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Encyclopedia > Hassidism
Part of Category:Judaism
Portal:Judaism

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Hasidic Judaism (also Chassidic, etc., from the Hebrew: Chasidut חסידות, meaning "piety", from the Hebrew root word chesed חסד meaning "loving kindness") is a Haredi Jewish religious movement. Some refer to Hasidic Judaism as Hasidism, and the adjective Chasidic/Hasidic (or in Yiddish Chasidish חסידיש) applies. The movement originated in Eastern Europe (Belarus and Ukraine) in the 18th century. Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Image File history File links Star_of_David. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Many Jewish denominations exist within the religion of Judaism; the Jewish community is divided into a number of religious denominations as well as branches or movements. ... Orthodox Judaism is the stream of Judaism which adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmud (The Oral Law) and later codified in the Shulkhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law). It is governed by these works and the Rabbinical commentary... This article refers to Conservative (Masorti) Judaism in the United States. ... Reform Judaism can refer to (1) the largest denomination of Judaism in America and its sibling movements in other countries, (2) a branch of Judaism in the United Kingdom, and (3) the historical predecessor of the American movement that originated in 19th Century Germany. ... Haredi or Charedi Judaism, often referred to as Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. ... Reconstructionist Judaism is a movement of Judaism with a very liberal set of beliefs: an individuals personal autonomy should generally override traditional Jewish law and custom, yet also take into account communal consensus, modern culture is accepted, traditional rabbinic modes of study, as well as modern scholarship and critical... Karaite Judaism is a Jewish denomination characterized by the sole reliance on the Tanakh as scripture, and the rejection of the Oral Law (the Mishnah and the Talmud) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ... Rabbinic Judaism (or in Hebrew Yahadut Rabanit - יהדות רבנית) is a Jewish denomination characterized by reliance on the written Torah as well as the Oral Law (the Mishnah, Talmuds and subsequent rabbinic decisions) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ... Jewish history is the history of the Jewish people, faith (Judaism) and culture. ... This is a timeline of the development of Judaism and the Jewish people. ... In compiling the history of ancient Israel and Judah, there are many available sources. ... Schisms among the Jews: // First Temple era Based on the historical narrative in the Bible and archeology, Levantine civilization at the time of Solomons Temple was prone to idol worship, astrology, worship of reigning kings, and paganism. ... Kingdom of Judah (Hebrew מַלְכוּת יְהוּדָה, Standard Hebrew Malḫut YÉ™huda, Tiberian Hebrew Malḵûṯ YÉ™hûḏāh) in the times of the Hebrew Bible, was the nation formed from the territories of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin after the Kingdom of Israel was divided, and was named after Judah... The Temple in Jerusalem or the Holy Temple (Hebrew: בית המקדש, transliterated Bet HaMikdash) was built in ancient Jerusalem in c. ... Babylonian captivity also refers to the permanence of the Avignon Papacy. ... The Hasmonean Kingdom (pronunciation) in ancient Judea and its ruling dynasty from 140 BCE to 37 BCE was established under the leadership of Simon Maccabaeus, two decades after Judah the Maccabee defeated the Seleucid army in 165 BCE. // Recorded history The origin of the Hasmonean dynasty is recorded in the... For the tractate in the Mishnah, see Sanhedrin (tractate). ... Jewish-Roman War can refer to several revolts by the Jews of Judea against the Roman Empire: The First Jewish-Roman War (66–73 CE), sometimes called the First Jewish Revolt. ... The Pharisees (from the Hebrew perushim, from parash, meaning to separate) were, depending on the time, a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews that flourished during the Second Temple Era (536 BCE–70 CE). ... The Jewish diaspora (Hebrew: Tefutzah, scattered, or Galut, exile) is the dispersion of the Jewish people throughout the world. ... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1901-1906 Jewish Encyclopedia Jews in the Middle Ages : The history of Jews in the Middle Ages (approximately 500 CE to 1750 CE) can be divided into two categories. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Haskalah (Hebrew: השכלה; enlightenment, intellect, from sekhel, common sense), the Jewish Enlightenment, was a movement among European Jews in the late 18th century that advocated adopting enlightenment values, pressing for better integration into European society, and increasing education in secular studies, Hebrew, and Jewish history. ... STOP THE WAR NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HIJOS DE PUTAAAAAAA ISRAEL=TERRORISTAS. WHAT IS THE WORLD AND THE AMERICANS DOING NOW? SEND THEM BACK TO AUSWITS ... Jewish philosophy refers to the conjunction between serious study of philosophy and Jewish theology. ... There are a number of basic Jewish principles of faith that were formulated by medieval rabbinic authorities. ... In Judaism, chosenness is the belief that the Jews are a chosen people: chosen to be in a covenant with God. ... Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ... At the bottom of the hands, the two letters on each hand combine to form יהוה (YHVH), the name of God. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is about the overall Jewish mysticisms tradition. ... Holocaust theology refers to a body of theological and philosophical debate, soul-searching, and analysis, with the subsequent related literature, that attempts to come to grips with various conflicting views about the role of God in this human world and the dark events of the European Holocaust that occurred during... The Jewish Messiah, (משיח) or Mashiah, Mashiach or Moshiach, has traditionally referred to a future Jewish king from the Davidic line who will be anointed (in Hebrew, mashiach -- משיח (messiah) means anointed with holy anointing oil) and inducted to rule the Jewish people. ... Jewish ethics stands at the intersection of Judaism and the Western philosophical tradition of ethics. ... The Hebrew term mussar, while literally derived from a word meaning tradition, usually refers to Jewish ethics in general, or (and more commonly) refers to the Jewish ethics education movement that developed in the 19th century Orthodox Jewish European community, particularly in Lithuania. ... Hasidic Philosophy or Chassidic philosophy or Hassidism, or Chassidus or Chassidut or Chasidut is the teachings and philosophy underlying the Hasidic Movement. ... The circled U indicates that this product is certified as kosher by the Orthodox Union (OU). ... Tzeniut (or Tznius or Tzniut) (Hebrew: צניעות, modesty) is a term used within Judaism. ... A minyan (Hebrew: plural minyanim) is traditionally a quorum of ten or more adult (over the age of Bar Mitzvah) male Jews for the purpose of communal prayer; a minyan is often held within a synagogue, but may be (and often is) held elsewhere. ... Tzedakah (Hebrew: צדקה) in Judaism, is the Hebrew term most commonly translated as charity, though it is based on a root meaning justice (צדק). According to Maimonides, there are eight levels of tzedakah in Jewish tradition, ranging from publicly giving funds, so that the donor and recipient both know who each other... Torah () is a Hebrew word meaning teaching, instruction, or law. It is the central and most important document of Judaism revered by Jews through the ages. ... Tanakh [תנ״ך] (also Tanach, IPA: or ) is an acronym that identifies the Hebrew Bible. ... The first page of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... The Zohar (Hebrew זהר Splendor, radiance) is widely considered the most important work of Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. ... The Kuzari is the most famous work by the medieval Spanish Jewish writer Yehuda Halevi. ... Humash or Chumash (Hebrew: חומש) is one name given to the Pentateuch in Judaism. ... The siddur (plural siddurim) is the prayerbook used by Jews over the world, containing a set order of daily prayers. ... The Mishneh Torah or Yad ha-Chazaka is a code of Jewish law by one of the most important Jewish authorities, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, better known as Maimonides or by the Hebrew abbreviation RaMBaM (usually written Rambam in English). ... Arbaah Turim (ארבעה טורים, Hebrew: Four columns - on the High Priests breastplate), also abbreviated as Tur, is an important work of Jewish law, composed by Rabbi Yaakov ben Asher (Spain, 1270 -c. ... The Shulkhan Arukh (Hebrew: Prepared Table), by Rabbi Yosef Karo is considered the most authoritative compilation of Jewish law since the Talmud. ... The Tosefta is a second compilation of oral law from the period of the Mishnah. ... Mishnah Berurah (Hebrew: Clarified Teaching) is a work of halakha (Jewish law) by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, better known as The Chofetz Chaim (Poland, 1838 - 1933). ... Rabbinic literature, in the broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of Judaisms rabbinic writing/s throughout history. ... Likkutei Amarim ( ליקוטי אמרים תניא, Hebrew, collection of statements), more commonly known as the Tanya, is an early work of Hasidic Judaism, written by Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi, the founder of the Chabad Lubavitch Hasidic dynasty, in 1797 CE. The name Tanya derives from the books first word, which is Aramaic... Midrash (Hebrew: מדרש; plural midrashim) is a Hebrew word referring to a method of exegesis of a Biblical text. ... A piyyut (plural piyyutim, Hebrew פיוט, IPA [pijút] and [pijutím]) is a Jewish liturgical poem, usually designated to be sung, chanted, or recited during religious services. ... Jerusalem (Hebrew: , Yerushaláyim or Yerushalaim; Arabic: , al-Quds; official Arabic in Israel: أورشليم القدس, Urshalim-Al-Quds) is Israels capital, most populous, [1] and largest city, with a population of 724,000 (as of May 24, 2006 [2]) contained in 123 km². An ancient Middle Eastern city on the watershed... A Safed neighbourhood Safed (Standard Hebrew צְפַת , commonly spelled Tzfat; Arabic: صفد ; KJV English Zephath) is a city in the North District in Israel. ... Hebron (Arabic al-ḪalÄ«l; Hebrew , Standard Hebrew Ḥevron, Tiberian Hebrew Ḥeḇrôn: derived from the word friend; ) is a town in the Southern Judea region of the West Bank. ... Tiberias in 1862, the ruins reminiscent of its ancient heritage. ... A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. ... Shabbat (שבת shabbāt, rest Hebrew, or Shabbos in Ashkenazic pronunciation), is the weekly day of rest in Judaism. ... This article is about the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. ... Yom Kippur (יום כיפור yom kippÅ«r) is the Jewish holiday of the Day of Atonement. ... Sukkot (סוכות or סֻכּוֹת sukkōt, booths) or Succoth or Sukkos is a Biblical pilgrimage festival which occurs in autumn on the 15th day of the month of Tishri (mid- to late-October). ... Simchat Torah (שמחת תורה) is a Hebrew term which means rejoicing with/of the Torah. It is a festivity that takes place on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, or Eighth (day) of Assembly, which falls immediately after the 7-day holiday of Sukkot in the autumn (mid- to late-October). ... For the Khazar ruler by this name, see Hanukkah (Khazar). ... Tenth of Tevet, in Hebrew asarah btevet, the tenth day of the Hebrew calendar month of Tevet, a minor fast day in Judaism. ... Tu Bishvat (or Tu BiShevat) (טו בשבט) is a minor Jewish holiday (meaning there are no restrictions on working) and one of the four Rosh Hashanahs (New Years) mentioned in the Mishnah, the basis of the Talmud. ... Purim (Hebrew: פורים Pûrîm Lots, from Akkadian pÅ«ru) is a joyous Jewish holiday that commemorates the deliverance of Persian Jews from the plot of the evil Haman to exterminate them, as recorded in the biblical Book of Esther. ... Passover (Hebrew: פסח; transliterated as Pesach or Pesah), also called ×—×’ המצות (Chag HaMatzot - Festival of Matzot) is a Jewish holiday which is celebrated in the spring. ... Shavuot, also spelled Shavuos (Hebrew: שבועות (Israeli Heb. ... Tisha BAv (תשעה באב tish‘āh bə-āḇ) means the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av, which is a month in the lunar calendar used for purposes of Jewish holidays, etc. ... The Three Pilgrim Festivals, known as the Shalosh Regalim in Hebrew, are three major festivals in Judaism when the Children of Israel living in ancient Israel and Judea, and later the Jews, were commanded by the Torah to make an actual physical pilgrimage to Jerusalem and participate in the festivities... Tomb of Abraham Abraham (between 2000 BC/BCE and 1500 BC/BCE) (Hebrew: אברהם, Standard Avraham Ashkenazi Avrohom or Avruhom Tiberian  ; Arabic: ابراهيم,  ; Geez: አብርሃም,  ; Father/Leader of many) is regarded as the founding patriarch of the Israelites whom God chose to bless out of all the families of the earth. ... It has been suggested that Ishaq be merged into this article or section. ... It has been suggested that Yaqub be merged into this article or section. ... The Twelve Tribes redirects here; for other uses, see The Twelve Tribes (disambiguation). ... Sara (שָׂרָה a woman of high rank, Standard Hebrew Sara, Tiberian Hebrew Śārāh, Arabic: سارة, Yiddish Shóre) is the wife of Abraham as described in the Hebrew Bible. ... Rebecca may mean: Rebecca (novel), a 1938 novel by Daphne du Maurier. ... Rachel (Hebrew: , Russian: , also spelled Rachael) Ewe, also innocence and gentility of a rose and may mean lovely. Standard Hebrew Raḥel, Tiberian Hebrew Rāḫēl, Rāḥēl) is the second and favorite wife of Jacob and mother of Joseph and Benjamin, first mentioned in the Book of Genesis of... Look up Leah, לֵאָה in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Moses or Móshe (מֹשֶׁה, Standard Hebrew, Tiberian Hebrew Mōšeh, Arabic موسى MÅ«sa, Geez ሙሴ Musse) is a legendary Hebrew liberator, leader, lawgiver, prophet, and historian, and also one of the greatest figures in Jewish history. ... For information on the nurse of Rebeccah, mentioned in Genesis, see Deborah (Genesis) Deborah or Dvora (דְּבוֹרָה Bee, Standard Hebrew DÉ™vora, Tiberian Hebrew Dəḇôrāh) was a prophetess and the fourth Judge and only female Judge of pre-monarchic Israel in the Old Testament (Tanakh). ... The Book of Ruth is one of the books of the Ketuvim of the Tanakh/Hebrew Bible and of the Writings of the Old Testament. ... David and Goliath by Caravaggio, c. ... Shlomo is a human beatbox from Leeds. ... Elijah (אֱלִיָּהוּ Whose/my God is the Lord, Standard Hebrew Eliyyáhu, Tiberian Hebrew ʾĔliyyāhû), also Elias (NT Greek Ἠλίας), is a prophet in the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. ... Hillel (הלל) was a famous Jewish religious leader who lived in Jerusalem during the time of King Herod; he is one of the most important figures in Judaic history, associated with the Mishnah and the Talmud. ... Shammai (50 BCE–30 CE) was a Jewish scholar of the 1st century, and an imporant figure in Judaisms core work of rabbinic literature, the Mishnah. ... Rashi Rashi רשי, an acronym for Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac (Hebrew: רבי שלמה בן יצחק) or Shlomo Yitzchaki, (February 22, 1040 – July 17, 1105) is one of Judaisms classic meforshim (Bible and Talmud commentators), and wrote the first comprehensive commentaries on the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) and Talmud. ... Rabbi Abraham Ben Meir Ibn Ezra (also known as Ibn Ezra, or Abenezra) (1092 or 1093-1167), was one of the most distinguished Jewish men of letters and writers of the Middle Ages. ... Rif mountains near Al Hoceima The Rif (Arif in Berber, er-Rif الريف in Arabic) is a mainly mountainous region of north Morocco, from Cape Spartel and Tangier in the west to Cape Tres Forcas and Melilla in the east, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the north to the river... Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Hebrew: רבי משה בן מיימון; Arabic: Mussa bin Maimun ibn Abdallah al-Kurtubi al-Israili; March 30, 1135—December 13, 1204), commonly known by his Greek name Maimonides, was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher. ... Nahmanides is the common name for Moshe ben Nahman Gerondi; the name is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Ben Nahman, meaning Son of Nahman. He is also commomly known as Ramban, being an acronym of his Hebrew name and title, Rabbi Moshe ben Nahman, and by his Catalan name... Levi ben Gershon (Levi son of Gerson), better known as Gersonides or the Ralbag (1288-1344), was a famous rabbi, philosopher, mathematician and Talmudic commentator. ... Saadia Ben Joseph Gaon (892-942), the Hebrew name of Said al-Fayyumi, was a rabbi who was also a prominent Jewish exilarch, philosopher, and exegete. ... Portrait of Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812) founder of Chabad Lubavitch and author of Tanya and Shulchan Aruch HaRav. ... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1901-1906 Jewish Encyclopedia Israel ben Eliezer Rabbi Israel (Yisroel) ben Eliezer (about 1700 Okopy Świętej Tr jcy - May 22, 1760 Międzyborz) was a Jewish Orthodox mystical rabbi who is better known to most religious Jews as the Baal Shem Tov, or... Tosafists were medieval rabbis who collected commentaries on the Talmud, and appear in virtually every edition since it was first printed. ... Rashi Rashi רשי, an acronym for Rabbi Solomon ben Isaac (Hebrew: רבי שלמה בן יצחק) or Shlomo Yitzchaki, (February 22, 1040 – July 17, 1105) is one of Judaisms classic meforshim (Bible and Talmud commentators), and wrote the first comprehensive commentaries on the Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) and Talmud. ... Joseph Albo was a Spanish rabbi, and theologian of the fifteenth century, known chiefly as the author of the work on the Jewish principles of faith, Ikkarim. ... Rabbi Yosef (Joseph) Karo is one of the most important leaders in the history of halakha (Jewish law). ... Bold textOvadia Yosef (born Abdullah Youssef in 1920) is an Israeli Orthodox Jewish rabbi, Talmud scholar and a recognized authority in halakha (Jewish Law). He is the former Sephardic chief rabbi of the State of Israel and is the current spiritual leader of the Shas political party in Israel. ... Asher ben Jehiel (or Rabeinu Osher ben Yechiel) (1250? 1259?-1328), an eminent rabbi and Talmudist often known by his Hebrew acronym the ROSH (literally Head), was born in western Germany and died in Toledo, Spain. ... Rabbi M.M. Schneerson The third Rebbe of the Chabad Lubavitch dynasty was also named Menachem Mendel Schneersohn (with a h) Menachem Mendel Schneerson (April 18, 1902-June 12, 1994), referred to by Lubavitchers as The Rebbe, was a prominent Orthodox Jewish rabbi who was the seventh and last Rebbe... Rabbi Moshe Feinstein Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986) was an Orthodox Rabbi who was world renowned for his expertise in halakha (Jewish Law) and was the de facto supreme rabbinic authority for the Orthodox Jewry of North America. ... The Jewish Messiah, (משיח) or Mashiah, Mashiach or Moshiach, has traditionally referred to a future Jewish king from the Davidic line who will be anointed (in Hebrew, mashiach -- משיח (messiah) means anointed with holy anointing oil) and inducted to rule the Jewish people. ... Brit milah (Hebrew: בְרִית מִילָה [bÉ™rÄ«t mÄ«lā] literally: covenant [of] circumcision), also berit milah (Sephardi), bris milah (Ashkenazi pronunciation) or bris (Yiddish) is a religious ceremony within Judaism that welcomes infant Jewish boys into a covenant between God and the Children of Israel through ritual circumcision performed by a... When a Jewish child reaches the age of maturity (12 years and one day for girls, 13 years and one day for boys) that child becomes responsible for him/herself under Jewish law; at this point a boy is said to become Bar Mitzvah (בר מצווה, son of the commandment... In Hebrew a shidduch or shiduch (שידוך, pl. ... Judaism considers marriage to be the ideal state of existence; a man without a wife, or a woman without a husband, are considered incomplete. ... Niddah (or nidah, nidda, nida; Hebrew), in Judaism, is technically a state of marital separation when a woman is menstruating and seven subsequent days until she immerses in a ritual bath known as a mikvah. ... Zeved habat (also written Zebed habat) (Hebrew זֶבֶד הַבָּת) is the mainly Sephardic naming ceremony for girls, corresponding in part to the non-circumcision part of the Brit milah ceremony for boys. ... Redemption of First-born (pidyon ha-ben in Hebrew), is an important ritual in Judaism. ... Bereavement in Judaism (אבלות aveilut - mourning) is a combination of minhag (traditional custom) and mitzvot (commandments) derived from Judaisms classical Torah and rabbinic texts. ... Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbÄ«;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbÄ«) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished, (in knowledge). In the ancient Judean schools (and among Sefaradim today) the sages... Rebbe which means master, teacher, or mentor is the pronunciation by Ahskenazic Jews of the Hebrew word רבי. Its transliteration should be Rebbi, but the i (eeh sound) is rarely stressed, rendering its pronounciation as the a in America, hence Rebbe. ... A hazzan (or chazzan, Hebrew for Cantor) is a Jewish musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the synagogue in songful prayer. ... A Rosh yeshiva (Hebrew: ראש ישיבה) (plural in Hebrew: Roshei yeshiva, but also referred to in the English form as Rosh yeshivas) is a rabbi who is the academic head, or rosh (ראש), of a yeshiva (ישיבה), a college of higher Talmudic study. ... Even in death, many kohanim choose to have this symbol, the special positioning of their fingers and hands during the Priestly Blessing, placed as a crest or symbol on their gravestones to indicate their status. ... A Rosh yeshiva (Hebrew: ראש ישיבה) (plural in Hebrew: Roshei yeshiva, but also referred to in the English form as Rosh yeshivas) is a rabbi who is the academic head, or rosh (ראש), of a yeshiva (ישיבה), a college of higher Talmudic study. ... A Gabbai (Hebrew: גבאי) is a person who assists in the running of a synagogue and ensures that the Jewish prayers run smoothly that and other needs are met. ... A mohel (מוהל also moel) is a Jewish ritual circumciser who performs a brit milah ritual circumcision on the penis of a male who is to enter the Jewish covenant. ... A Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbī; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbī) is a religious Jewish scholar who is an expert in Jewish law. ... Rosh yeshiva (Hebrew: ראש ישיבה) (pl. ... The Temple in Jerusalem or the Holy Temple (Hebrew: בית המקדש, transliterated Bet HaMikdash) was built in ancient Jerusalem in c. ... Lesko synagogue, Poland A synagogue (Hebrew: בית כנסת ; beit knesset, house of assembly; Yiddish: שול, shul) is a Jewish place of religious worship. ... Pool of a medieval mikvah in Speyer, dating back to 1128 First room in the medieval mikvah in Speyer Mikvah (or mikveh) (Hebrew: מִקְוָה; Tiberian Miqwāh, Standard Hebrew Miqva) (plural, mikvaot) is a ritual bath used for immersion in a purification ceremony within Judaism. ... Sukkot (סוכות or סֻכּוֹת sukkōt, booths) or Succoth is an 8-day Biblical pilgrimage festival, also known as the Feast of Booths, the Feast of Tabernacles, or Tabernacles. ... Jewish services are the prayers recited as part of observance of Judaism. ... Jewish services are the communal prayer recitations which form part of the observance of Judaism. ... Jewish services are the prayers recited as part of observance of Judaism. ... Jewish services are the prayers recited as part of observance of Judaism. ... Jewish services are the communal prayer recitations which form part of the observance of Judaism. ... Jewish services are the communal prayer recitations which form part of the observance of Judaism. ... Havdalah, also spelled Habdalah or Havdala, is a Jewish ceremony that formally concludes the Shabbat (weekly day of rest) and Yom Tov (Jewish holidays). ... The tallit (Modern Hebrew: ) or tallet(h) (Sephardi Hebrew: ), also called talles (Yiddish), is a prayer shawl cloak that is worn during the morning Jewish services (the Shacharit prayers) in Judaism, during the Torah service, and on Yom Kippur. ... Tefillin (Hebrew: תפלין), also called phylacteries, are either of two boxes containing Biblical verses and black, leather straps attached to them which are used in rabbinic Jewish prayer. ... A yarmulke (also yarmulka, yarmelke) (Yiddish יאַרמלקע yarmlke) or Kippah (Hebrew כִּפָּה kippāh, plural kippot) is a thin, usually slightly rounded cloth cap worn by Jews. ... A kittel (Yiddish: קיתל, robe) is a white robe worn on special occasions by religious Jews. ... Tzitzit (Ashkenazi pronunciation: tzitzis) are fringes or tassles (Hebrew: ציצת (Biblical), ציצית (Mishnaic)) found on a tallit worn by observant Jews as part of practicing Judaism. ... Mezuzah (מזוזה literally means a doorpost in Hebrew, plural: mezuzot) refers to one of the 613 commandments in Judaism, which requires that a small parchment (klaf) inscribed with two sections from the Torahs Book of Deuteronomy (6:4-9 and 11:13-21) be affixed to each doorpost and gate... Yarmulke and Menorah from the Harry S Truman collection The menorah, one of Judaisms oldest symbols, is a seven-branched candelabrum or oil lamp. ... A shofar in the Yemenite Jewish style. ... Tzitzit (Ashkenazi pronunciation: tzitzis) are fringes or tassles (Hebrew: ציצת (Biblical), ציצית (Mishnaic)) found on a tallit worn by observant Jews as part of practicing Judaism. ... The rabbi of Zidichov waving The Lulav Lulav (Hebrew: לולב) is a ripe, green, closed frond of the date palm tree. ... Etrog (Hebrew: אתרוג) is one of several varieties of citron, a citrus fruit of the orange and lemon family (). It is one of the Four Species used in a special waving ceremony during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. ... Sefer Torah being read during weekday service. ... Listed below are some Hebrew prayers and blessings that are part of Judaism that are recited by many Jews. ... Shema Yisrael (or Shma Yisroel or just Shema) (Hebrew: שמע ישראל; Hear, [O] Israel) are the first two words of a section of the Torah (Hebrew Bible) that is used as a centerpiece of all morning and evening Jewish prayer services and closely echoes the monotheistic message of Judaism. ... The Amidah (Standing), also called the Shemoneh Esreh (The Eighteen), is the central prayer in the Jewish liturgy that observant Jews recite each morning, afternoon, and evening. ... Aleinu is a Jewish prayer found in the siddur, the classical Jewish prayerbook. ... () Kol Nidre (ashk. ... Kaddish (קדיש Aramaic: holy) refers to an important and central blessing in the Jewish prayer service. ... Hallel (Hebrew: הלל Praise [God]) is part of Judaisms prayers, a verbatim recitation from Psalms 113-118, which is used for praise and thanksgiving that is recited by observant Jews on Jewish holidays. ... Ma Tovu (Hebrew for O How Good or How Goodly) is a prayer in Judaism, expressing reverence and awe for synagogues and other places of worship. ... Comparing and contrasting Judaism and Christianity suggests that Judaism and Christianity are not necessarily part of the same Judeo-Christian tradition. ... Judeo-Christian (or Judaeo-Christian) is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, and typically considered (along with classical Greco-Roman civilization) a fundamental basis for Western legal codes and moral values. ... This article deals with Jewish views of religious pluralism. ... This article on relations between Catholicism and Judaism deals with the current relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and Judaism, focusing on changes over the last fifty years, and especially during the pontificate of Pope John Paul II. // The Second Vatican Council Throughout history accusations of anti-Semitism have resounded... In recent years there has been much to note in the way of reconciliation between some Christian groups and the Jewish people. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The term Judeo-Islamic refers to the mutual and interacting cultural influences that existed between the predominantly Muslim society of the Middle East, North Africa, and to some degree, India, and the Jewish minority that lived within that society. ... map showing the prevalence of Abrahamic (purple) and Dharmic (yellow) religions in each country. ... Latter-day Saints (commonly known as Mormons) believe themselves to be either direct descendants of the Israelites, or adopted into the House of Israel. ... The Seven Noahide Laws (Hebrew: שבע מצוות בני × ×— Å baˤ miÅŸwōt bnÄ“-Noḥ), also called the Brit Noah (Covenant of Noah) mitzvot (commandments) and halakhot (laws) that are morally binding on non-Jews. ... Alternative Judaism refers to several varieties of modern Judaism which fall outside the common Orthodox/Non-Orthodox (Reform/Conservative/Reconstructionist) classification of the four major streams of todays Judaism. ... Hebrew (עִבְרִית or עברית, ‘Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Jewish communities around the world. ... Hebrew (עִבְרִית or עברית, ‘Ivrit) is a Semitic language of the Afro-Asiatic language family spoken by more than seven million people in Israel and Jewish communities around the world. ... Haredi or Charedi Judaism, often referred to as Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ... The definition of continental subregions in use by the United Nations. ...


Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer (1698–1760), also known as the Ba'al Shem Tov [1], founded Hasidic Judaism. It originated 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 met with opposition from several contemporary leaders, most notably the Vilna Gaon, leader of the Lithuanian Jews, united as the misnagdim—literally meaning "those who stand opposite". Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbÄ«;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbÄ«) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished, (in knowledge). In the ancient Judean schools (and among Sefaradim today) the sages... Rabbi Israel (Yisroel) ben Eliezer (רבי ישראל בן אליעזר, c. ... Rabbi Israel (Yisroel) ben Eliezer (רבי ישראל בן אליעזר, c. ... This article describes some ethnic, historic, and cultural aspects of the Jewish identity; for a consideration of the Jewish religion, refer to the article Judaism. ... The first page of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... Spirituality, in a narrow sense, concerns itself with matters of the spirit. ... Elijah Ben Solomon, the Vilna Gaon The Vilna Gaon (April 23, 1720 – October 9, 1797) was a prominent Jewish rabbi, Talmud scholar, and Kabbalist. ... Lithuanian Jews (in Yiddish known as Litvish or Litvaks) are Ashkenazi Jews who were historically associated with Lithuania. ... Mitnagdim (also: misnagdim) is a Hebrew word (מתנגדים) meaning opponents; this term was used to refer to European religious Jews who opposed Hasidic Judaism. ...

