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Hasidic philosophy
This article is about Hasidic philosophy. For an overview
of the Hasidic movement, see Hasidic Judaism.
Hasidic philosophy or Hasidus (Hebrew: תודיסח),
Hasidus called the “Torah of the Baal Shem Tov" and his “Well-
springs”, after his account in a letter to Gershon of Kitov about the
elevation of his soul to the Heavenly Realms on Rosh Hashanah
1746. Repeating the Talmudic question , he asked the Messiah ,
“When is the Master coming?" The reply was, “When your Well-
springs spread forth to the furthest extremes” [1]
alternatively transliterated as Hassidism, Chassidism,
Chassidut etc. is the teachings, interpretations, and
practice of Judaism as articulated by the Hasidic move-
ment. Thus, Hasidus is a framing term for the teachings
of the Hasidic masters, expressed in its range from Torah
(the Five books of Moses) to Kabbalah (Jewish mysti-
cisim). Hasidus deals with a range of spiritual concepts
such as God, the soul, and the Torah, and gives them un-
derstandable, applicable and practical expressions.[2][3] It
also discusses the charismatic religious elements of the
movement, but mainly Hasidus describes the structured
thought and philosophy of Hasidim. In other words, it
speaks of the “soul of Torah”, as Hasidus is often referred
to by that very name.[4]
“Hasidus” (piousness) and “Hasid” (a pious person) are
terms used in Jewish literature of all ages, and are not
limited to adherents of the Hasidic movement, whose phi-
losophy is discussed in this article.
1 The term “Hasidus”
The word derives from the Jewish spiritual termHessed (or “Chessed”), commonly translated as “loving-
kindness,” and which also means kindness, love and mer-
ciful behavior. It is also one of the 10 Sephirot of
Kabbalah, which represents God’s provision of good and
sustenance to the world, and the power underlying sim-
ilar actions performed by human beings. The word
“Hasidus,” sometimes pronounced “Hasidut”, as well as
its appellation “hasid”,[5] has been used in Jewish tradi-
tion for pious persons who have sincere motives in serv-
ing God and helping others, especially when not obligated
to do so (“lifenim mi-shurat ha-din”). The “Hasid” goes
above and beyond what is demanded of him by ordinary
morality and the boundaries of Halakha, the collectivebody of religious laws for Jews which derive from the
Torah.
In Jewish religious practice, “Middat hasidut” is a reli-
gious observance or moral practice which goes beyond
mere obedience to Halakha, it is an extraordinary act of
good performed by an individual because of their love
for a fellow person or for God. An early mention of
the term “middat hasidut” appears in the Talmud (Baba
Metzia 52:2), and thereafter it was used widely in Jew-
ish Halakhic literature. Thus the term “hasid” should not
be mistaken to refer solely to a follower of the Eastern
European movement started by the Baal Shem Tov inthe 18th century and its philosophy known as hasidus.
Rather, “hasid” is a title used for many pious individuals
and by many Jewish groups since Biblical times.[6] Some
earlier European Jewish movements were also called by
this name, such as the Hasidei Ashkenaz of medieval
Germany.[6]
Today, however, the terms hasidus and hasid generally
connote Hasidic philosophy and the followers of the Ha-
sidic movement.[2][4] They refer to the mystical, pop-
ulist revival of Judaism, initiated by Rabbi Israel ben
Eliezer (the Baal Shem Tov) in 18th century Podolia and
Volhynia (now Ukraine). His close disciples developedthe philosophy in the early years of the movement. From
the third generation, the select leadership mutually de-
cided to split the Hasidic movement into smaller groups
with the hope of more easily spreading hasidus across
Eastern Europe. These new leaders, who until now were
all adherents of the second generation leader, settled in
cities from Poland, Hungary and Romania, to Lithuania
and Russia.[5]
2 In general
Hasidic tradition and thought has gained admirers[2][5]
from outside its immediate following, and outside
1
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2 3 OVERVIEW IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Orthodox Jewish belief, for its charismatic inspiration
and kabbalistic insights. "Ḥasidism should in Jewish his-
tory be classed among the most momentous spiritual rev-
olutions that have influenced the social life of the Jews,
particularly those of eastern Europe.”[5]
Distilling a culture of Jewish religious life that began be-fore the arrival of modernity, its stories, anecdotes, and
creative teachings have offered spiritual dimensions for
people today. In its more systematic and intellectual ar-
ticulations, however, it is also a form of traditional Jewish
interpretation (exegesis) of Scriptural and Rabbinic texts,
a new stage in the development of Jewish mysticism, and
a philosophically illuminated system of theology that can
be contrasted with earlier, mainstream Jewish Philoso-
phy. This quality can bridge and unite the different disci-
plines of philosophy and mysticism[5] (in the older Jew-
ish tradition of Kabbalah, experiential connection with
spirituality takes place through a highly elaborate concep-
tual theology and textual interpretation, in contrast withsome common, more intuitive definitions of mysticism;
new ideas derive authority from Scriptural interpretation,
and therefore gain an intellectual organisation). Hasidic
thought builds upon Kabbalah,[5] and is sometimes called
a new stage in its development. However, this generalisa-
tion is misleading (although implicit in Hasidus are new
interpretations of Kabbalah, that can be drawn out and re-
lated to its new philosophical positions). Kabbalah gives
the complete structure of traditional Jewish metaphysics,
using subtle categorisations and metaphors. This studies
the Divine interaction with Creation, through describing
the emanations that reveal, and mediate Godliness. Be-cause of the concern to divest these ideas from any phys-
ical connotations, Kabbalists traditionally restricted their
transmission to closed circles of advanced scholars, for
fear of misinterpreting sensitive concepts. Hasidus leaves
aside the Kabbalistic focus on complicated metaphysical
emanations, to look at the simple essence of Divinity that
it sees permeating within each level, and transcending all.
