly anti-Zionist,
while Chabad was supportive of Israel, though the Lubavitcher rebbe
never visited Israel. Satmar also disdained Chabad's tendency to do
outreach among non-observant Jews. Satmars were especially offended by
Chabad's sending of "mitzvah tank" caravans into their neighborhood, as
if they needed prodding to be observant. In recent years the tension has
cooled, as has Satmar's overt opposition to Zionism, though it still
opposes the current form of Israeli government as a secular democracy.
There has been significant revival of interest in Hasidic Judaism on the
part of non-Orthodox Jews due to the writings of non-Orthodox Hasidic
Jewish authors like Martin Buber, Arthur Green and Abraham Joshua
Heschel. As such, one now finds some minor Hasidic influences in the
siddurim (prayer books) of Conservative, Reform and Reconstructionist
Judaism.
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hasidic_Judaism
Back to Religion |
|