Contents


History

Prelude

In Poland, where the bulk of Jewry had established itself since the sixteenth century, the struggle between traditional Rabbinic Judaism and radical Kabbalah-influenced mysticism became particularly acute after the Messianic movement of Sabbatai Zevi in the 17th century. Leanings toward mystical doctrines and sectarianism showed themselves prominently among the Jews of the south-eastern provinces of Poland, while in the north-eastern provinces, in Lithuania, and in White Russia, rabbinical orthodoxy held sway. Jews who follow this tradition are called Litvish (Lithuanian). In part, this division in modes of thought reflected social differences between the northern (Lithuanian) Jews and the southern Jews of Ukraine. In Lithuania the Jewish masses mainly lived in densely-populated towns where rabbinical academic culture (in the yeshivot) flourished; while in Ukraine the Jews tended to live scattered in villages far removed from intellectual centers. (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... Rabbinic Judaism (or in Hebrew Yahadut Rabanit - יהדות רבנית) is a Jewish denomination characterized by reliance on the written Torah as well as the Oral Law (the Mishnah, Talmuds and subsequent rabbinic decisions) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ... This article is about the overall Jewish mysticisms tradition. ... Mysticism from the Greek μυστικός (mystikos) an initiate (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (mysteria) meaning initiation[1]) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is an... Sabbatai Zevi, (שבתאי צבי Shabtai Tzvi in Hebrew) (also known as Shabbethai, Shabbetai, Sabbetai, or Shabtai; Zvi or Tzvi) (July 23, 1626–possibly September 30, 1676) was a claimed Messiah and Kabbalist. ... The banner of White Ruthenia White Russia is a name that was historically applied to different regions in Eastern Europe, most often to the region that roughly corresponds to the present-day Belarus. ... Lithuanian Jews, (In Yiddish known as Litvish or Litvaks) are Ashkenazi Jews who have their origins in historic Lithuania. ... Yeshiva or yeshivah (Hebrew: ישיבה pl. ...


Pessimism in the south became more intense after the Cossacks' Uprising (1648 - 1654) under Bohdan Chmielnicki and the turbulent times in Poland (1648 - 1660), which completely ruined the Jewry of Ukraine, but left comparatively untouched that of Lithuania. The economic and spiritual decline of the Jews of what became southern Russia created a favorable field for mystical movements and religious sectarianism, which spread in the area from the middle of the seventeenth to the middle of the eighteenth century. Chmielnicki Uprising or Chmielnicki Rebellion is the name of a civil war in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the years 1648–1654. ... Bohdan Zynovii Mykhailovych Khmelnytskyi (Богдан Зиновій Михайлович Хмельницький in Ukrainian, commonly transliterated as Khmelnytsky; known in Polish as Bogdan Zenobi Chmielnicki; in Russian as Bohdan Khmelnitsky) ( 1595 – August 6, 1657) was a Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth noble of Polish or Ruthenian origin, leader of the Zaporozhian Cossack Hetmanate, hetman of Ukraine, noted for... Combatants Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and allies Sweden and allies Commanders Jan Kazimierz of Poland Charles X of Sweden Strength Casualties This article is about the history of Poland. ...


Besides these influences, deeply-seated causes 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 a 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, did not suit the bulk of the Jews. Rabbinic Judaism (or in Hebrew Yahadut Rabanit - יהדות רבנית) is a Jewish denomination characterized by reliance on the written Torah as well as the Oral Law (the Mishnah, Talmuds and subsequent rabbinic decisions) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ... Mysticism from the Greek μυστικός (mystikos) an initiate (of the Eleusinian Mysteries, μυστήρια (mysteria) meaning initiation[1]) is the pursuit of achieving communion or identity with, or conscious awareness of, ultimate reality, the divine, spiritual truth, or God through direct experience, intuition, or insight; and the belief that such experience is an... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ...


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. It aimed 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

A claimed portrait of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism.
A claimed portrait of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism.

The founder of Hasidism, Israel ben Eliezer, also became known under the title of the "Master of the Good Name" (the Ba'al Shem Tov, abbreviated 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 allegedly could successfully predict the future. Israel Ben Eliezer This image is in the public domain because its copyright has expired in the United States and those countries with a copyright term of life of the author plus 100 years or more. ... Rabbi Israel (Yisroel) ben Eliezer (רבי ישראל בן אליעזר, c. ... Rabbi Israel (Yisroel) ben Eliezer (רבי ישראל בן אליעזר, c. ...


To the common people, the Besht appeared wholly 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 consisted not only of religious scholarship, but also of 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 the Besht not only the common people, but also the scholars whom the rabbinical scholasticism and ascetic Kabbalah failed to satisfy. Maria Magdalene in prayer. ... Scholasticism comes from the Latin word scholasticus, which means that [which] belongs to the school, and is the school of philosophy taught by the academics (or schoolmen) of medieval universities circa 1100–1500. ... This article is about the overall Jewish mysticisms tradition. ...


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 spread by oral transmission; later the founder's disciples set them in writing, developing the disjointed thoughts of their master into a system. The Besht himself did not write anything. As a mystic by nature, he regarded his teachings as a prophetic revelation. Historical arms of Podilia The region of Podolia (also spelt Podilia or Podillya) is a historical region in the west-central and south-west portions of present-day Ukraine, corresponding to Khmelnytskyi Oblast and Vinnytsia Oblast. ...


The spread of Hasidism

Israel ben Eliezer's disciples attracted many followers; they themselves established numerous Hasidic courts across Europe. After the Besht's death, followers continued his cause, 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. World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of Earth; the term continent here referring to a cultural and political distinction, rather than a physiographic one, thus leading to various perspectives about Europes precise borders. ... Rabbi Dov Ber of Mezeritch (דב בער ממזריטש) (1704/1710 (?) – December 15, 1772) was the primary disciple of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, the founder of Hasidic Judaism. ... Coat-of-arms of Galicia Galicia is a historical region currently split between Poland and Ukraine. ... A common understanding of Western Europe in modern times. ...

Hasidim at a 1923 Rabbinical conference in Marienbad (Now Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic)
Hasidim at a 1923 Rabbinical conference in Marienbad (Now Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic)

Hasidism gradually branched out into two main divisions: (1) in Ukraine and in Galicia and (2) in Lithuania. Three disciples of Dov Ber of Mezeritch (Elimelech of Lezhinsk, Levi Yitzchak of Berdichev, and Menachem Nahum of Chernobyl), besides the grandson of the Besht, Baruch of Tulchin, directed the first of these divisions. Elimelech of Lezhinsk affirmed belief in Tzaddikism as a fundamental doctrine of Hasidism. In his book No'am Elimelekh he conveys the idea of the Tzadik ("righteous one") as the mediator between God and the common people, and suggests 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 Hasidism. Image File history File links Hasidim_Hungary. ... Image File history File links Hasidim_Hungary. ... Rabbi Elimelech of Lezhinsk (or Lijensk) (in Polish: Leżajsk) (1717-1786) was one of the great Hassidic rebbes of the past. ... The front page of a copy of Kedushas Levi printed in 1861 Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (1740-1810), known as the Berdichever rebbe was a rabbi and Hasidic leader, and one of the most beloved figures of Eastern European Jewry. ... Chernobyl area. ... Tzadik - צדיק (plural: Tzadikkim) is the Hebrew word for righteous one, and is a title which is generally given to those whom are considered to be righteous such as a spiritual master or Rebbe. ... Portrait of Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812) founder of Chabad Lubavitch and author of Tanya and Shulchan Aruch HaRav. ... Belarus, where Lubavitch originated Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994) the seventh Rebbe of Chabad Lubavitch. ...


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 became hereditary. A multiplicity of Hasidic dynasties contested for supremacy. Rebbe which means master, teacher, or mentor is the pronunciation by Ahskenazic Jews of the Hebrew word רבי. Its transliteration should be Rebbi, but the i (eeh sound) is rarely stressed, rendering its pronounciation as the a in America, hence Rebbe. ...


Opposition

Early on, a serious schism evolved between the Hasidic and non-Hasidic Jews. The Hasidim dubbed European Jews who rejected the Hasidic movement as Misnagdim. Critics of Hasidic Judaism: World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of Earth; the term continent here referring to a cultural and political distinction, rather than a physiographic one, thus leading to various perspectives about Europes precise borders. ... Mitnagdim (also: misnagdim) is a Hebrew word (מתנגדים) meaning opponents; this term was used to refer to European religious Jews who opposed Hasidic Judaism. ...

