Hannan Hever
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- May 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780823282005
- eISBN:
- 9780823284795
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823282005.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter looks at one of the most famous and significant debates in Jewish studies: between Gershom Scholem and Martin Buber over the character of Hasidism. On the face of it, the debate was a ...
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This chapter looks at one of the most famous and significant debates in Jewish studies: between Gershom Scholem and Martin Buber over the character of Hasidism. On the face of it, the debate was a literary one, centering on the significance of the Hasidic tale and its role in the interpretation of the Hasidic movement. It was a debate between two conceptions of Hasidism, one as a system of theological concepts, and the other as a way of life. Yet this debate was not merely historicist, but topical and political as well. For in this debate, Buber and Scholem negotiated the question of Jewish sovereignty and endeavored to determine the desired relationship between Jews and the state.Less
This chapter looks at one of the most famous and significant debates in Jewish studies: between Gershom Scholem and Martin Buber over the character of Hasidism. On the face of it, the debate was a literary one, centering on the significance of the Hasidic tale and its role in the interpretation of the Hasidic movement. It was a debate between two conceptions of Hasidism, one as a system of theological concepts, and the other as a way of life. Yet this debate was not merely historicist, but topical and political as well. For in this debate, Buber and Scholem negotiated the question of Jewish sovereignty and endeavored to determine the desired relationship between Jews and the state.
Ada Rapoport-Albert
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781906764821
- eISBN:
- 9781800343412
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781906764821.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter refutes the notion that the hasidic movement brought about something of a feminist revolution in Judaism. It mentions S.A. Horodetsky, who first claimed that the hasidic movement endowed ...
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This chapter refutes the notion that the hasidic movement brought about something of a feminist revolution in Judaism. It mentions S.A. Horodetsky, who first claimed that the hasidic movement endowed women with complete equality in the religious life. It also analyzes women's direct, personal relationship with the rebbe or tsadik, which established a new equality between the sexes within the family and the community. The chapter argues how Hasidism has remained predominantly the preserve of men since its inception until the early twentieth century. It explains male hasidim who travelled to the court and would normally leave their women behind, and periodically drop out of matrimony and its mundane obligations.Less
This chapter refutes the notion that the hasidic movement brought about something of a feminist revolution in Judaism. It mentions S.A. Horodetsky, who first claimed that the hasidic movement endowed women with complete equality in the religious life. It also analyzes women's direct, personal relationship with the rebbe or tsadik, which established a new equality between the sexes within the family and the community. The chapter argues how Hasidism has remained predominantly the preserve of men since its inception until the early twentieth century. It explains male hasidim who travelled to the court and would normally leave their women behind, and periodically drop out of matrimony and its mundane obligations.
Eliyahu Stern
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300179309
- eISBN:
- 9780300183221
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300179309.003.0005
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Jewish Studies
This chapter discusses Elijah ben Solomon's opposition to the eighteenth century eastern European Hasidic movement. Elijah became an ardent opponent of the movement. He even accused the leaders of ...
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This chapter discusses Elijah ben Solomon's opposition to the eighteenth century eastern European Hasidic movement. Elijah became an ardent opponent of the movement. He even accused the leaders of Hasidic movement of Sabbatian tendencies. It explains that the Hasidic movement was established by the charismatic spiritual leader Israel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem. This movement minimized the legalistic, elite intellectual and ascetic elements in the Jewish tradition and promoted God's imminence, prayer, spiritual ecstasy, and popular social practices. Elijah opposed the Hasidic principle that humanity could access the Divine only through the medium of the Torah, which he viewed as a dangerous overestimation of the individual's ability to communicate with God.Less
This chapter discusses Elijah ben Solomon's opposition to the eighteenth century eastern European Hasidic movement. Elijah became an ardent opponent of the movement. He even accused the leaders of Hasidic movement of Sabbatian tendencies. It explains that the Hasidic movement was established by the charismatic spiritual leader Israel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem. This movement minimized the legalistic, elite intellectual and ascetic elements in the Jewish tradition and promoted God's imminence, prayer, spiritual ecstasy, and popular social practices. Elijah opposed the Hasidic principle that humanity could access the Divine only through the medium of the Torah, which he viewed as a dangerous overestimation of the individual's ability to communicate with God.
Jacob Barnai
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781874774204
- eISBN:
- 9781800340787
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781874774204.003.0023
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter explores the historiography of the hasidic immigration to Erets Yisrael. The first waves of hasidic immigration to Erets Yisrael have attracted the attention both of scholars of hasidism ...
