Hasidic Judaism

Hasidic Jews praying in the synagogue on Yom Kippur , by Maurycy Gottlieb Hasidic Judaism or Hasidism , from the Hebrew [ חסידות ] Error: {{Lang}}: text has italic markup ( help ) - Chasidut in Sephardi Chasidus in Ashkenazi, meaning "piety" (literally " loving kindness " ), is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality and joy through the popularisation and internalisation of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspects of the Jewish faith . It was founded in 18th Century Eastern Europe by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov as a reaction against overly legal Judaism. His example began the characteristic veneration of leadership in Hasidism as embodiments and intercessors of Divinity for the followers. Opposite to this, Hasidic teachings cherished the sincerity and concealed holiness of the unlettered common folk, and their equality with the scholarly elite. The emphasis on the Divine presence in everything gave new value to prayer and deeds of kindness, alongside Rabbinic supremacy of study , and replaced historical mystical and ethical asceticism and admonishment with optimism, encouragement and fervour . It sought to add to required standards of ritual observance , while relaxing others where inspiration predominated. Its communal gatherings celebrated soulful song and storytelling as forms of mystical devotion. Hasidism comprises part of contemporary Ultra-Orthodox Judaism, alongside the previous Talmudic Lithuanian-Yeshiva approach and the Oriental Sephardi tradition. Its charismatic mysticism has inspired non-Orthodox Neo-Hasidic thinkers and influenced wider modern Jewish denominations , while its scholarly thought has interested contemporary academic study . Each Hasidic dynasty follows its own principles; thus Hasidic Judaism is not one movement, but a collection of separate individual groups with some commonality. There are approximately 30 larger Hasidic groups, and several hundred minor groups. Though there is no one version of Hasidism, individual Hasidic groups often share with each other underlying philosophy, worship practices, dress and songs. The honorific חסיד-Hasid is a classic Rabbinic praise of piety in the Talmud and Rabbinic literature , different from tzadik -righteous, for one who goes beyond the minimum legal letter of Jewish observance . Some other earlier movements in Jewish history were also called Hasidim , though its contemporary renown is for modern popular Hasidism. The interpretation of the term in Jewish mysticism brings out the psychological internalisation of daily mysticism in modern Hasidism. In the Sephirot attributes of Kabbalah, the inner motivation within "Hesed"-"kindness" of Divine giving is Ahavah-Love. In daily Jewish life this awakens mystical deveikut fervour of love of God and love of other people by relating to the Divinity within them, Love and Awe comprising the main root emotions of holiness. Hasidism, correspondingly, sought to emphasise the Divine good in everything taught in its mystical thought, and emphasised in joy, prayer and self sacrifice for others beyond legal requirements

Hasidic Jews praying in the synagogue on Yom Kippur , by Maurycy Gottlieb Hasidic Judaism (from the , Sephardic pronunciation: ; Ashkenazic pronunciation: ; Israeli pronunciation: ), meaning "piety" (or " loving-kindness "), is a branch of Orthodox Judaism that promotes spirituality through the popularization and internalization of Jewish mysticism as the fundamental aspect of the faith. It was founded in 18th-century Eastern Europe by Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov as a reaction against overly legalistic Judaism. His example began the characteristic veneration of leadership in Hasidism as embodiments and intercessors of Divinity for the followers. Contrary to this, Hasidic teachings cherished the sincerity and concealed holiness of the unlettered common folk, and their equality with the scholarly elite. The emphasis on the Immanent Divine presence in everything gave new value to prayer and deeds of kindness, alongside rabbinical supremacy of study , and replaced historical mystical (kabbalistic) and ethical (musar) asceticism and admonishment with Simcha , encouragement, and daily fervor . Hasidism comprises part of contemporary Haredi Judaism , alongside the previous Talmudic Lithuanian-Yeshiva approach and the Sephardi and Mizrahi traditions. Its charismatic mysticism has inspired non-Orthodox Neo-Hasidic thinkers and influenced wider modern Jewish denominations , while its scholarly thought has interested contemporary academic study . Each Hasidic dynasty follows its own principles; thus, Hasidic Judaism is not one movement but a collection of separate groups with some commonality. There are approximately 30 larger Hasidic groups, and several hundred smaller groups. Though there is no one version of Hasidism, individual Hasidic groups often share with each other underlying philosophy, worship practices, dress (borrowed from local cultures), and songs (borrowed from local cultures).