Hasidus looks to the inner spiritual meaning within Kab-
balah by relating its ideas to man’s inner psychological
awareness, and conceptual analogies from man’s obser-
vation. This independence from the esoteric nature of
Kabbalah, gives Hasidic thought its ability to be expressed
in its spiritual stories, tangible teachings, and emotionalpractices, as well as the ability to pervade and illumi-
nate other levels of Torah interpretation, not only the hid-
den ideas of Kabbalah. Hasidus only utilises Kabbalis-
tic terminology when it explains and enlivens the Kab-
balistic level of Torah interpretation. This distinctive
ability to bring Kabbalah into intellectual and emotional
grasp, is only one of the characteristics and forms of Ha-
sidic thought. The more involved Hasidic writings use
Kabbalah extensively, according to their alternative paths
within Hasidism, but only as a means to describe the in-
ner processes of spirituality, as they relate to man’s de-
votional life. The spiritual contribution of the range ofHasidus avoids the concerns that traditionally restricted
Kabbalah, and for the first time,[5] offered the whole pop-
ulation access to the inner dimensions of Judaism.
3 Overview in historical context
Main article: Hasidic JudaismThe new interpretations of Judaism initiated by the Baal
Tradition records the Baal Shem Tov as a Hidden Tzadik , liv-
ing in the Carpathian Mountains of Ukraine before his public
teaching[7]
Shem Tov, and developed by his successors, took ideas
from across Jewish tradition, and gave them new life and
meaning. It especially built upon the mystical tradition
of Kabbalah, and presented it in a way that was acces-
sible for the first time by all Jews. Until then the Jew-
ish mystical tradition had only been understandable and
reserved for a scholarly elite. The innovative spiritual-
ity of Hasidism, sought to leave aside the advanced and
subtle metaphysical focus of Kabbalah on the Heavenly
Spiritual Worlds, to apply the Kabbalistic theology to the
everyday life and Jewish observance of man. The com-
mon folk could feel the spiritual warmth within these new
teachings, as they were now related to inner human psy-
chological experience. The creative and insightful new
teachings, offered the whole community a description of
Divine immanence present in all of Creation, and an ex-
perience of Divine love and meaningful purpose behind
every occurrence of daily life. With this mystical revival,
every person could feel valuable, and Jewish spiritualityaccessible. This was especially important to the Jew-
ish societies of 18th Century Eastern Europe, who had
been crushed by persecutions and disillusionment. Out-
side of the flourishing centre of Talmudic Rabbinic Ju-
daism in Lithuania, in the regions of the Ukraine, Poland,
Hungary and Russia, the ability to access Talmudic learn-
ing had declined. Rabbinic Judaism valued such learning
as the main path to spirituality, so the outlying communi-
ties were disenfranchised from the consolations of Jewish
life.
The Baal Shem Tov, and his successors, offered the
masses a new approach to Judaism, that valued sincerityand emotional fervour, in addition to advanced learning.
This was conveyed through inner mystical interpretations
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3
Rebuilt synagogue of the Baal Shem Tov in Medzhybizh , Ukraine
of Scripture and Rabbinic texts, sometimes conveyed
by imaginative parables, as well as hagiographic talesabout the Hasidic Masters, andnew dimensions to melody
(Nigun) and customs (Minhag). The soulful warmth of
this new level of Torah captured the hearts of the masses,
while the deep ideas underlying it also attracted great
scholars. The Hasidic movement became one of the most
successful revival movement in Jewish history. Its spiri-
tuality ensured the allegiance of many followers to Jew-
ish life, through the social, political, and intellectual up-
heavals of early modern history, and has also had an ap-
peal to non-Orthodox Jewish movements until today (es-
pecially through the influence of late 19th Century and
20th Century Neo-Hasidism). The charismatic storiestold about the Hasidic Masters, the emotional contribu-
tions it brought to Judaism, and the creative originality
of some of its teachings, have become well known in the
wider Jewish world. Theologians such as Martin Buber
and writers such as Elie Wiesel have publicised the charis-
matic and lyrical dimensions of Hasidism, while Jewish
historians influenced by the early Haskalah (Enlighten-
ment movement) helped mould the common depiction of
Hasidism as a movement that mainly encouraged emo-
tional exuberance and joy, within the framework of tra-
ditional Rabbinic Jewish study and observance. However,
its outside admirers, as well as its detractors, have often
not been as familiar with the philosophical depth and sig-
nificance of its ideas, in the history of Jewish thought.