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This chapter explores the historiography of the hasidic immigration to Erets Yisrael. The first waves of hasidic immigration to Erets Yisrael have attracted the attention both of scholars of hasidism and of historians of the Jewish yishuv in Erets Yisrael. Hasidic scholarship has viewed the subject as an interesting and somewhat obscure chapter in the history of hasidism, while the historians of the yishuv, most of whom were associated with either the Zionist or the Orthodox currents in Jewish historiography, have perceived the hasidic immigration as an important element of the ‘proto-Zionist’ trend which proved the centrality of Erets Yisrael to Diaspora Jews even before Zionism. While the scholars of hasidism have set the issue in the context of the overall history of the hasidic movement, historians of the yishuv, under the impact of various trends within the Zionist movement and orthodox Jewry, have treated it primarily as an ideological issue. The chapter then surveys and evaluates these two distinct traditions in the historiography of the subject.Less
This chapter explores the historiography of the hasidic immigration to Erets Yisrael. The first waves of hasidic immigration to Erets Yisrael have attracted the attention both of scholars of hasidism and of historians of the Jewish yishuv in Erets Yisrael. Hasidic scholarship has viewed the subject as an interesting and somewhat obscure chapter in the history of hasidism, while the historians of the yishuv, most of whom were associated with either the Zionist or the Orthodox currents in Jewish historiography, have perceived the hasidic immigration as an important element of the ‘proto-Zionist’ trend which proved the centrality of Erets Yisrael to Diaspora Jews even before Zionism. While the scholars of hasidism have set the issue in the context of the overall history of the hasidic movement, historians of the yishuv, under the impact of various trends within the Zionist movement and orthodox Jewry, have treated it primarily as an ideological issue. The chapter then surveys and evaluates these two distinct traditions in the historiography of the subject.
Ada Rapoport-Albert
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781906764821
- eISBN:
- 9781800343412
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781906764821.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter explains inclusive attitude to women that has become a hallmark of contemporary Habad Lubavitch, which can be traced back to the very beginnings of the early school of Hasidism. It ...
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This chapter explains inclusive attitude to women that has become a hallmark of contemporary Habad Lubavitch, which can be traced back to the very beginnings of the early school of Hasidism. It reviews the historical record of Habad and its distinct attitude to women from the male exclusivity that marks the hasidic movement as a whole. It also analyses early ideological foundations that are rooted in the special gender sensibilities of Habad's first leaders. The chapter discusses the internal Habad tradition of early-twentieth-century provenance whereby Shneur Zalman of Liady used to teach Hasidism to his daughter. It mentions the publication of Shneur Zalman's Hilkhot talmud torah in Shklov in 1794, in which he cited the traditional strictures against women's Torah study.Less
This chapter explains inclusive attitude to women that has become a hallmark of contemporary Habad Lubavitch, which can be traced back to the very beginnings of the early school of Hasidism. It reviews the historical record of Habad and its distinct attitude to women from the male exclusivity that marks the hasidic movement as a whole. It also analyses early ideological foundations that are rooted in the special gender sensibilities of Habad's first leaders. The chapter discusses the internal Habad tradition of early-twentieth-century provenance whereby Shneur Zalman of Liady used to teach Hasidism to his daughter. It mentions the publication of Shneur Zalman's Hilkhot talmud torah in Shklov in 1794, in which he cited the traditional strictures against women's Torah study.
Nathaniel Deutsch
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- March 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780520231917
- eISBN:
- 9780520927971
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520231917.003.0013
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
This chapter addresses the traces made in writing by the Maiden of Ludmir. Throughout the process of writing, the Maiden has remained an elusive subject. It is tempting to see her as a pioneer in the ...
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This chapter addresses the traces made in writing by the Maiden of Ludmir. Throughout the process of writing, the Maiden has remained an elusive subject. It is tempting to see her as a pioneer in the struggle for Jewish women's spiritual empowerment. One of the most striking and, for the biographer, frustrating aspects of the Maiden's life is that she does not appear to have written anything herself. She is popularly known as the only “woman rebbe” in history. The Maiden's story can be read as a powerful metaphor for two contrasting and competing modes of spiritual leadership within the Hasidic movement. There is little knowledge on how the Maiden felt about her new life in Palestine.Less
This chapter addresses the traces made in writing by the Maiden of Ludmir. Throughout the process of writing, the Maiden has remained an elusive subject. It is tempting to see her as a pioneer in the struggle for Jewish women's spiritual empowerment. One of the most striking and, for the biographer, frustrating aspects of the Maiden's life is that she does not appear to have written anything herself. She is popularly known as the only “woman rebbe” in history. The Maiden's story can be read as a powerful metaphor for two contrasting and competing modes of spiritual leadership within the Hasidic movement. There is little knowledge on how the Maiden felt about her new life in Palestine.