  • decried the novel Hasidic emphasis on different aspects of Jewish law;
  • found even more problematic the overwhelming exuberance of Hasidic worship;
  • distrusted as non-traditional Hasidic ascriptions of infallibility and Miracle-working to their leaders;
  • expressed concern that Hasidism 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 Misnagdim and the most famous opponent of Hasidism
The Vilna Gaon, the head of the Misnagdim and the most famous opponent of Hasidism

Some other important differences between Hasidim and Misnagdim included: Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ... According to many religions, a miracle, derived from the old Latin word miraculum meaning something wonderful, is a striking interposition of divine intervention by God in the universe by which the ordinary course and operation of Nature is overruled, suspended, or modified. ... Sabbatai Zevi, also transliterated Shabbethai, Shabbetai, Sabbetai, or Shabtai; Zvi or Tzvi (July 23, 1626–possibly September 30, 1676) was a famous claimed Messiah and Kabbalist. ... Jacob Frank (1726-1791) was a Jewish merchant who claimed to be the messiah. ... PUBLIC famous sketch of the Vilna Gaon with Tefilin and Talit in typical scholarly pose. ... PUBLIC famous sketch of the Vilna Gaon with Tefilin and Talit in typical scholarly pose. ... Elijah Ben Solomon, the Vilna Gaon The Vilna Gaon (April 23, 1720 – October 9, 1797) was a prominent Jewish rabbi, Talmud scholar, and Kabbalist. ...

  • 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.
  • Hasidic philosophy (Chassidus) holds as a core belief that God permeates all physical objects in nature, including all living beings. This belief is understood by Hasidim in a non-pantheistic way, saying only that God is the animating force behind the universe. However many of the Hasidic teachings if taken literally and not in the way that those teachings are explained, can be misunderstood as pantheism. In opposition many Jewish religious rationalists viewed these writings literally, and their pantheistic understanding of them as being a violation against the Maimonidean principle of faith that God is not physical, and thus was seen as heretical.
  • Hasidism 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 Misnagdim 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, a rapprochement occurred between Hasidic Jews and those who would soon become known as Orthodox Jews. The reconciliation took place in response to the perceived even greater threat of the Haskala, or Jewish Enlightenment. Since then Orthodox Judaism, and particularly Haredi Judaism, has subsumed all the sects of Hasidic Judaism. Saadia Ben Joseph Gaon (892-942), the Hebrew name of Said al-Fayyumi, was a rabbi who was also a prominent Jewish exilarch, philosopher, and exegete. ... Emunoth ve-Deoth (אמונות ודעות; Hebrew: Beliefs and Opinions) written by Rabbi Saadia Gaon - originally Kitab al-Amanat wal-ltikadat (Book of the Articles of Faith and Doctrines of Dogma) - was the first systematic presentation and philosophic foundation of the dogmas of Judaism. ... Pantheism (Greek: pan = all and Theos = God) literally means God is All and All is God. It is the view that everything is of an all-encompassing immanent God; or that the universe, or nature, and God are equivalent. ... Pantheism (Greek: pan = all and Theos = God) literally means God is All and All is God. It is the view that everything is of an all-encompassing immanent God; or that the universe, or nature, and God are equivalent. ... Commonly used image indicating one artists conception of Maimonidess appearance Maimonides (March 30, 1135–December 13, 1204) was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher in Spain and Egypt during the Middle Ages. ... Cherem (or Herem), is the highest ecclesiastical censure in the Jewish community. ... Orthodox Judaism is the stream of Judaism which adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmud (The Oral Law) and later codified in the Shulkhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law). It is governed by these works and the Rabbinical commentary... This article incorporates text from the public domain 1901-1906 Jewish Encyclopedia Haskalah (from the Hebrew word sekhel, meaning intellect) was the movement among European Jews in the late 18th century that advocated adopting enlightenment values, pressing for better integration into European society, and increasing secular knowledge, Hebrew language, and... Orthodox Judaism is the stream of Judaism which adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmud (The Oral Law) and later codified in the Shulkhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law). It is governed by these works and the Rabbinical commentary... Haredi or Charedi Judaism, often referred to as Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. ...


Recent History

The Bolshevik revolution and the rise of Communism saw the disintegration of the Hasidic centers in Ukraine such as Chabad, Breslov, and the dynasties of Chernobyl and Ruzhin. The Holocaust brought final destruction to all Hasidic centers of Eastern Europe. Survivors moved to Israel or to America, and established new centers of Hasidic Judaism modeled after their original communities. Some of the larger and more well-known Hasidic sects still extant include Breslov, Lubavitch (Chabad), Satmar, Ger, Belz, Bobov, Skver, Vizhnitz, Sanz (Klausenberg), Puppa, Munkacz, and Spinka Hasidim. Leaders of the Bolshevik Party and the Communist International, a painting by Malcolm McAllister on the Pathfinder Mural in New York City and on the cover of the book Lenin’s Final Fight published by Pathfinder. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of Earth; the term continent here referring to a cultural and political distinction, rather than a physiographic one, thus leading to various perspectives about Europes precise borders. ... This article is about the country in North America. ... Breslov is a branch of Hasidic Judaism founded by Rebbe Nachman of Breslov (1772-1810) a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov, founder of Hasidism. ... Chabad Lubavitch, also known as Lubavitch Chabad, is a large branch of Hasidic Judaism. ... Satmar is the largest Hasidic group in existence today. ... Ger, or Gur (or Gerrer when used as an adjective) is a large Hasidic dynasty originating from Gur, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland. ... The third Belzer Rebbe, Yissachar Dov Rokeach Belz (חסידות בעלז) is a Hasidic dynasty named after the town of Belz, a small town originally located in eastern Poland, presently in Ukraine. ... Bobov is a Hasidic group within Judaism with its headquarters in the neighborhood of Borough Park in Brooklyn, New York. ... Skver (also Skvir or Square) is a Hasidic group that originated in the Ukrainian city of Skvira. ... Vizhnitz or Vizhnitzer Hasidim are a Haredi group of Hasidic Jews. ... The Sanz dynasty was founded by Rav Chaim Halberstam, author of Divrei Chaim and a son-in-law of Rav Boruch Frankel Thumim, who wrote Boruch Taam. ... Puppa is the name of a Hasidic group within Judaism. ... The Rebbe of Munkacz (or Munkatch), Rabbi Chaim Elazar Shapiro (who led the community from 1913 until his death in 1937) was the most outspoken voice of religious anti-Zionism. ... Spinka is the name of a Hasidic group within Orthodox Judaism. ...


The largest groups in Israel today are Ger, Belz, Satmar, Breslov, Vizhnitz, Seret, Nadvorna, and Toldos Aharon. In the United States the largest are Lubavitch, Satmar, Skver, and Bobov, all centered in Brooklyn, New York. Large Hasidic communities also exist in Rockland County, New York; Montreal; Toronto; London; Antwerp; and Melbourne. Bobov is a Hasidic group within Judaism with its headquarters in the neighborhood of Borough Park in Brooklyn, New York. ... A map of New York City, highlighting Brooklyn. ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... Rockland County is a county located in the state of New York. ... City motto: Concordia Salus (Latin: Well-being through harmony) Province Québec Mayor Gérald Tremblay Area  - % water 366. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom. ... The Cathedral of our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp) in the Handschoenmarkt, in the old quarter of Antwerp is the largest cathedral in the Low Countries and home to several triptychs by Baroque painter Rubens. ... Melbourne (pronounced either or [1]) is the state capital and largest city in the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-largest city in Australia, with a population of approximately 3. ...


Many Hasidim remained in the Soviet Union (primarily in Russia), intent on preserving Judaism as a religion in the face of increasing Soviet opposition. With yeshivot and instruction in Hebrew outlawed, synagogues seized by the government and transformed into secular community centers, and Jewish circumcision forbidden to all members of the Communist Party, most Hasidim took part in the general Jewish religious underground movement. Many became so-called "wandering clerics," travelling from village to village and functioning as chazzanim, shochetim, mohels, and rabbis wherever such services were needed. These figures were often imprisoned and sometimes executed. Yeshiva or yeshivah (Hebrew: ישיבה pl. ... It has been suggested that Circumcision advocacy be merged into this article or section. ... A hazzan or chazzan (Hebrew for cantor) is a Jewish musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the synagogue in songful prayer. ... Shechita Shechita (Hebrew ) is the ritual slaughter of animals, as prescribed for slaughter of mammals and birds according to Jewish dietary laws. ... A mohel (מוהל also moel) is a Jewish ritual circumciser who performs a brit milah ritual circumcision on the penis of a male who is to enter the Jewish covenant. ... Rabbi (Classical Hebrew רִבִּי ribbī;; modern Ashkenazi and Israeli רַבִּי rabbī) in Judaism, means teacher, or more literally great one. The word Rabbi is derived from the Hebrew root-word RaV, which in biblical Hebrew means great or distinguished, (in knowledge). In the ancient Judean schools (and among Sefaradim today) the sages...


Today, Matisyahu, a Lubavitcher Hasidic Jew, is thriving in the music industry. His combination of reggae music and religious lyrics are changing the genre of reggae. However, his music is primarily meant for non-religious Jews as a means of bringing them closer to Judaism; it is not widely listened to by Hasidic Jews. For the 2nd century Jewish high priest of the Maccabees, see Mattathias. ...


Religious practice and culture

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 the 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." Panentheism (Greek words: pan=all, en=in and Theos=God; all-in-God) is the view that God is immanent within all Creation or that God is the animating force behind the universe. ... God is the deity believed by monotheists to be the supreme reality. ...