In the academic world this trend has been changed, be-
ginning with the scholarly work of Gershom Scholem,
though some of the figures in this field give secular in-
terpretations of Jewish mysticism and Hasidism, that can
differ with philosophical views from inside the move-
ment. The two dimensions to Hasidism of emotional
warmth and intellectual depth, are united in their origins,
as the movement began on both levels. The Baal Shem
Tov taught by means of parables and short, heartwarm-
ing Torah explanations that encapsulated profound inter-
pretations of Jewish mysticism. The unlearned, down-trodden masses were captivated by this new soul and life
breathed into Judaism, while the select group of great
disciples around the Baal Shem Tov, could appreciate
the scholarly and philosophical significance of these new
ideas. The anecdotal stories about the legendary figures
of Hasidism, offered a vivid bridge between the intellec-
tual ideas, and the spiritual, emotional enthusiasm they
inspired. Implicit in Hasidic tales are the new doctrines
of Hasidism, as the new interpretations of Torah taughtby its leaders, were also lived in all facets of their life and
leadership, and their new paths to serving God. This gave
birth to new Jewish practices in the lives of their followers
that also reflected the new teachings of the movement.
Each school of Hasidic thought adopted different ap-
proaches and interpretations of Hasidism. Some put
primary emphasis on the new practices and customs
(“Darkei Hasidus"-the Ways of Hasidus) that encour-
aged emotional enthusiasm, and attached the followers
to the holy influence of their leaders, and some put their
main emphasis on scholarly learning of the Hasidic teach-
ings of their leaders (“Limmud Hasidus"-the Learning ofHasidus). Some groups have seen the Hasidic way as an
added warmth to a more mainstream Jewish observance
(like “icing on the cake” of Talmudic learning), while
others have placed the learning of the writings of their
school, on a more comparable level to learning the ex-
oteric parts of Judaism. These differences are reflected
in different styles of Hasidic thought, that were shaped
by original and innovative thinkers. Some articulated
more emotional or poetic descriptions of Hasidic mysti-
cism, that inspire practical encouragement in Jewish ob-
servance, or sensitise the hearts of their followers to tran-
scendent spirituality. Some charismatic leaders in Ha-sidic history personified particular qualities, and centred
their teachings around practical outcomes of this. Others
gave a more intellectual analysis of Hasidic thought, aim-
ing their followers to be able to more deeply internalise
spiritual awareness and feeling, each person at their level
of understanding.
The disciples of Dov Ber of Mezeritch spread Hasidism through-
out Eastern Europe
This diversity mirrors the historic development of Ha-sidism. From late Medieval times, Central and Eastern
European Kabbalistic figures called Baal Shem encour-
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4 4 CHARACTERISTIC IDEAS
aged the influence of Jewish mysticism, through groups of
Nistarim (Hidden mystics). With the teaching of the Baal
Shem Tov (1698–1760), centred on Podolia (Ukraine),
the new ideas of Hasidism were conveyed initially in emo-
tional forms. After his death, his great disciples ap-
pointed Dov Ber of Mezeritch (1700?–1772) (The Mag-
gid of Mezeritch) to succeed him. Under the leadershipof the Maggid, the new movement was consolidated, and
the teachings explained and developed. The Baal Shem
Tov was a leader for the people, travelling around with his
saintly followers, bringing encouragement and comfort to
the simple masses. Dov Ber, whose ill health prevented
him from travel, devoted his main focus to developing
around himself a close circle of great, scholarly followers
(called the “Hevra Kaddisha"-Holy Society) who were to
become the individual leaders of the next generation, ap-
pointed different territories across Jewish Eastern Europe
to spread Hasidism to. They formed different interpreta-
tions of Hasidic thought, from profound insight in mysti-cal psychology, to philosophical intellectual articulations.
Many of the Hasidic leaders of the third generation, oc-
cupy revered places in Hasidic history, or influenced sub-
sequent schools of thought. Among them are Elimelech
of Lizhensk, who fully developed the Hasidic doctrine
of the Tzaddik (mystical leader) that gave birth to many
Polish Rebbes, and his charismatic brother Meshulam
Zushya of Anipoli. Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev became
the renowned defender of the people before the Heav-
enly Court, while Shneur Zalman of Liadi initiated the
Habad school of intellectual Hasidism. Subsequent Ha-
sidic leaders include Nachman of Breslav, the most imag-
inative and poetic Hasidic mystic, and the ascetic seekerof psychological integrity Menachem Mendel of Kotzk.
Dynastic succession of leadership developed (Hasidic dy-
nasties), where in some courts, such as Yisroel Friedman
of Ruzhyn, the Rebbe would conduct himself with regal
majesty.
The encounter of Judaism in the different Jewish com-
munities of Europe with modern thought, led to differ-
ent philosophical interpretations of Judaism today. It has
been said that the three figures of the Baal Shem Tov
(Hasidic spirituality), the Vilna Gaon (Lithuanian Jew-
ish Orthodox scholarship), and Moses Mendelssohn (the
founding influence on the secularising Haskalah move-ment), have each influenced the range of Jewish responses
today, through inspiration or counter-reaction. Initial
schisms could lead to beneficial synthesis. The division
between Hasidic and Mitnagdic Orthodoxy characterised
Eastern European Judaism, but from the mid-19th cen-
tury onwards they became reconciled in response to the
Haskalah. The early rejection of Jewish mysticism by
the reformers of Haskalah, led to a renewed interest in
the 20th century from academia (begun by Gershom Sc-
holem) and Jewish Renewal (Neo Hasidic) movements.