Marcin Wodziński
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781904113089
- eISBN:
- 9781800341029
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781904113089.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter addresses the ideological crisis among Polish Jewish integrationists at the start of the twentieth century. One of the signs of departure from the old ideological line was the rapidly ...
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This chapter addresses the ideological crisis among Polish Jewish integrationists at the start of the twentieth century. One of the signs of departure from the old ideological line was the rapidly changing attitude to hasidism. On the one hand, politically involved journalists such as Nachum Sokołów saw a new political threat in the hasidic movement and called for an alliance of all non-hasidic political forces against this group. On the other hand, from the mid-1890s, it became more and more common to idealize the hasidic past, to see the movement as the fascinating creation of folk mysticism, a depository of authentic Jewish folklore, and above all an excellent literary theme. These two attitudes, although they seemed contradictory, frequently coexisted. Usually, they were evident in the belief that the good and beautiful teachings of the fathers of hasidism were later distorted by the tsadikim and had led to the contemporary degenerate form of the political movement. The great interest in the origins of the movement was undoubtedly an attempt to escape contemporary reality and, at the same time, to escape the confrontational attitudes of the maskilim. This was obviously the result of changes in European writings that took place at the turn of the century in relation to the historiographic, philosophical, and literary portrayal of hasidism.Less
This chapter addresses the ideological crisis among Polish Jewish integrationists at the start of the twentieth century. One of the signs of departure from the old ideological line was the rapidly changing attitude to hasidism. On the one hand, politically involved journalists such as Nachum Sokołów saw a new political threat in the hasidic movement and called for an alliance of all non-hasidic political forces against this group. On the other hand, from the mid-1890s, it became more and more common to idealize the hasidic past, to see the movement as the fascinating creation of folk mysticism, a depository of authentic Jewish folklore, and above all an excellent literary theme. These two attitudes, although they seemed contradictory, frequently coexisted. Usually, they were evident in the belief that the good and beautiful teachings of the fathers of hasidism were later distorted by the tsadikim and had led to the contemporary degenerate form of the political movement. The great interest in the origins of the movement was undoubtedly an attempt to escape contemporary reality and, at the same time, to escape the confrontational attitudes of the maskilim. This was obviously the result of changes in European writings that took place at the turn of the century in relation to the historiographic, philosophical, and literary portrayal of hasidism.
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226282077
- eISBN:
- 9780226282060
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226282060.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter argues that shamanic trance often seems in contexts of a markedly nomian nature. The Hasidic movement can be shown as a prime example of the intimate link between trance experience and ...
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This chapter argues that shamanic trance often seems in contexts of a markedly nomian nature. The Hasidic movement can be shown as a prime example of the intimate link between trance experience and nomian practice. The placement of trance within a graduated path explains the prevalence of the rabbinic ladder of ethical and nomian progression in Kabbalistic texts on trance. The nomian practice of immersion should be demonstrated as a crucial aspect of the daily mystical regimen of the central Hasidic figures, and that of other kabbalists, such as the Sephardic masters. It is immersion that differentiates the identity of the Hasidic path from antinomian mystical deviations such as Sabbateanism. The cultural determination of trance and other shamanic moments in mystical life reinforces the “contextual” school in the understanding of mystical experience, without negating the value of comparative study.Less
This chapter argues that shamanic trance often seems in contexts of a markedly nomian nature. The Hasidic movement can be shown as a prime example of the intimate link between trance experience and nomian practice. The placement of trance within a graduated path explains the prevalence of the rabbinic ladder of ethical and nomian progression in Kabbalistic texts on trance. The nomian practice of immersion should be demonstrated as a crucial aspect of the daily mystical regimen of the central Hasidic figures, and that of other kabbalists, such as the Sephardic masters. It is immersion that differentiates the identity of the Hasidic path from antinomian mystical deviations such as Sabbateanism. The cultural determination of trance and other shamanic moments in mystical life reinforces the “contextual” school in the understanding of mystical experience, without negating the value of comparative study.
Zeev Gries
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781874774204
- eISBN:
- 9781800340787
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781874774204.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter traces the history of hasidic books and the individuals who saw them into print. In their humble way, they played a crucial part in the process of converting oral traditions to literary ...