A Hasidic celebration in Borough Park, New York
A Hasidic celebration in Borough Park, New York

Devekut (communion) refers to the belief that an unbroken intercourse takes place between the world of God and the world of humanity. 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. Image File history File linksMetadata Hasidic_Celebration. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Hasidic_Celebration. ... Borough Park street covered with snow. ...


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. The first page of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ...


For a more detailed treatment see Hasidic philosophy Hasidic Philosophy or Chassidic philosophy or Hassidism, or Chassidus or Chassidut or Chasidut is the teachings and philosophy underlying the Hasidic Movement. ...


Liturgy and prayer

The Zidichov'er Rebbe Praying
The Zidichov'er Rebbe Praying
The Tosher Rebbe concentrating on prayer
The Tosher Rebbe concentrating on prayer

Most Hasidim pray according to the Nusach Sepharad (prayer style), a blend of Ashkenazi and Sephardi liturgies, based on the innovations of Rabbi Isaac Luria (also known as the Arizal). In regard to dialect, the Hasidim pray in very strong Ashkenazi Hebrew that contains many nuances picked up from Yiddish. This dialect has nothing to do with Hasidism in its origins, nor was it chosen deliberately: it just happens to be the Yiddish dialect of the places from which most Hasidim originally came. Image File history File links The_rabbi_praying. ... Image File history File links The_rabbi_praying. ... The present Rebbe, Naftali Tzvi Labin of Zidichov Zidichov is a Hasidic dynasty from Galicia (a province of the former Austro-Hungarian Empire) founded by Rebbe Tzvi Hirsh of Zidichov. ... Rebbe which means master, teacher, or mentor is the pronunciation by Ahskenazic Jews of the Hebrew word רבי. Its transliteration should be Rebbi, but the i (eeh sound) is rarely stressed, rendering its pronounciation as the a in America, hence Rebbe. ... The Tosher Rebbe of Montreal, Canada. ... The Tosher Rebbe of Montreal, Canada. ... Grand Rebbe Meshulam Feish Segal-Loewy of Tosh Tosh is a Hassidic Dynasty originating in Tausch, Hungary. ... Rebbe which means master, teacher, or mentor is the pronunciation by Ahskenazic Jews of the Hebrew word רבי. Its transliteration should be Rebbi, but the i (eeh sound) is rarely stressed, rendering its pronounciation as the a in America, hence Rebbe. ... Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim (אַשְׁכֲּנָזִי אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים Standard Hebrew, AÅ¡kanazi,AÅ¡kanazim, Tiberian Hebrew, ʾAÅ¡kănāzî, ʾAÅ¡kănāzîm, pronounced sing. ... Sephardim (ספרדי, Standard Hebrew SÉ™fardi, Tiberian Hebrew ardî; plural Sephardim: ספרדים, Standard Hebrew Sfaradim, Tiberian Hebrew ) are a subgroup of Jews, generally defined in contrast to Ashkenazim and/or . ... The Grave of Isaac Luria in Safed Rabbi Isaac Luria (1534–July 25, 1572) was a Jewish scholar and mystic. ... The Ashkenazi Hebrew language is a descendant of Biblical Hebrew favored for liturgical use by Ashkenazi Jewish practice. ... Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ...


Hasidic prayer has a distinctive accompaniment of 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 also has a reputation for taking a very long time (although some groups do pray quickly). Some very pious Hasidim will spend seven seconds of concentration of every single word of the prayer of Amidah. Nigun (pl. ... The Amidah (Standing), also called the Shemoneh Esreh (The Eighteen), is the central prayer in the Jewish liturgy that observant Jews recite each morning, afternoon, and evening. ...


Hasidim have a reputation 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 Hasidic practice involves 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 allotted time. The Kotzker Rebbe allegedly originated this practice. Halakha (Hebrew: הלכה; also transliterated as Halakhah, Halacha, Halakhot and Halachah) is the collective corpus of Jewish religious law, including biblical law (the 613 mitzvot) and later talmudic and rabbinic law as well as customs and traditions. ...


Dress

Hasidim have a reputation for their distinctive attire. Within the Hasidic world, one can distinguish different groups by subtle differences in appearance. Many of the details of their dress are not peculiar to Hasidim, and are shared by many non-Hasidic Haredim. Much of their dress was historically the clothing of all Eastern-European Jews before and after the start of the Hasidic movement. However, it is mainly the Hasidim who have continued with these styles to this day, although many non-Hasidic Haredim do also don such clothing. Furthermore, Hasidim have attributed mystical intents to these clothing styles.


Hasidic men most commonly wear all black with a white shirt. On the Shabbat they wear a long black silk or satin (or similar of a cheaper material, such as polyester) robe called a bekishe, with which they use a gartel (a type of prayer belt). A Hasidic Rebbe on the Sabbath traditionally wears a white bekishe rather than a black one, but this practice is no longer followed today, save for some Rebbes of Jerusalem based Hasidic sects such as Toldos Aharon and Lelov, and by Hungarian sects such as Tosh and Satmar. Many Hasidic Rebbs wear a bekishe that is lined with velvet (known as strokes or samet). Shabbat (שבת shabbāt, rest Hebrew, or Shabbos in Ashkenazic pronunciation), is the weekly day of rest in Judaism. ... Look up Satin in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Hasidic bekishe. A bekishe is a long coat, usually made of black silk or polyester worn by Hassidic Jews. ... The Hasidic Gartel The Gartel is a belt used by Hasidic Jews during prayer. ... Rebbe which means master, teacher, or mentor is the pronunciation by Ahskenazic Jews of the Hebrew word רבי. Its transliteration should be Rebbi, but the i (eeh sound) is rarely stressed, rendering its pronounciation as the a in America, hence Rebbe. ... Shabbat (שבת shabbāt, rest Hebrew, or Shabbos in Ashkenazic pronunciation), is the weekly day of rest in Judaism. ... The Rebbe of Toldos Aharon Toldos Aharon is the most devout Hasidic sect to date. ... History Lelov is a Hasidic dynasty which began with Rabbi David Biderman (1746-1814) of Lelov. ... Grand Rebbe Meshulam Feish Segal-Loewy of Tosh Tosh is a Hassidic Dynasty originating in Tausch, Hungary. ... Satmar is the largest Hasidic group in existence today. ...


Some Hasidim wear an overcoat known as rezhvolkes over the regular bekishe. A Rebbe's rezhvolkes might be lined with velvet. Some Rebbes wear a fur-lined rezhvolkes known as a tilep. The fur is referred to as peltz.


In many other Hasidic sects the Rebbe wears a white, gold, or other coloured "tish bekishe" only during the "Tish" or during the prayers that come right before or after the "tish". In many others no colored bekishe other than black is worn at all. Tish (טיש) (or Tisch), literally means a table in Yiddish. ...

Dombrover Rebbe of Monsey with the Nadvorna Rebbe. Note the pelz, or fur coat, worn by the rebbes.
Dombrover Rebbe of Monsey with the Nadvorna Rebbe. Note the pelz, or fur coat, worn by the rebbes.

Contrary to popular belief, Hasidic dress has little or nothing to do with the way Polish nobles once dressed. The Emancipation movement originated this myth in the late 19th century in an attempt to induce younger Jews to abandon the outfit. Interestingly, secular Yiddish writers of old, living in Eastern Europe (Sholom Aleichem, for example) appear to have no knowledge of the "Polish origin" of the dress. Likewise, numerous Slavic sources from the 15th century onwards refer to the "Jewish Kaftan". The Tsarist edict of the mid-19th century banning Jewish outfits mentions the "Jewish Kaftan" and "Jewish hat" - as a result of this edict Hasidim modified their dress in the Russian Empire and generally abandoned sidelocks. Modern Chabad Lubavitch dress - where the Prince Albert frock-coat substitutes for the bekishe - reflects this change. Image File history File linksMetadata Dombrovnadvorna. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Dombrovnadvorna. ... Nadvorna (Ukrainian: Надвірна; Polish: Nadwórna; Russian: Надворная; also known a Nadwirna, Nadvirna, and Nadvornaya) is a city located in the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. ... Polish szlachcic. ... Dates of Jewish emancipation. ... Sholom Aleichem listens Sholom Aleichem This article is about the writer. ... Within Jewish religious culture, used to refer to the sideburns of a man. ... Belarus, where Lubavitch originated Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (1902-1994) the seventh Rebbe of Chabad Lubavitch. ... Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (in full Francis Charles Augustus Albert Emmanuel) (26 August 1819 – 14 December 1861) was the husband and consort of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. ... Corporal in a nine-button frock coat, 1862 A frock coat is a mens coat introduced in the early nineteenth century characterized by knee-length skirts all around, in contrast to tail coats and cutaways. ...


Generally Hasidic dress has altered over the last hundred years and become more European in response to the Emancipation Movement. Modern Hasidim tend to wear Hasidic dress as used just prior to World War II - numerous pictures of Hasidim in the mid-19th century show a far more Levantine outfit (i.e. a kaftan lacking lapels or buttons) that differs little from the classical oriental outfit consisting of the kaftan, white undershirt, sash, knee-breeches (Halb-Hoyzn), white socks and slippers - this outfit allegedly had a Babylonian origin before its later adoption by the Israelites, Persians and lastly the Turks, who brought it to Europe where it became the basis of the modern western suit (note the 16th-century European outfit of frock coat, knee-breeches, silk stockings and slippers). The Polish nobility adopted its 16th-century outfit from the Turks - hence (allegedly) the vague similarity between the Hasidic outfit and Polish nobles' clothing. (Similarly, Hasidic dress has a vague connection with Shia Muslim clerical dress - the Shia clergy adopted this dress from the Persians). One Hasidic belief (taught by the Klausenberger rebbe) holds that Jews originally invented this dress-code and that the Babylonians adopted it from Israelites during the Jewish exile in Babylon of the 6th century BCE. This belief is not widely held or well known within Hasidism. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the use of images on this page may require cleanup, involving adjustment of image placement, formatting, size, or other adjustments. ... Babylonia, named for its capital city, Babylon, was an ancient state in the south part of Mesopotamia (in modern Iraq), combining the territories of Sumer and Akkad. ... Shia Islam, also Shiite Islam or Shiism (Arabic: ‎ , translit: ; is the second largest denomination of the religion of Islam. ... Clothing has various sociological functions, including: conspicuous consumption stating or claiming identity establishing, maintaining and defying sociological group norms Thus wearing specific types of clothing or the manner of wearing clothing can convey messages about class, income, belief and attitude. ... Babylonian captivity also refers to the permanence of the Avignon Papacy. ...