4 Characteristic ideas
4.1 Conduct
Main articles: Devekut, Jewish meditation and Rebbe
Hasidic spirituality was expressed in joyful dveikut cleaving to
God
• Dveikut: Hasidism teaches that dveikut (Hebrew:--bonding), or bonding with God, is the highד יקות
est form of God’s service and the ultimate goal of all
Torah study, prayer, and fulfilling the 613 Mitzvot.
The highest level of dveikut is Hitpashtut Hagash-
miut (Hebrew: תוימשגה -), which is an eleהתפשטות
vated state of consciousness in which the soul divests
itself of the physical senses of the body and attains
a direct perception of the Divine in all things. The
very act of striving toward dveikut is meant to ele-
vate one’s spiritual awareness and sensitivity, and to
add life, vigor, happiness and joy to one’s religious
observance and daily actions.
• Hitbodedut: One of the methods through which to
experience dveikut is hitbodedut (Hebrew: תו תה),
which is a method for contemplating God and His
greatness (see Jewish meditation) and the inner sig-
nificance of the Mitzvot.
• Character Refinement: An important element in
Hasidic philosophy is the essential task of charac-
ter refinement and improving interpersonal relation-
ships, known as tikun hamidot -"the rectifying of
the character traits”, or shvirat hamidot (Hebrew:
המדות ש ירת
)-the “breaking of the character traits.”Negative character traits, such as arrogance, jeal-
ousy, resentment, pursuit of physical pleasure as an
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4.1 Conduct 5
end in itself, and the seeking of materialistic wealth
or honor, are considered a hindrance in man’s abil-
ity to achieve a bonding, or dveikut , with God. This
goal is common to all historical paths in Rabbinic
Judaism. Maimonides, the great exponent of Me-
dieval Jewish philosophy incorporates character re-
finement in his Code of Jewish Law, as an inherentgoal and obligation within Jewish observance. The
particular, mystical, Hasidic approach to this is of-
ten compared with the ethical approach of Mussar.
In Hasidism, breaking negative traits is viewed as
a temporary stage in spiritual development. The
ideal is to reach the higher level of transforming
negative tendencies into Divine service. This is to
be achieved through contemplation of Hasidic mys-
tical thought, until the understanding awakens the
mystical fervour of dveikut . Through incorporating
this into daily life, habitually the natural, material
traits of man can be taught the superior delight ofGodliness. Hasidic thought explains that the natu-
ral, instinctive drives possess an advantage of supe-
rior strength over the more concealed holy inclina-
tions. Once they are transformed into aiding Divine
service, their vigour enables a higher and deeper
level of Jewish observance. This correlates with Ha-
sidism’s identification of Divine Omnipresence and
hidden goodness in all Creation. The Baal Shem
Tov taught this foundational lesson by interpreting
the verse in Exodus (23:5):
“When you see the donkey (Hebrew:chamor ) of your enemy lying under its bur-
den, you might refrain from helping it; you
must aid it” - When you carefully examine your
"chomer " (English: materiality), your body,
you will see “your enemy”, that it restricts your
Divine soul that longs for Godliness and the
spiritual. You will see that it “lies under its
burden” placed upon it by God, that it should
become refined through Torah and Jewish ob-
servance, as the body is reluctant and material-
istic. It may occur to you that “you will refrain
from helping it”, to enable it to fulfill its mis-
sion, and instead you will follow the path of as-ceticism, to break down the body’s resistance to
spirituality. However, not in this approach will
the light of Torah reside, rather “you must aid
it” by purifying and refining the body, rather
than breaking it. This superior elevation trans-
forms the body into a vehicle for the essential
Divine purpose in physical Creation.[8]
• Godliness in all Matter: Hasidism emphasises the
previous Jewish mystical idea to extract and elevate
the Divine in all material things, both animate and
inanimate. As taught in earlier Kabbalistic teach-ings from Isaac Luria, all worldly matter is imbued
with nitzotzot (Hebrew: תוצוצינ), or Divine sparks,
which were disseminated through the “Breaking of
the Vessels” (in Hebrew: םי ל כ ה ת ר י ש), brought
about through cosmic processes at the beginning of
Creation. The Hasidic follower strives to elevate
the sparks in all those material things that aid one’s
prayer, Torah study, religious commandments, and
overall service of God. A related concept is the im-perative to engage with the Divine through mundane
acts, such as eating, sexual relations, and other day-
to-day activities. Hasidism teaches that all actions
can be utilized for the service of God when fulfilled
with such intent. Eating can be elevated through
reciting the proper blessings before and after, while
maintaining the act’s intent as that of keeping the
body healthy for the continued service of God. Sex-
ual relations can be elevated by abstaining from ex-
cessive pursuits of sexual pleasures, while maintain-
ing focus on its core purposes in Jewish thought:
procreation, as well as the independent purpose ofdeepening the love and bond between husband and
wife, two positive commandments. Business trans-
actions too, when conducted within the parameters
of Jewish law and for the sake of monetary gain that
will then be used for fulfilling commandments, serve
a righteous purpose.