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This chapter traces the history of hasidic books and the individuals who saw them into print. In their humble way, they played a crucial part in the process of converting oral traditions to literary documents and thus of constructing not only the collective memory of the hasidic movement but also people's critical perception of its history. Much of the vast literature of hasidism was derived from the verbal addresses delivered by the leaders of the movement to the gatherings of their followers at their ‘court’, usually for the third sabbath meal or on festival days. The address of the hasidic leader would be committed to memory first and only later, once the holy day was over, would the ‘court’ scribe record it in writing. The outcome was rarely scrutinized, edited, or even approved by the ‘author’. Since the oral traditions of early hasidism are no longer retrievable in their original form, and since the only access to them is through the literary adaptations and translations in which they have been preserved, it is important to shed some light on the often obscure processes of their recension, publication, and dissemination by apparently minor figures whose agency was nevertheless indispensable: the hasidic managing editors.Less
This chapter traces the history of hasidic books and the individuals who saw them into print. In their humble way, they played a crucial part in the process of converting oral traditions to literary documents and thus of constructing not only the collective memory of the hasidic movement but also people's critical perception of its history. Much of the vast literature of hasidism was derived from the verbal addresses delivered by the leaders of the movement to the gatherings of their followers at their ‘court’, usually for the third sabbath meal or on festival days. The address of the hasidic leader would be committed to memory first and only later, once the holy day was over, would the ‘court’ scribe record it in writing. The outcome was rarely scrutinized, edited, or even approved by the ‘author’. Since the oral traditions of early hasidism are no longer retrievable in their original form, and since the only access to them is through the literary adaptations and translations in which they have been preserved, it is important to shed some light on the often obscure processes of their recension, publication, and dissemination by apparently minor figures whose agency was nevertheless indispensable: the hasidic managing editors.
Gadi Sagiv
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- September 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781906764753
- eISBN:
- 9781800852044
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781906764753.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter highlights the problematic nature of every attempt to characterize the diverse Hasidic groups, schools of thought, and sects, which comprise the Hasidic movement. It talks about three ...
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This chapter highlights the problematic nature of every attempt to characterize the diverse Hasidic groups, schools of thought, and sects, which comprise the Hasidic movement. It talks about three well-known Hasidic leaders: ’the Yehudi,’ Simhah Bunem of Pshiskhe, and the Rabbi of Kotsk, who are generally considered founders of the distinctive Pshiskhe–Kotsk school but differed greatly in their respective spiritual orientations. It also explains Hasidism as a collection of distinct and often conflicting groups that comprises one charismatic leader each, who usually belongs to a dynasty of hereditary leaders. The chapter discusses the awakening of the collective consciousness of belonging to one movement among the disciples of the Magid of Mezeritsh. It describes the fragmented structure of the movement that was inherent from its earliest formative period.Less
This chapter highlights the problematic nature of every attempt to characterize the diverse Hasidic groups, schools of thought, and sects, which comprise the Hasidic movement. It talks about three well-known Hasidic leaders: ’the Yehudi,’ Simhah Bunem of Pshiskhe, and the Rabbi of Kotsk, who are generally considered founders of the distinctive Pshiskhe–Kotsk school but differed greatly in their respective spiritual orientations. It also explains Hasidism as a collection of distinct and often conflicting groups that comprises one charismatic leader each, who usually belongs to a dynasty of hereditary leaders. The chapter discusses the awakening of the collective consciousness of belonging to one movement among the disciples of the Magid of Mezeritsh. It describes the fragmented structure of the movement that was inherent from its earliest formative period.
Marcin Wodziński
- Published in print:
- 2005
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781904113089
- eISBN:
- 9781800341029
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781904113089.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter focuses on the founding of Polish-language periodicals — first Jutrzenka (1861–3) and then Izraelita (1866–1915) — which was one of the most visible achievements of the new ...