Hasidic Rebbes and Hasidim in traditional dress. Note the shtreimels, black bekishes, and the gartels. The Rebbes are distinguished by the velvet lining on their bekishes.
Hasidic Rebbes and Hasidim in traditional dress. Note the shtreimels, black bekishes, and the gartels. The Rebbes are distinguished by the velvet lining on their bekishes.

Some claim that the Shabbat dress of Hasidim resembles the description of the High Priest's dress in the Bible but there does not seem to be a serious similarity. Many Hasidim also believe that Hasidic dress reflects ancient Judaic concepts - for instance white socks tucked in short pants so one's trouser-bottoms never touch the floor (considered unholy); and slippers (shtibblat) without buckles or laces so one never need touch one's shoes - also considered unholy. Hasidim in Brooklyn , New York celebrating while in traditional dress This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Hasidim in Brooklyn , New York celebrating while in traditional dress This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Shabbat (שבת shabbāt, rest Hebrew, or Shabbos in Ashkenazic pronunciation), is the weekly day of rest in Judaism. ...

  • Kaftans (bekishes, kapotes, chalat) serve as a sign of modesty and piety, covering the entire body.
  • A sash or gartel divides one's lower parts from one's upper parts.
  • Knee-breeches mean that a man's private parts remain covered when walking up stairs (according to the Bible).

Breeches as worn in America in the latter 18th century: Elijah Boardman by Ralph Earl, 1789. ...

Headgear

Hasidim customarily wear black hats during the weekdays as do nearly all Haredim today. A variety of hats are worn depending on the sect. Hasidim wear a variety of fur headdresses on Shabbat:

  • Shtreimel is worn by Hasidim from Galicia and Hungary such as Satmar, Bobov and Belz, and some Polish Hasidim, such as Biala, as well as some non-Hasidic Jews in Jerusalem.
  • Spodik are worn by most Polish Hasidim such as Ger, Amshinov, Ozrov, Aleksander.
  • Choibl or "Soyvl" was worn in Poland prior to the Holocaust, and has fallen into disuse.
  • Kolpik (in Polish, Calpac) is a traditional Slavic headdress, worn by unmarried sons and grandsons of many Rebbes on Shabbat. The Kolpak is worn by some Rebbes on special occasions other than Shabbat, such as Chanukah.
  • Kashket was a peaked cap worn during the week, prior to the Holocaust. It was worn in Poland, Belarus and Ukraine, and was worn by poorer Hasidim on Shabbat. Its use began as a result of the Tsarist decrees banning other traditional Jewish headdress. In these geographic areas, generally only rabbis wore black hats. Today, some Hasidic children, under the age of 13, wear a kashket cap on the Sabbath. In the sect of Belz, the Kashket has been reintroduced for young minors during the weekday.
  • Chabad Hasidim wear black felt fedoras, dating back to the style of the 1940s and 50s. They are the same as the hats worn by many non-Hasidic Haredim, as well as by some more "modern" Hasidim who are followers of a particular Rebbe without being part of a Hasidic community. Chabad Hasidim often pinch their hats to form a triangle on the top.
  • Various forms of felt derby hats are worn by many Hasidim. Affiliation can be identified by whether there is a pinch in the middle of the top or not, as well as the type of brim. This is called a shtofener hat in Yiddish. Ger and Slonimer Hasidim wear a round topped hat, while Stolin and Emunas Yisrael wear a pintched hat. Many Satmar laymen wear a bowler hat with rounded edges on the brim.
  • Samet (velvet) or biber (beaver) hats are worn by Galician and Hungarian Hasidim during the week and by unmarried men on Shabbat as well. Some unmarried men only wear a samet hat on the Sabbath and a felt hat during the week. There are many types of Samet hats, most notably the "high" ("hoicher") and "flat" ("platcher") varieties. The "flat" type is worn by Satmar Hasidim, and some others as well. Some Rabbis wear a "round" samet hat. They are called beaver hats even though today they are made from rabbit.
  • A small fur hat called a kutchma (from the Ukrainian kučma) is worn by many Hasidic laymen during weekdays in the winter. This hat is referred to as a shlyapka (шляпка), by Russian Jews.

A Shtreimel is a fur hat worn by many married Hasidic Orthodox Jewish men on Shabbat and during other holidays and festive occasions. ... Satmar is the largest Hasidic group in existence today. ... Bobov, (or Bobover Hasidism) (חסידות באבוב) is a Hasidic group within Haredi Judaism originating in Bobowa, Galicia in Southern Poland and now headquartered in the neighborhood of Borough Park in Brooklyn, New York. ... The third Belzer Rebbe, Yissachar Dov Rokeach Belz (חסידות בעלז) is a Hasidic dynasty named after the town of Belz, a small town originally located in eastern Poland, presently in Ukraine. ... Grand Rabbi Yechiel Yehoshua Rabinowitz of Biala, author of Chelkas Yehoshua and Seder Hayom Image:Biala bbztl. ... A spodik is a tall fur hat worn by some Haredi Hasidic Jews, particularly members of sects originating in Congress Poland. ... Ger, or Gur (or Gerrer when used as an adjective) is a large Hasidic dynasty originating from Gur, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland. ... Rabbi Yerachmiel Yehudah Meir Kalish, the previous Amshinover Rebbe of Jerusalem Amshinov is a Chassidic dynasty that was founded by the Rebbe Reb Yaakov David Kalish it originated in the Polish town of Mszczonow, known in Yiddish as Amshinov. The first Rebbe was a son of Reb Yitzchak Kalish, a... The Osrov Hasidic dynasty began in 1811 when Grand Rabbi Yehudah Leib Epstein was coronated as the Rabbi or Osrov (Ozarow) in Poland. ... Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Danziger (1879-1943) The present Alexander Rebbe of America Grand Rabbi Abraham Menachem Danziger, the previous Alexander Rebbe of Bnei Brak, Israel Grand Rabbi Israel Danziger, the present Alexander Rebbe of Bnei Brak, Israel, wearing a fur hat Now nearly extinct, the Aleksander chassidim were originally one... Concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust The Holocaust was Nazi Germanys systematic genocide (ethnic cleansing) of various ethnic, religious, national, and secular groups during World War II. Early elements include the Kristallnacht pogrom and the T-4 Euthanasia Program established by Hitler that killed some 200,000 people. ... Kolpik is a type of traditional headgear worn in families of many Chassidic Rebbes (Hasidic rabbis), by unmarried children on Shabbat and by Rebbes on special occasions. ... A Kashket is a cap, usually made of felt, worn mainly by Chassidic children. ... Belz (Ukrainian Белз, Polish Bełz, Yiddish בעלז) is a small town in western Ukraine, near the border with Poland. ... A fedora, which in this case has been pinched at the front and being worn pushed back on the head, with the front of the brim bent down over the eyes. ... The 1950s were the decade that traditionally speaking, spanned the years 1950 through 1959. ...

Other distinct clothing

Gerrer Hasidim do not wear breeches or long white socks, rather they wear "hoizenzuken" - medium length black socks that they tuck their pants into. Ger, or Gur (or Gerrer when used as an adjective) is a large Hasidic dynasty originating from Gur, the Yiddish name of Góra Kalwaria, a small town in Poland. ...


Hasidim from Eastern Galicia, such as Belzer Hasidim, might wear black socks with their breeches on the Sabbath, as opposed to white ones. Coat-of-arms of Galicia Galicia is a historical region currently split between Poland and Ukraine. ... The third Belzer Rebbe, Yissachar Dov Rokeach Belz (חסידות בעלז) is a Hasidic dynasty named after the town of Belz, a small town originally located in eastern Poland, presently in Ukraine. ...


Many Hungarian Hasidic laymen wear a suit jacket that lies somewhere between being a rekel and being a regular three-quarter double breasted suit-this is called a "drei-fertl" (Yiddish for "three-quarter"). It is distinct from a regular three-quarter suit inasmuch as the right side covers the left, like a rekel.


Many Hungarian Hasidim wear a gold chain watch ("zeigerel") and a vest (also right-over-left).


Skverer hasidim wear knee-high leather boots (shtivlen) with their breeches on the Sabbath. The Skverrer Rebbe and his family wear such boots every day. Skver (also Skvir or Square) is a Hasidic group that originated in the Ukrainian city of Skvira. ...