• Joy and rejection of asceticism: Hasidism em-
phasizes joy as a precondition to elevated spiritual
awareness, and teaches the avoidance of melancholy
at all costs. Furthermore, the Hasidic masters warn
that excessive obsession with trivialities and minu-
tiae of Jewish law can become an unnecessary hin-drance in the service of God due to its potentially
disheartening nature. For the same reason, Ha-
sidism shunned the earlier practices of asceticism
known to Kabbalists and Ethical followers, as hav-
ing the potential to induce downheartedness and a
weaker spirit for God’s service. Nonetheless, the
Hasidic masters themselves would often privately
follow ascetic practices, as they could adopt such
conduct without fear that it would damage their Jew-
ish observance. This was not intended as an example
for the followers.
• Valuing the Simple Jew and rejection of admon-
ishment: Despite the elite intellectual profundity
and scholarly attraction of Hasidic philosophy, Ha-
sidism became wildly popular for its soulful em-
brace of the simple, unlearned Jewish masses of the
time. The prevailing attitude when the Baal Shem
Tov began spreading his new teaching, extolled ad-
vanced Talmudic learning and belittled the non-
scholar. This traditionally placed Torah study as
the ultimate spiritual activity in Rabbinic Judaism.
However, this had developed a chasm between thescholarly elite and the disenfranchised masses. Ha-
sidism, through its emphasis on dveikut with God,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbinic_Judaismhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah_studyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmudhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_asceticismhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Luriahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbalahhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Exodushttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal_Shem_Tovhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal_Shem_Tovhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musar_movementhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_philosophyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maimonideshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbinic_Judaismhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbinic_Judaism
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6 4 CHARACTERISTIC IDEAS
Hasidism extolled love and encouragement of the sincere un-
learned Jewish folk. Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev was renowned
for his dialogue with God, arguing in their defence before the
Heavenly Court. The Baal Shem Tov taught self-sacrifice through
negation of ego to help another person
as the ultimate purpose of all commandments, rel-
egated Torah study to being merely one, albeit one
supremely important, commandment. In some Ha-
sidic interpretations, prayer superseded study, as the
spiritual vitality which could infuse all other ac-
tivities. This was born out in the main Hasidic
theoretician,[9] Schneur Zalman of Liadi's interpre-
tation of the traditional Jewish concept of learning
Torah Lishmah (learning “Torah for its own sake”),
to mean learning Torah in order to cleave to God,
rather than to perform the commandment of Torah
study itself. Furthermore, with its shunning of arro-
gance, Hasidism emphasized the equality of all whoapproach the service of God with sincere intent, go-
ing so far as to elevate the ignorant but sincere sim-
pleton over the haughty scholar. It similarly rejected
the tradition in musar literature that sometimes fo-
cused on admonishment and reward and punishment
as initial stages in worshiping God. At the time of
the Nistarim (Hidden mystics), popular preachers,
known as Maggidim would tour Jewish communities
offering admonishment as spiritual incentive. The
Baal Shem Tov and his circle opposed this as dis-
heartening and unproductive, especially after the re-
cent tragedies Eastern European Jewry had experi-enced. To the Nistarim, it was also superficial and
portrayed God in a way that appeared oppressive,
rather than the true source of Goodness. Through
the early influence of the Baal Shem Tov,[10] the
Nistarim spread the new message of encouragement
and love of the common folk.
• Bonding with the Tzadik: Hasidism teaches that
while not all are able to attain the highest levels of el-
evated spirituality, the masses can attach themselves
to the Tzadik , or truly righteous one, (in Hebrew:
לצדיקים התקשרות
) whereby even those of lesserachievement will reap the same spiritual and mate-
rial benefits. By being in the Tzadik’s presence, one
The Hasidic Rebbe exemplified new interpretations of the mysti-
cal doctrine of the Tzadik , embodying Divinity in the mundane
and channelling spiritual and physical blessing to the followers.
Alternate forms of Hasidism were shaped through different ap-
proaches to leadership
could achieve dveikut through that of the Tzadik.
The Tzadik also serves as the intercessor between
those attached to him and God, and acts as the chan-
nel through which Divine bounty is passed. To the
early Rabbinic opponents of Hasidism, its distinc-
tive doctrine of the Tzadik appeared to place an in-
termediary before Judaism’s direct connection with
God. They saw the Hasidic enthusiasm of telling
semi-prophetic or miraculous stories of its leaders
as excessive. In Hasidic thought, based on earlier
Kabbalistic ideas of collective souls, the Tzaddik is
a general soul in which the followers are included.