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This chapter focuses on the founding of Polish-language periodicals — first Jutrzenka (1861–3) and then Izraelita (1866–1915) — which was one of the most visible achievements of the new integrationist movement. The most active members of this new group were Marcus Jastrow and Daniel Neufeld, who was editer-in-chief of Jutrzenka. Even though it was active only for a short time, Jutrzenka and the writers associated with it wielded considerable influence. Their influence extended to bringing about a realignment of the attitude of the modernizing camp towards the hasidim; in particular, it was not until the 1860s that hasidism was recognized as a major ideological problem and perceived to be the most serious enemy in the battle to emancipate and modernize Jews in Poland. Neufeld and other Jutrzenka writers argue that the hasidim needed to be educated and that learning would bring about the ultimate solution to the problem, i.e. the disappearance of hasidism. But, alongside the voices of criticism, Jutrzenka's writers increasingly expressed the positive features of hasidism, particularly their unrivalled unity, their caring for their families, their concern for religious education, and their wholehearted espousal of their ideology. Ultimately, the reassessment of attitudes towards the hasidic movement among the moderate integrationist camp brought immediate, direct results in the pre-uprising period of Polish–Jewish fraternity and had a lasting effect.Less
This chapter focuses on the founding of Polish-language periodicals — first Jutrzenka (1861–3) and then Izraelita (1866–1915) — which was one of the most visible achievements of the new integrationist movement. The most active members of this new group were Marcus Jastrow and Daniel Neufeld, who was editer-in-chief of Jutrzenka. Even though it was active only for a short time, Jutrzenka and the writers associated with it wielded considerable influence. Their influence extended to bringing about a realignment of the attitude of the modernizing camp towards the hasidim; in particular, it was not until the 1860s that hasidism was recognized as a major ideological problem and perceived to be the most serious enemy in the battle to emancipate and modernize Jews in Poland. Neufeld and other Jutrzenka writers argue that the hasidim needed to be educated and that learning would bring about the ultimate solution to the problem, i.e. the disappearance of hasidism. But, alongside the voices of criticism, Jutrzenka's writers increasingly expressed the positive features of hasidism, particularly their unrivalled unity, their caring for their families, their concern for religious education, and their wholehearted espousal of their ideology. Ultimately, the reassessment of attitudes towards the hasidic movement among the moderate integrationist camp brought immediate, direct results in the pre-uprising period of Polish–Jewish fraternity and had a lasting effect.
Louis Jacobs
- Published in print:
- 1984
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780197100240
- eISBN:
- 9781800340312
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780197100240.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
From its very beginnings in the eighteenth century, the Hasidic movement was suffused with a joyous enthusiasm and optimism derived from the notion of God being in all things. This led to an ...
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From its very beginnings in the eighteenth century, the Hasidic movement was suffused with a joyous enthusiasm and optimism derived from the notion of God being in all things. This led to an insistence on joy as an essential element in divine worship, and in consequence a distinctive attitude to prayer. This classic work, presented here with a new introduction, is a study of the attitudes of the hasidic rebbes to prayer. The book enables the reader to gain a familiarity with Hasidic thought on the subject of divine worship at first hand. The book includes the first translations of much of the source material.Less
From its very beginnings in the eighteenth century, the Hasidic movement was suffused with a joyous enthusiasm and optimism derived from the notion of God being in all things. This led to an insistence on joy as an essential element in divine worship, and in consequence a distinctive attitude to prayer. This classic work, presented here with a new introduction, is a study of the attitudes of the hasidic rebbes to prayer. The book enables the reader to gain a familiarity with Hasidic thought on the subject of divine worship at first hand. The book includes the first translations of much of the source material.
Marcin Wodziński
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781904113737
- eISBN:
- 9781800341012
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781904113737.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter discusses the study of the Haskalah and the hasidic movement in the Kingdom of Poland, sometimes also known as “Congress Poland” because it was created by the Congress of Vienna in the ...
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This chapter discusses the study of the Haskalah and the hasidic movement in the Kingdom of Poland, sometimes also known as “Congress Poland” because it was created by the Congress of Vienna in the nineteenth century. Hasidism was no doubt the largest and most important new movement to emerge within east European Jewry in those turbulent times. The chapter explains how Hasidism participated in abrupt social, economic, and cultural transformations in the Polish territories. It investigates the changes in social relations and perceptions that the transformations brought about or how the new social formations that arose in the Polish lands defined and redefined themselves in relation to each other. The chapter focuses on Haskalah and the traditional non-hasidic Jewish community by considering the political history of the Kingdom of Poland and its relationship with the hasidic movement.Less
This chapter discusses the study of the Haskalah and the hasidic movement in the Kingdom of Poland, sometimes also known as “Congress Poland” because it was created by the Congress of Vienna in the nineteenth century. Hasidism was no doubt the largest and most important new movement to emerge within east European Jewry in those turbulent times. The chapter explains how Hasidism participated in abrupt social, economic, and cultural transformations in the Polish territories. It investigates the changes in social relations and perceptions that the transformations brought about or how the new social formations that arose in the Polish lands defined and redefined themselves in relation to each other. The chapter focuses on Haskalah and the traditional non-hasidic Jewish community by considering the political history of the Kingdom of Poland and its relationship with the hasidic movement.
