By definition,
Hasidic Judaism offers a uniquely Jewish approach to “mystical experience, the
direct encounter with the divine” (Melton and Baumann 583). While the roots of Hassidism can be traced
back to much older mystical texts, modern Hassidism is generally considered to
have began with the teachings of Israel Baal Shem Tov, an eighteenth century
Polish rebbe. Baal Shem Tov spent a
great deal of time studying both the Jewish Bible and the Kabbalah, a mystical text from the thirteenth-century, and was
believed to have had interaction with the prophet Ahiya of Dhilo. Ahiya was a prophet during the reign of King
David. Baal Shem Tov applied a new
emphasis to Judaism, replacing the legal teaching of the law with piety and
devotion towards God. In a nutshell,
Baal Shem Tov intended to “free the Jews from the shackles of excessive
intellectualism, introduce more poetry, more sentiment into the Jewish worship,
take away the Jewish youth from useless, pilpulistic casuistry, and inspire him
with a desire to pray, to cultivate his religious emotions”(Greenstone
237-238). Still, it is easy to fathom
that after centuries of practice and the near extinction of the sect during the
Holocaust of World War II, that Hassidic Judaism would look much different in
the twenty-first-century than the Judaism of Baal Shem Tov, however, with a
basis on study and spirituality it is apparent that the philosophy of Hassidism
has been able to survive the centuries and strongly resembles the teachings of
its original founder. The Hasidic
emphasis on community, the recognition of its leaders, and most importantly the
relationship between the individual, the Torah, and the Creator, are major themes
that dominate Hasidism today while finding their origin in the teachings of
Israel Baal Shem Tov.
According
to Baal Shem Tov the “nature of life is given by the wholly personal mode of
faith, and nevertheless this faith acts in such a way as to form a community”
(Buber 2). The significance of this
community is that while it fosters religious devotion, it does not create a
sect that is completely blocked off to the rest of the world. Simply put, the teachings of Baal Shem Tov do
not promote a hermitic approach to religion.
Hasidic Jews are to maintain their role in society from their rank and
profession to their duties as husbands, wives, brothers, and sisters. How do these teachings manifest in modern
Hasidic communities? Take for example
the Hasidic approach to linguistics.
While it is common for Hasidic Jews to teach their children Yiddish,
their religious language, they primarily speak the language of the country in
which they live. This example shows a
realistic approach to everyday life while still maintaining the religious
identity of the sect. The community
distinguishes itself in other ways including their unique dress and daily
immersion into prayer and study. Still,
the Hasidic idea is that the “esoteric teachings of the Kabbalah can be made
understandable to everyone. This
understanding is meant to help refine a person, as well as adding depth and
vigor to one’s ritual observation” (Hasidic Judaism 8). By insisting on one-ness with God the Hasidic
movement creates a community of devotion while maintaining a realistic outlook
on one’s role in modern society, drastically similar to the earliest teachings
on the Hasidic community.
Contrary
to Orthodox Jewry, Hasidic leaders are recognized for their “intimacy with the
divine and from a lifestyle that testifies to it” (Sherwin 102). According to the sect, communion with God is
more important than Torah study and that the later is simply a means of
achieving the former. Using Deuteronomy
10:20 as a basis, Baal Shem Tov insisted that “cleaving to God” was the primary
concern of Judaism. It is likely that
Baal Shem Tov himself never received a rabbinical title or any type of formal
rabbinical training. His connection with
the divine however made him the early leader of the sect and his example has
been followed since. While this has
created strife between the Hasidic sect and the contemporary rabbinical
establishment, it is an approach that was instituted by the earliest Hasidic
Jews and has been upheld ever since. It
is key to their spiritual growth as the role of the rebbe is to “bring his
followers closer to God” (Sherwin 102) rather than simply instruct them
according to the Torah.
Finally,
as previously mentioned the whole aim of Hasidism is to establish a greater
connection with the divine through prayer and worship. Known as “an ecstatic healer who worked
miracles using magic, amulets, and spells”(Esposito, Fasching, and Lewis 101),
Baal Shem Tov was understood to have a special relationship with the
divine. The means of obtaining this
relationship differed from that of mainstream Judaism in that study of the
Torah was secondary to piety or righteous living. As leaders emerged from mastering this
concept, it is the goal of every Hasidic Jew to do the same. Additionally, Baal Shem Tov taught that God
manifests Himself through his creation and therefore humanity has the ability
to establish a direct connection with the Creator. Prayer, righteous living, festivals, and many
other practices are simply a result of burning desire and enthusiasm to know
God and serve him accordingly. This
theme, introduced by Baal Shem Tov, was and is the underlining theme that sets
Hasidism apart from mainstream Judaism.
The survival of this teaching is essential to Hasidism and without it
the sect would have either faded into mainstream Judaism, or simply died out
all together.
The
heightened emphasis on spirituality that dominates Hasidic Judaism traces
directly back to its founder. It would
be reasonable to assume that a group that branched off of mainstream Judaism
would quickly return to its roots or even die off but the strong teachings of
Israel Baal Shem Tov proved to stand the test of time. His teachings, essential to the Hasidism were
so dominant that with any significant modification the sect would have surely
died off. Furthermore, the enthusiastic
approach proved to be appealing enough to create a significant following that
has lasted for hundreds of years. Rabbi
Eliezrie, a chief spokesman for the Hasids explains that during prayer, “…a
person reaches a certain level of spiritual ecstasy and opens himself up
spiritually. He has thought about
godliness; he has thought about spirituality; he has thought about the things
God accomplished in the world…”(Eliezrie 3).
This summarizes the basic principles of both Baal Shem Tov and the
current teachers and followers of Hasidism.
The sect has not abandoned Judaism, but simply created another and
possibly better way of reaching their God.
Through devotion and piety Baal Shem Tov developed a direct
understanding of the divine and some three hundred years later his followers
are continuing to do just that.
Bibliography
Buber,
Martin. Hasidism. New York: Philosophical Library, 1948.
Cohn-Sherbok,
Dan. The Jewish Faith. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Trinity Press
International, 1993. 91-2.
Cohon, Beryl
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Jeremy. Looking Again: Representation in Nineteenth-Century Yiddish Literature.
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Eliezrie,
David. “Hasidic Judaism.” Spiritual World. 200.
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John L., Darrel J. Fasching, and Todd Lewis. World Religions Today. 2nd
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Julius H. The Messiah Idea in Jewish History. Westport, CT: Greenwood
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