The Tzaddik is described as an “intermediary who
connects” with God, rather than the heretical no-
tion of an “intermediary who separates”. To the
followers, the Tzaddik is not an object of prayer,
as he attains his level only by being completely bit-
tul (nullified) to God. The Hasidic followers have
the custom of handing pidyon requests for blessing
to the Tzaddik, or visiting the Ohel graves of ear-
lier leaders. The radical statements of the power
of the Tzaddik, as the channel of Divine blessing
in this world through which God works, are basedon a long heritage of Kabbalistic, Talmudic and
Midrashic sources. The beloved and holy status of
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midrashhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talmudichttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbalistichttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohel_(grave)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbalistichttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitnagdimhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzadikhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebbehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzadikhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal_Shem_Tovhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggidhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal_Shemhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musar_literaturehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah_studyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torah_studyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitzvahhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schneur_Zalman_of_Liadihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal_Shem_Tovhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levi_Yitzchak_of_Berditchev
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4.3 Mystical theology 7
the Tzaddik in Hasidism elevated storytelling about
the Masters into a form of dveikut :
One Hasidic Master related that he visited
the court of Dov Ber of Mezeritch to “see how
he tied his shoelaces”[11]
4.2 Goals
1. Revival: At the time when Rabbi Yisrael Ba'al
Shem Tov founded Hasidism, the Jews were phys-
ically crushed by massacres (in particular, those of
the Cossack leader Chmelnitzki in 1648-1649) and
poverty, and spiritually crushed by the disappoint-
ment engendered by the false messiahs. This unfor-
tunate combination caused religious observance to
seriously wane. This was especially true in Eastern
Europe, where Hasidism began. Hasidism came to
revive the Jews physically and spiritually. It focused
on helping Jews establish themselves financially, and
then lifting their morale and religious observance
through its teachings.
2. Piety: A Hasid, in classic Torah literature, refers to
one of piety beyond the letter of the law. Hasidism
demands and aims at cultivating this extra degree of
piety. Not from a legal perspective, but out of love
of the Creator.
3. Refinement: Hasidism teaches that one should not
merely strive to improve one’s character by learn-
ing new habits and manners. Rather a person shouldcompletely change the quality, depth and maturity
of one’s nature. This change is accomplished slowly
by carrying out the practices of Hasidic Philosophy,
and travelling to see the Rebbe, the leader of the Ha-
sidic sect to which one belongs.
4. Demystification: In Hasidism, it is believed that the
esoteric teachings of Kabbalah can be made under-
standable to everyone. This understanding is meant
to help refine a person, as well as adding depth and
vigor to one’s ritual observance.
In general, Hasidism claims to prepare the world forMoshiach, the Jewish Messiah, through these four
achievements.
In a letter, the Ba'al Shem Tov describes how one Rosh
Hashana his soul ascended to the chamber of Moshiach,
where he asked Moshiach, “when will the master (Moshi-
ach) come.” Moshiach answered him, “when the well-
springs of your teachings, which I have taught you, will
be spread out.”
4.3 Mystical theology
Main articles: Tzimtzum and Divine providence (Ju-
daism)
Hasidic philosophy teaches that knowledge of God is the
essence of the Torah and of everything in the world.[5]
Hasidic Philosophy (along with Kabbalah) is also known
as “Pnimiyut HaTorah”, the Inner Dimension of the
Torah. The first premise of Hasidic Philosophy is Godand His unity: that God transcends everything and, yet,
is found in everything.[5] God transcends all forms and
limitations, even the most sublime. To God all forms are
equal, and so His intents can be discovered in all of them
equally. All existence is an expression of His Being. In
the Baal Shem Tov’s words, “God is everything and ev-
erything is God.”
(This is a very subtle and difficult subject, based on the
Kabbalistic doctrine of Tzimtzum, and not to be con-
fused with Pantheism, which is heretical in Jewish be-
lief. Charges of Pantheistic tendencies were incorrectly
ascribed to Hasidism, by their its religious opponents(Mitnagdim), and by historians of the later, secularising
Haskalah movement. This was partly done out of mis-
taken fear that Hasidism was another mystical heresy, like
the Sabbatean following, from the recent past. Pantheism
equates God with nature, and because it denies the tran-
scendence of God, is opposite in tendency to Hasidism.
In Jewish mystical thought, God is so unlimited, that He is
also able to express Himself in the finite world of nature.
This is more accurately described as a Jewish version of
Panentheism-"All is within God”).
This premise means that everything is an infinite revela-
tion of God, even the smallest and most trivial thing. This
basic axiom leads to four points which are the pillars of
the Ba'al Shem Tov’s approach:
1. Torah: According to the Ba'al Shem Tov the Torah
is all God’s “names.” This means that every detail of
the Torah is an infinite revelation of God, and there
is no end to what we can discover from it. Just as
God is infinite so is the meaning of the Torah in-
finite. The Ba'al Shem Tov often explains a verse
or word in unconventional, and sometimes contra-
dictory ways, only to show how all of these inter-
pretations connect and are one. The Baal Shem Tov
would even explain how all of the combinations of a
word’s letters connect.
2. Divine Providence: a) According to the Ba'al Shem
Tov every event is guided by Divine Providence.