Ada Rapoport-Albert
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781906764807
- eISBN:
- 9781800343269
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781906764807.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter looks at the notion of how the hasidic movement brought about a feminist revolution in Judaism. It mentions the twentieth-century historian of Hasidism named S. A. Horodetsky, who first ...
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This chapter looks at the notion of how the hasidic movement brought about a feminist revolution in Judaism. It mentions the twentieth-century historian of Hasidism named S. A. Horodetsky, who first claimed that the Hasidic movement endowed women with complete equality in the religious life that are expressed in a variety of hasidic innovations. It also discusses women's direct, personal relationship with the rebbe or tsadik that established a new equality between the sexes within the family and the community. The chapter covers the breakdown of the educational barrier of Hebrew and the language of traditional scholarly discourse in the male world of Torah learning. It argues how hasidism has remained predominantly the preserve of men in the early twentieth century.Less
This chapter looks at the notion of how the hasidic movement brought about a feminist revolution in Judaism. It mentions the twentieth-century historian of Hasidism named S. A. Horodetsky, who first claimed that the Hasidic movement endowed women with complete equality in the religious life that are expressed in a variety of hasidic innovations. It also discusses women's direct, personal relationship with the rebbe or tsadik that established a new equality between the sexes within the family and the community. The chapter covers the breakdown of the educational barrier of Hebrew and the language of traditional scholarly discourse in the male world of Torah learning. It argues how hasidism has remained predominantly the preserve of men in the early twentieth century.
Samuel Dresner
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- March 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780823221158
- eISBN:
- 9780823236749
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fso/9780823221158.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Born in Warsaw, Abraham Heschel earned a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Berlin, and taught in Berlin and Frankfurt. After being deported by the Nazis to Poland in 1938, ...
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Born in Warsaw, Abraham Heschel earned a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Berlin, and taught in Berlin and Frankfurt. After being deported by the Nazis to Poland in 1938, he taught in Warsaw and London. In 1940 he came to the United States, invited by Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio. From 1945 until his death, he was professor of Jewish ethics and mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. Heschel's life and thought have been widely acclaimed. Thomas Merton, for example, described him as “the greatest religious writer in America”. New editions of his writings are constantly being published. His best-known works include The Earth Is the Lord's (1950), Man's Quest for God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism (1954), God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism (1956), and The Prophets (1962). This book gives a personal insight into his life and views into the Hasidic movement and the important concept of halakha.Less
Born in Warsaw, Abraham Heschel earned a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Berlin, and taught in Berlin and Frankfurt. After being deported by the Nazis to Poland in 1938, he taught in Warsaw and London. In 1940 he came to the United States, invited by Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio. From 1945 until his death, he was professor of Jewish ethics and mysticism at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City. Heschel's life and thought have been widely acclaimed. Thomas Merton, for example, described him as “the greatest religious writer in America”. New editions of his writings are constantly being published. His best-known works include The Earth Is the Lord's (1950), Man's Quest for God: Studies in Prayer and Symbolism (1954), God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism (1956), and The Prophets (1962). This book gives a personal insight into his life and views into the Hasidic movement and the important concept of halakha.
Louis Jacobs
- Published in print:
- 1984
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780197100240
- eISBN:
- 9781800340312
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780197100240.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter discusses the meaning of Hasidism and the history of the movement. The Hasidic movement was born in the Jewish communities of Volhynia and Podolia during the eighteenth century. The ...
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This chapter discusses the meaning of Hasidism and the history of the movement. The Hasidic movement was born in the Jewish communities of Volhynia and Podolia during the eighteenth century. The chapter shows that despite the fiercest opposition on the part of the Jewish establishment, Hasidism spread quickly. Fifty years after the death of its founder, R. Israel b. Eliezer (d. 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov (‘Master of the Good Name [of God] ’), the movement had succeeded in winning over half the Jewish population of Russia and Poland — the great centres of Jewish life in the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries. Indicative of its hold over the masses is the fact that the upholders of the status quo were very soon referred to as Mitnaggedim (‘opponents’), implying that they, and not the Hasidim (singular, Hasid), were obliged to be on the defensive.Less
This chapter discusses the meaning of Hasidism and the history of the movement. The Hasidic movement was born in the Jewish communities of Volhynia and Podolia during the eighteenth century. The chapter shows that despite the fiercest opposition on the part of the Jewish establishment, Hasidism spread quickly. Fifty years after the death of its founder, R. Israel b. Eliezer (d. 1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov (‘Master of the Good Name [of God] ’), the movement had succeeded in winning over half the Jewish population of Russia and Poland — the great centres of Jewish life in the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries. Indicative of its hold over the masses is the fact that the upholders of the status quo were very soon referred to as Mitnaggedim (‘opponents’), implying that they, and not the Hasidim (singular, Hasid), were obliged to be on the defensive.