Women

Hasidic women wear clothing of less distinctive appearance than that of modern women, which answers to the principles of tzeniut (modest dress in the sense of Jewish law). Long, conservative skirts and sleeves past the elbow form the standard, 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 hair beneath their head kerchiefs. In many Hasidic groups the women wear wigs. Other Hasidic groups consider wigs too natural looking, so they simply put their hair into nets (called "snoods") or kerchiefs (called tichels - a tichel often covers a shpitzel). All Hasidic groups allow uncovered hair before marriage. Tzeniut (or Tznius or Tzniut) (Hebrew: צניעות, modesty) is a term used within Judaism. ... A snood is a type of headgear, worn by women over their long hair. ... The Tichel is a headscarf worn by some Haredi women in compliance with the Jewish dress code known as Tzeniut. ...


Hair

Following a Biblical commandment not to shave the sides of one's face, male members of some Hasidic groups wear long, uncut sideburns called payoth (Ashkenazi Hebrew payos, Yiddish peyes). Many Hasidim shave off the rest of their hair on the top of their head. Not every Hasidic group requires long payot, and not all Jewish men with payoth are Hasidic, but all groups discourage the cutting of one's beard (although some Hasidic laymen ignore this dictum). All Hasidic boys receive their first haircuts ceremoniously at the age of three years. Until then, Hasidic boys have long hair. Many non-Hasidic (and even non-Orthodox) Jews have adopted this custom. The present Gerer Hasidic Rebbe in Israel, Rabbi Yakov Aryeh Alter (b. ... The Ashkenazi Hebrew language is a descendant of Biblical Hebrew favored for liturgical use by Ashkenazi Jewish practice. ... Yiddish (Yid. ... The first haircut for a human has special significance in certain cultures and religions. ...


Tzitzit

The white threads seen at the waists of Hasidim and other Orthodox Jews have the name tzitzit. The requirement to wear fringes comes from the Book of 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. Many Hasidim hold the ancient custom of wearing the tallis katan garment on top of their shirt as opposed to underneath. Some non-Hasidim have this custom as well. Tzitzit (Ashkenazi pronunciation: tzitzis) are fringes or tassles (Hebrew: ציצת (Biblical), ציצית (Mishnaic)) found on a tallit worn by observant Jews as part of practicing Judaism. ... The Book of Numbers is the fourth of the books of the Pentateuch, called in the Hebrew ba-midbar במדבר, i. ...


Ritual Bathing

Male Orthodox Jews customarily immerse in a 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. Orthodox Judaism is the stream of Judaism which adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized in the Talmud (The Oral Law) and later codified in the Shulkhan Arukh (Code of Jewish Law). It is governed by these works and the Rabbinical commentary... Pool of a medieval mikvah in Speyer, dating back to 1128 First room in the medieval mikvah in Speyer Mikvah (or mikveh) (Hebrew: מִקְוָה; Tiberian Miqwāh, Standard Hebrew Miqva) (plural, mikvaot) is a ritual bath used for immersion in a purification ceremony within Judaism. ... A Jewish holiday or Jewish Festival is a day or series of days observed by Jews as holy or secular commemorations of important events in Jewish history. ... Yom Kippur (יום כיפור yom kippūr) is the Jewish holiday of the Day of Atonement. ... Jewish services are the prayers recited as part of observance of Judaism. ...


Married female Orthodox Jews are required to immerse in a mikvah seven days after their menstrual cycle has ended. According to the Jewish law of Niddah, there may be no physical contact between a husband and wife from the beginning of her period until immersion in a kosher mikvah. Niddah (or nidah, nidda, nida; Hebrew), in Judaism, is technically a state of marital separation when a woman is menstruating and seven subsequent days until she immerses in a ritual bath known as a mikvah. ...


Families

Hasidic men and women, as customary in Haredi Judaism, usually meet through matchmakers in a process called a shidduch, but marriages involve the mutual consent of the couple and of the parents. Expectations exist that a bride and groom should be about the same age. No custom encourages an older man marrying a young woman. Haredi or Charedi Judaism, often referred to as Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, is the most theologically conservative form of Orthodox Judaism. ... In Hebrew a shidduch or shiduch (שידוך, pl. ...


An old myth asserts that Hasidic couples have intercourse through a sheet with holes in it. This is not true. Many scholars have posited that this myth originated in the speculation of outsiders upon seeing the poncho-like tallit katan drying on a clothes line. Since the tallit katan resembles a small square sheet with a hole in it (for the wearer's head to go through) and Hasidim were known for extreme modesty, a new myth was born. However, while this story is a myth, many pious Hasidic couples follow strict regulations regarding what types of sexual relations are allowed and how (what positions etc.). Hasidic thought stresses the holiness of sex. Most Hasidic sects stress the importance of married couples enjoying the pleasure of sexual intercourse as a divine command.


Hasidic Jews, like many other Orthodox Jews, have a reputation for producing large families; the average Hasidic family in the United States has 7.9 children.[1] Many sects follow this custom out of what they consider a Biblical mandate to 'be fruitful and multiply', and to replenish a Jewish population badly decimated during the Holocaust. Concentration camp inmates during the Holocaust The Holocaust was Nazi Germanys systematic genocide (ethnic cleansing) of various ethnic, religious, national, and secular groups during World War II. Early elements include the Kristallnacht pogrom and the T-4 Euthanasia Program established by Hitler that killed some 200,000 people. ...


Languages

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 maintaining tradition. Thus, contrary to popular assumption, children continue to learn Yiddish and the language does not appear about to die. Yiddish newspapers continue in publication, and the Hasidic world produces a relatively healthy amount of Yiddish fiction, primarily aimed at women. Recently, motion pictures in Yiddish have been produced by the Hasidic community, released directly to DVD, as opposed to in the past when Yiddish films were made by secular Jews. Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ...


Some Hasidic groups actively oppose the everyday use of Hebrew as in Israel: they regard Hebrew as a holy language, profaned by use for anything other than prayer. Indeed, some Hasidim in Israel (such as the Satmar and Toldos Aaron groups) tend to use Yiddish as their everyday vernacular. Satmar is the largest Hasidic group in existence today. ... The founder of the Toldos Aharon dynasty, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchok Kahn, son-in-law of Rabbi Aharon Roth Rabbi Abraham Chaim Roth, the Shomer Emunim Rebbe of Bnei Brak, son of Rabbi Areleh Roth. ... Yiddish (ייִדיש, Jiddisch) is a Germanic language spoken by about four million Jews throughout the world. ...


See also

Hasidic Philosophy or Chassidic philosophy or Hassidism, or Chassidus or Chassidut or Chasidut is the teachings and philosophy underlying the Hasidic Movement. ... List of Hasidic dynasties: This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it. ... Schisms among the Jews: // First Temple era Based on the historical narrative in the Bible and archeology, Levantine civilization at the time of Solomons Temple was prone to idol worship, astrology, worship of reigning kings, and paganism. ... Neo-Hasidism is a name frequently given to the significant revival of interest in Hasidic Judaism on the part of non-Orthodox Jews in different decades due to the writings of non-Orthodox teachers of Hasidic Judaism like Martin Buber, Abraham Joshua Heschel, and Arthur Green. ... Gulkowitsch Lazar Gulkowitsch (20 December 1898–Summer 1941) was an eminent Jewish Studies scholar. ...

External links

Further reading

  • The Great Mission: The life and story of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov. Compiled by Rabbi Eli Friedman, translated by Rabbi Elchonon Lesches. Kehot Publication Society, 2005, ISBN 0-8266-0681-4.
  • Holy Days: The World of a Hasidic Family. Lis Harris. Simon & Schuster New York, 1985, ISBN 0-684-81366-1.
  • Unchosen: The Hidden Lives of Hasidic Rebels. Hella Winston. Beacon Press Boston, 2005, ISBN 0-8070-3626-9.

References

Books

Shmuley Boteach (born November 19, 1966) is an American rabbi, radio show host, and author. ... Map highlighting Northvales location within Bergen County. ... Jason Aronson is a publisher of books of jewish interest, including titles covering Jewish life, history, theology, genealogy, folklore, holidays, and Hasidic thought. ... The Library of Congress Control Number or LCCN is a serially based system of numbering books in the Library of Congress in the United States. ... Martin Buber pictured late in life. ... July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rabbi Dr. Chaim Potok (February 17, 1929 - July 23, 2002) was an American author and rabbi. ... New York, New York redirects here. ... Schocken Verlag was establish in Berlin witha publishing office in Prague in 1931 by the Department Store owner Salman Schocken. ... The Library of Congress Control Number or LCCN is a serially based system of numbering books in the Library of Congress in the United States. ... Map highlighting Northvales location within Bergen County. ... Jason Aronson is a publisher of books of jewish interest, including titles covering Jewish life, history, theology, genealogy, folklore, holidays, and Hasidic thought. ... The Library of Congress Control Number or LCCN is a serially based system of numbering books in the Library of Congress in the United States. ... June 24 is the 175th day of the year (176th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 190 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more Motto: Get In On It (formerly The City That Reads and The Greatest City in America; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Location of Baltimore in Maryland Coordinates: Country State County United States Maryland Independent City... The Johns Hopkins University Press is a publishing house and division of Johns Hopkins University that engages in academic publishing. ... The Library of Congress Control Number or LCCN is a serially based system of numbering books in the Library of Congress in the United States. ... Map highlighting Northvales location within Bergen County. ... Jason Aronson is a publisher of books of jewish interest, including titles covering Jewish life, history, theology, genealogy, folklore, holidays, and Hasidic thought. ... The Library of Congress Control Number or LCCN is a serially based system of numbering books in the Library of Congress in the United States. ... Cecil Roth, (London, 1899–1970) was a Jewish historian and educator. ... New York, New York redirects here. ... The Library of Congress Control Number or LCCN is a serially based system of numbering books in the Library of Congress in the United States. ...

Websites

Footnotes

  1. ^ Meaning "Master of the Good Name", abbreviated as Besht.

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