Even the way a leaf blows in the wind, is part of
the Divine plan. b) Every detail is essential to the
perfection of the entire world. If things were not ex-
actly this way, the entire Divine plan would not be
fulfilled. c) This Divine purpose is what creates and
gives life to this thing. Thus, its entire existence is
Divine. Based on this, the Ba'al Shem Tov preached
that one must learn a Godly lesson in everything oneencounters. Ignoring His presence in any factor of
existence is seen as a spiritual loss.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panentheismhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbateanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haskalahhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitnagdimhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheismhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzimtzumhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_providence_(Judaism)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_providence_(Judaism)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tzimtzumhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ba%2527al_Shem_Tovhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_Messiahhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohdan_Khmelnytskyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dov_Ber_of_Mezeritch
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85 DEFINITIONAND RELATION TO THE OTHER LEVELS OF TORAH INTERPRETATION, AND TO MAINSTREAM JEWISH PHILO
3. Inherent Value: The Ba'al Shem Tov teaches that
even a simple Jew is inherently as valuable as a great
sage. For all Jews are “God’s children” (Deuteron-
omy 14:1), and a child mirrors his father’s image and
nature. And, just as God is eternal and his Torah
and Commandments are eternal, so are his people
eternal. Even the least Jew is seen as a crown thatglorifies God.
4. Brotherly Love: The command to love another, ac-
cording to the Baal Shem Tov, does not mean sim-
ply being nice. Rather, one must constantly strive to
banish negative traits and cultivate good ones. This
command encompasses one’s entire life.
Other aspects of the Ba'al Shem Tov’s approach: One
should strive to permanently rectify negativity and not
just suppress it. The effort in one’s divine service is most
important. If God wanted perfection, He would not havecreated us with faults and struggles. Rather, God desires
our effort and struggle and challenges.
5 Definition and relation to the
other levels of Torah interpreta-
tion, and to mainstream Jewish
philosophy
5.1 Four levels of Torah interpretation
(Pardes)
Classic Jewish teachings interpret each verse of the Torah
(and often, other Jewish Scriptures from the Tanach-the
Hebrew Bible, that are held to be revealed by “Nevuah"-
Prophecy or the lower level of “Ruach Hakodesh"-Divine
Spirit, also occasionally applied to the Oral Tradition,
liturgy, etc.) on four levels. They are:
• Pshat: Meaning “Simple"-the plain meaning of the
text. Can be ingenious
• Remez: A “Hinted” meaning, another concept con-cealed within the wording, that may be alluded to in
a variety of ways
• Drash: A homiletic interpretation of the words,
from the word “Doresh"-to expound. Gives a tan-
gential meaning that is often imaginative or ethical,
sometimes derived from comparing similar word-
ing from different Scriptural verses. Stories in the
Midrash can movingly personalise God’s relation-
ship with His people, and their response, and are
held by commentators to contain deeper secrets
• Sod: The “Secret” interpretation of the text found inKabbalah that involves deep, spiritual meanings of
the Torah, derived from the Scriptural words using
esoteric rules of hermeneutics. Describes the meta-
physical order of Creation, with the systems of the
Jewish mystical tradition. While the Kabbalah was
rooted in prophetic and visionary experiences of the
Divine, over time it gained greater conceptualisa-
tion, so that it became an intellectual system, based
on the Biblical text, taught to initiates. It relates itsabstract descriptions of emanations, souls etc. to
the descending levels of spiritual “Worlds” between
the Infinite and our finite physical Universe. Spe-
cific and subtle categories of Divine manifestations
are described. In this way the concern of Kabbalah
is with the Heavenly realms, and man’s impact on
them.
The first letters of these 4 words spell the word Pardes-
"Orchard”. Each successive level of exegesis gives a more
esoteric and spiritual explanation of the Biblical text. The
first 3 methods are used in the part of Judaism describedas “Nigleh"-"Revealed”, comprising many classic Bible
commentaries, the Talmudic literature, Halachic works,
Medieval Philosophy etc., that frames Jewish thought
from man’s perspective and intellectual terms. This was
historically the main part of Jewish study. The 4th level is
involved in the “Nistar"-"Hidden” aspect of Judaism, that
is found in the books of Kabbalah and some other clas-
sic Bible commentators. This is a spiritually orientated
study, explaining Judaism in metaphysical terms, “God’s
intellect” drawn progressively down into human compre-
hension. “Toras haHasidus”, the teachings of Hasidus,
are also considered part of Nistar, and often also utiliseKabbalistic terminology, but what is the true nature of
Hasidic thought? Is it part of Sod, as is commonly
thought? What is the difference between Kabbalah and
Hasidus? Is it hidden in the way that Kabbalah can only
truly be sensed by the most advanced student? Does not
Hasidic thought have multiple forms of expression, from
the principles inherent in legendary spiritual stories, to
the analytical texts that speak to the soul? If a Hasidic
parable or short explanation can avoid all words of Kab-
balah, does Hasidus not also relate to Pshat, Remez and
Drush?