Marcin Wodzinski
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781904113737
- eISBN:
- 9781800341012
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781904113737.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Analysing the political relations between the Kingdom of Poland and the hasidic movement, this book examines plans formulated by the government and by groups close to government circles regarding ...
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Analysing the political relations between the Kingdom of Poland and the hasidic movement, this book examines plans formulated by the government and by groups close to government circles regarding hasidim, and describes how a hasidic body politic developed in response. The book demonstrates that the rise of Hasidism was an important factor in shaping the Jewish policy of both central and provincial authorities and shows how the creation of socio-political conditions that were advantageous to the hasidic movement accelerated its growth. While concentrating on the dynamic that developed in the Kingdom of Poland, the discussion is informed by a consideration of the relationship between the state and the hasidic movement from its inception in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The novelty of this study lies in the fact that, whereas most analyses of political culture concentrate on states and societies with well-established electoral systems of representation, the book focuses on the under-researched area of political relations between a non-democratic state and a low-status community lacking authorized representation. Applying concepts more often associated with cultural history, the analysis draws a distinction between the terms of reference of high-level political debate and the actual implementation of policy middle- and low-level officials. Similarly, in analysing hasidic responses, the book differentiates between high-level hasidic representations in the state and the grassroots politics of the community. This combination enables a broad contextualization of the whole subject, integrating the social and cultural history of Polish Jewry with that of Polish society in general.Less
Analysing the political relations between the Kingdom of Poland and the hasidic movement, this book examines plans formulated by the government and by groups close to government circles regarding hasidim, and describes how a hasidic body politic developed in response. The book demonstrates that the rise of Hasidism was an important factor in shaping the Jewish policy of both central and provincial authorities and shows how the creation of socio-political conditions that were advantageous to the hasidic movement accelerated its growth. While concentrating on the dynamic that developed in the Kingdom of Poland, the discussion is informed by a consideration of the relationship between the state and the hasidic movement from its inception in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. The novelty of this study lies in the fact that, whereas most analyses of political culture concentrate on states and societies with well-established electoral systems of representation, the book focuses on the under-researched area of political relations between a non-democratic state and a low-status community lacking authorized representation. Applying concepts more often associated with cultural history, the analysis draws a distinction between the terms of reference of high-level political debate and the actual implementation of policy middle- and low-level officials. Similarly, in analysing hasidic responses, the book differentiates between high-level hasidic representations in the state and the grassroots politics of the community. This combination enables a broad contextualization of the whole subject, integrating the social and cultural history of Polish Jewry with that of Polish society in general.
Ada Rapoport-Albert (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 1996
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781874774204
- eISBN:
- 9781800340787
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781874774204.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
Hasidism has been a seminal force and source of controversy in the Jewish world since its inception in the second half of the eighteenth century. Indeed, almost every ideological trend that has made ...
