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Chasidism
[from Hebrew, chasid = pious] - A religious
movement begun in the eighteenth century whose aim was a
Jewish
religious renewal. It originated in the region of Podole,
and was
influenced by mysticism (whose main center was the city of
Safed in
Galilee) and Polish-Jewish folk traditions, as well as some
elements of
Slavic folk culture. Chasidism's founder and first leader
was Baal Shem
Tov of Miedzyboz. Chasidism did not constitute a uniform
doctrine,
however, and the teachings and practices of the various
tzaddikim
differed. Compared to Orthodox Judaism (Mitnagdim),
Chasidism had a
strong emotional element; pantheistic tendencies and
ecstatic practices
are also important to the movement, and are apparent in
Chasidic
prayers, song and dance. Chasidism also rejected
institutionalized forms
of religion (especially in the movement's early days), and
emphasized
spontaneity, shaping a new folk faith based on the authority
of the
tzaddikim.
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The various Chasidic groups share the following
in common: the institution of the tzaddik, an ecstatic
religiosity, and
the blurring of borders between the sacred and profane in
everyday
life. This was based on a belief that the world is
penetrated by "holy
sparks" [Hebrew, nitsotsot] of divine substance, and that
man's purpose,
especially the Jews', was to liberate those sparks from the
shell of
evil so that they might be reunited with their source. God
should be
worshipped with joy; in order to be joyful, however,
everyday needs must
be met, and temptations overcome. Activities such as eating
or working,
though related to the material world, serve God, if they are
carried
out with the proper attitude [Hebrew, kavana], with fear and
love. This
same condition held for pious deeds and the fulfillment of
religious
laws (mitzvah). Prayer does not reach God if not said with
enthusiasm
[Hebrew, hitlahavut], which in Chasidic rituals is expressed
with
energetic movements of the entire body, as well as clapping
and shouting
during services. The mission entrusted to Jews, the
liberation of the
"holy sparks", was to hasten the coming of the Messiah, the
ultimate
goal of the Earth's history.
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After heated debate with the Mitnagdim in the
mid-nineteenth century, the Chasidim established loose
communities,
centered on various tzaddikim, and Chasidic and Orthodox
customs began
resembling each other. Chasidism put more and more emphasis
on studying
the Scriptures (which at first had been the domain of the
Mitnagdim),
and Orthodoxy accepted some elements of Chasidism. In
nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries, Chasidic groups were active in
many towns and
villages in Galicia, the Kingdom of Poland, Podole and Wolyn
(Volhynia), as well as in Hungary and Romania; in Lithuania
there were
few such centers, such as those in Karlin and Lady. In
Western Europe,
Chasidism did not wield much influence, particularly in
light of the
successes of Reformed Judaism and emancipation. Currently,
the largest
Chasidic communities are found in the United States and
Israel.
(A.C./CM)
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