Today, most affiliates reside in Israel and the United States . Israel Ben Eliezer, the " Baal Shem Tov ", is regarded as its founding father, and his disciples developed and disseminated it. Present-day Hasidism is a sub-group within ultra-Orthodox ("Haredi") Judaism , and is noted for its religious conservatism and social seclusion. Its members adhere closely both to Orthodox Jewish practice – with the movement's own unique emphases – and the traditions of Eastern European Jews, so much so that many of the latter, including various special styles of dress and the use of the Yiddish language , are nowadays associated almost exclusively with Hasidism. Hasidic thought draws heavily on Lurianic Kabbalah , and, to an extent, is a popularization of it. Teachings emphasize God's immanence in the universe, the need to cleave and be one with him at all times, the devotional aspect of religious practice, and the spiritual dimension of corporeality and mundane acts. Hasidim , the adherents of Hasidism, are organized in independent sects known as "courts" or dynasties , each headed by its own hereditary leader, a Rebbe . Reverence and submission to the Rebbe are key tenets, as he is considered a spiritual authority with whom the follower must bond to gain closeness to God. The various "courts" share basic convictions, but operate apart and possess unique traits and customs. Affiliation is often retained in families for generations, and being Hasidic is as much a sociological factor – entailing, as it does, birth into a specific community and allegiance to a dynasty of Rebbe s – as it is a purely religious one. There are several "courts" with many thousands of member households each, and hundreds of smaller ones. As of 2016 , there were over 130,000 Hasidic households worldwide, about 5% of the global Jewish population.

Religious subgroup of modern Judaism This article is about the modern movement. A tish of the Boyan Hasidic dynasty in Jerusalem , holiday of Sukkot , 2009 History Communities Population Denominations Orthodox Modern Haredi Hasidic Reform Conservative Karaite Reconstructionist Renewal Science Haymanot Humanistic Culture Languages Hebrew Biblical Mishnaic Medieval Modern Bukharian Ghardaïa Sign Jewish Koine Greek Judeo-Arabic Judeo-Aramaic Judeo-Berber Judeo-Gascon Judaeo-Georgian Judaeo-Iranian Judeo-Italian Judeo-Malayalam Judaeo-Spanish Judeo-Tat Knaanic Shassi Yeshivish Yevanic Yiddish Zarphatic Politics Category Portal v t e Hasidism , sometimes spelled Chassidism , and also known as Hasidic Judaism ( Ashkenazi Hebrew : חסידות Ḥăsīdus , ; originally, "piety"), is a religious movement within Judaism that arose as a spiritual revival movement in the territory of contemporary Western Ukraine during the 18th century, and spread rapidly throughout Eastern Europe . Today, most of those affiliated with the movement, known as hassidim , reside in Israel and in the United States . Israel Ben Eliezer, the " Baal Shem Tov ", is regarded as its founding father, and his disciples developed and disseminated it. Present-day Hasidism is a sub-group within Haredi Judaism and is noted for its religious conservatism and social seclusion. Its members adhere closely both to Orthodox Jewish practice – with the movement's own unique emphases – and the traditions of Eastern European Jews. Many of the latter, including various special styles of dress and the use of the Yiddish language , are nowadays associated almost exclusively with Hasidism. Hasidic thought draws heavily on Lurianic Kabbalah , and, to an extent, is a popularization of it. Teachings emphasize God's immanence in the universe, the need to cleave and be one with Him at all times, the devotional aspect of religious practice, and the spiritual dimension of corporeality and mundane acts. Hasidim , the adherents of Hasidism, are organized in independent sects known as "courts" or dynasties , each headed by its own hereditary male leader, a Rebbe . Reverence and submission to the Rebbe are key tenets, as he is considered a spiritual authority with whom the follower must bond to gain closeness to God. The various "courts" share basic convictions, but operate apart and possess unique traits and customs. Affiliation is often retained in families for generations, and being Hasidic is as much a sociological factor – entailing birth into a specific community and allegiance to a dynasty of Rebbes – as it is a religious one. There are several "courts" with many thousands of member households each, and hundreds of smaller ones. As of 2016 , there were over 130,000 Hasidic households worldwide, about 5% of the global Jewish population.

Religious subgroup of modern Judaism This article is about the modern movement. Today, most of those affiliated with the movement, known as hassidim , reside in Israel and in the United States (mostly Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley ). Israel Ben Eliezer , the " Baal Shem Tov ", is regarded as its founding father, and his disciples developed and disseminated it. Present-day Hasidism is a sub-group within Haredi Judaism and is noted for its religious conservatism and social seclusion. Its members aim to adhere closely both to Orthodox Jewish practice – with the movement's own unique emphases – and the prewar lifestyle of Eastern European Jews. Many elements of the latter, including various special styles of dress and the use of the Yiddish language , are nowadays associated almost exclusively with Hasidism. Hasidic thought draws heavily on Lurianic Kabbalah , and, to an extent, is a popularization of it. Teachings emphasize God's immanence in the universe, the need to cleave and be one with him at all times, the devotional aspect of religious practice, and the spiritual dimension of corporeality and mundane acts. Hasidim , the adherents of Hasidism, are organized in independent sects known as "courts" or dynasties , each headed by its own hereditary male leader, a Rebbe . Reverence and submission to the Rebbe are key tenets, as he is considered a spiritual authority with whom the follower must bond to gain closeness to God. The various "courts" share basic convictions, but operate apart and possess unique traits and customs. Affiliation is often retained in families for generations, and being Hasidic is as much a sociological factor – entailing birth into a specific community and allegiance to a dynasty of Rebbes – as it is a religious one. There are several "courts" with many thousands of member households each, and hundreds of smaller ones. As of 2015 , there are roughly 250,000 followers of Hasidic Judaism worldwide, about 2% of the global Jewish population.