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Hasidism has been a seminal force and source of controversy in the Jewish world since its inception in the second half of the eighteenth century. Indeed, almost every ideological trend that has made itself felt among Jews since that time has claimed to have derived some inspiration from this vibrant movement. While this is sure testimony to its vitality and originality, it has also given rise to many misconceptions as to what hasidism is about. This book offers a wide-ranging treatment of the subject in all its aspects. The book encompasses a complete field of modern scholarship in a discipline that is central to the understanding of modern Jewish history and the contemporary Jewish world. The book is dedicated to the memory of Joseph Weiss, and its opening section assesses his contribution to the study of hasidism in the context of his relationship with Gershom Scholem and Scholem's long-standing influence on the field. The remaining chapters are arranged thematically under seven headings: the social history of hasidism; the social functions of mystical ideals in the hasidic movement; distinctive outlooks and schools of thought within hasidism; the hasidic tale; the history of hasidic historiography; contemporary hasidism; and the present state of research on hasidism. The book also incorporates an extensive introduction that places the various articles in their intellectual context, as well as a bibliography of hasidic sources and contemporary scholarly literature. It shows an intellectual world at an important juncture in its development and points to the direction in which scholarly study of hasidism is likely to develop in the years to come.Less
Hasidism has been a seminal force and source of controversy in the Jewish world since its inception in the second half of the eighteenth century. Indeed, almost every ideological trend that has made itself felt among Jews since that time has claimed to have derived some inspiration from this vibrant movement. While this is sure testimony to its vitality and originality, it has also given rise to many misconceptions as to what hasidism is about. This book offers a wide-ranging treatment of the subject in all its aspects. The book encompasses a complete field of modern scholarship in a discipline that is central to the understanding of modern Jewish history and the contemporary Jewish world. The book is dedicated to the memory of Joseph Weiss, and its opening section assesses his contribution to the study of hasidism in the context of his relationship with Gershom Scholem and Scholem's long-standing influence on the field. The remaining chapters are arranged thematically under seven headings: the social history of hasidism; the social functions of mystical ideals in the hasidic movement; distinctive outlooks and schools of thought within hasidism; the hasidic tale; the history of hasidic historiography; contemporary hasidism; and the present state of research on hasidism. The book also incorporates an extensive introduction that places the various articles in their intellectual context, as well as a bibliography of hasidic sources and contemporary scholarly literature. It shows an intellectual world at an important juncture in its development and points to the direction in which scholarly study of hasidism is likely to develop in the years to come.
Alan Brill
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9781874774594
- eISBN:
- 9781800340695
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9781874774594.003.0027
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter takes a look at Elijah Judah Schochet's The Hasidic Movement and the Gaon of Vilna. Schochet sets out to answer two related questions in this book: What problems did its opponents ...
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This chapter takes a look at Elijah Judah Schochet's The Hasidic Movement and the Gaon of Vilna. Schochet sets out to answer two related questions in this book: What problems did its opponents perceive in the hasidic movement and why did the Vilna Gaon, Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (known as Hagra), reject it? The book presents the problems of hasidism through the eyes of the edicts and polemical tracts against it. The chapter reviews how Schochet presents his arguments and how the Gaon is presented within the book. Schochet's scholarship is also analysed, and certain possible influences to his work drawn. To conclude, the chapter offers some critiques on Schochet's analysis could be improved.Less
This chapter takes a look at Elijah Judah Schochet's The Hasidic Movement and the Gaon of Vilna. Schochet sets out to answer two related questions in this book: What problems did its opponents perceive in the hasidic movement and why did the Vilna Gaon, Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (known as Hagra), reject it? The book presents the problems of hasidism through the eyes of the edicts and polemical tracts against it. The chapter reviews how Schochet presents his arguments and how the Gaon is presented within the book. Schochet's scholarship is also analysed, and certain possible influences to his work drawn. To conclude, the chapter offers some critiques on Schochet's analysis could be improved.
Louis Jacobs
- Published in print:
- 1984
- Published Online:
- February 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780197100240
- eISBN:
- 9781800340312
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Liverpool University Press
- DOI:
- 10.3828/liverpool/9780197100240.003.0013
- Subject:
- Religion, Judaism
This chapter examines some rabbinic responsa relating to Hasidic prayer. Alongside R. Ezekiel Landau, multiple prominent rabbis who were either opposed or neutral to the growing Hasidic movement in ...
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This chapter examines some rabbinic responsa relating to Hasidic prayer. Alongside R. Ezekiel Landau, multiple prominent rabbis who were either opposed or neutral to the growing Hasidic movement in the eighteenth century issued several responsa regarding Hasidism. The chapter thus takes up responsa regarding a wide variety of subjects relating to Hasidic prayer, including the appropriate garments for prayer, the use of individuals for officiating, the issue of taking meals before prayer, and even which prayer book to use. In doing so, this chapter reveals a long series of dialogue and response from multiple rabbi. These shed light on many different views regarding Hasidic practice at the time.Less
This chapter examines some rabbinic responsa relating to Hasidic prayer. Alongside R. Ezekiel Landau, multiple prominent rabbis who were either opposed or neutral to the growing Hasidic movement in the eighteenth century issued several responsa regarding Hasidism. The chapter thus takes up responsa regarding a wide variety of subjects relating to Hasidic prayer, including the appropriate garments for prayer, the use of individuals for officiating, the issue of taking meals before prayer, and even which prayer book to use. In doing so, this chapter reveals a long series of dialogue and response from multiple rabbi. These shed light on many different views regarding Hasidic practice at the time.