5.2 Origin of the Jewish mystical tradition
After Biblical references to esoteric descriptions of the
Divine, texts devoted to mysticism in Judaism first
emerge in the "Merkavah" vision by the prophet Ezekiel
found in the Book of Ezekiel chapter 1,[12] in the litera-
ture of the Second Temple period[13] and the “Heichalot
(or Hekalot)" literature from the geonic period.[14] The
distinctive works of the Kabbalah first appear in 13th
Century Spain and France. Kabbalists differ with the
general view of secular scholarship, by holding that the
source of the main Kabbalistic work, the Zohar, lies overa thousand years earlier with Shimon bar Yochai, and
they believe the hidden transmission to continue further
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shimon_bar_Yochaihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geonimhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hekhalot_literaturehttp://tools.wmflabs.org/bibleversefinder/?book=Ezekiel&verse=1&src=JPhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Ezekielhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezekielhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkabah_mysticismhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardes_(Jewish_exegesis)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabbalahhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midrashhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanach
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5.3 Significance of the Kabbalistic system to mainstream Jewish tradition 9
back to Mount Sinai, and beyond. The Medieval flower-
ing of Kabbalah gained greater momentum after the ex-
pulsion from Spain in 1492, which encouraged greater
mystical endeavour in response to the tragedy. With the
16th Century school of Safed, the Kabbalah reached its
complete structure, with the successive Kabbalistic sys-
tems of Moses Cordovero and Isaac Luria. While re-served for the scholarly elite, it became mainstream to
Jewish thought and religious life. It replaced the ear-
lier Aristotelian school of Philosophy, as the authorita-
tive and complete Jewish theology. Its concepts infused
the prayerbook and folklore. In the Ashkenazi world of
European Jewry, the distorted mysticism and apostasy of
Shabbetai Zvi in 1665-6, brought about restrictions to the
spread of Kabbalah, and its popularisers were looked on
with suspicion. It was such concern that later informed
the opposition from the Mitnagdim(“Opposers”), to the
mystical revivalism and revolution of Hasidism, that for
a few generations split the world of Eastern EuropeanJewry. More recently, after Hasidus had replaced Kab-
balah as the predominant European Jewish mystical ex-
pression, the spread of the Haskalah(“Intellectualism”,
reframing Judaism from the perspective of the secular
Enlightenment) from Western Europe eastwards, became
the second influence that restricted the mystical in Ju-
daism. However, the new academic study of Jewish mys-
ticism, and a new interest in Hasidism and Kabbalah
across the spectrum of Jewish denominations in the 20th
Century, have reversed the legacy of these trends today.
The Sephardi world of Oriental Jewry was more remote
from these challenges to mysticism, and so maintained on
the whole, its tradition of Kabbalah in its mainstream life,even without the European input of Hasidism. Nonethe-
less, in the last two generations some Sephardi commu-
nities have come under the influence of Hasidism, espe-
cially the outreach movements of Habad and Breslav.
5.3 Significance of the Kabbalistic system
to mainstream Jewish tradition
The hidden dimension of Judaism described in the Kab-
balah is not separate from the revealed dimension of
mainstream tradition, but accompanies and explains it on
a deeper and spiritual level. Looking at the reasons given
in Judaism for the commandments of Jewish observance,
and the purpose of Creation in general, can illustrate the
significance of Nistar to the rest of Jewish thought. The
Torah outlines the commandments of Jewish observance
with occasional explanations, later Scriptures movingly
encourage their observance in Prophetic admonishment
and transfigured poetry, the Talmud codifies the law, and
the Midrash imaginatively describes how Jewish obser-
vance affects God in human psychological terms. The
Commentators, Philosophers, and Masters of Musar give
explanations for the commandments on various symbolic,psychological, and ethical levels as to their particular sig-
nificances and reasons. With all this, the commandments
are given many meanings, and the spiritual path of main-
stream tradition awakens in the individual psychology,
feelings of sensitivity and responsibility to their fellow
man and to their Heavenly Father. Philosophically, how-
ever, for the person who only studies the revealed dimen-
sion of Judaism, ultimately the commandments are ob-
served because they are Divine decrees, and the reasonsgiven are not absolute. It is clear that this applies to the
ritual commandments, where God could have asked for
different practices, and reasons given for them in Nigleh
are symbolic. But the ethical commandments encour-
aging caring behaviour, and forbidding cruel behaviour,
would seem to have reason why God would instruct them.
However, since God is infinite and has no needs, accord-
ing to human intellect, then the purpose of the command-
ments is for the improvement and benefit of man. This is
the usual view of Jewish Philosophy within the revealed
part of Judaism, without the influence of Kabbalah. The
hidden dimension of Nistar in Judaism, is a Divine as-pect of intellect, and is not limited to boundaries of hu-
man logic. The Torah of Nistar is able to approach the
limitless mystery of infinitude that is expressed in Divine
paradox. In the mainstream philosophical view, the ethi-
cal commandments are given for man’s benefit, to encour-
age him to resemble the goodness of God and rise in holi-
ness. True goodness for man only lies in the superior life
of the soul, rather than the temporary life of physicality.
The ultimate attainment of this is the eternal reward of
the hereafter, and Messianic era. So the greatest purpose
of the commandments is their gift of a chance to earn
this reward. As will be explained later, one of the char-
acteristic qualities of Hasidic thought is that it brings theHasid to a selfless nullification in serving God, where the
idea of looking for reward is felt to be impure and repul-
sive. However, according to Nigleh without Kabbalistic
thought, the greatest purpose why God commanded even
the ethical laws is to give man a test, through which he
can receive eternal reward. Nonetheless, according to this
human perspective, where God has no needs, why should
it inherently matter if man is good or not? It therefore
seems that also the ethical precepts of Judaism depend
on Divine decree.
The complete mystical system depicted in Lurianic Kab-
balah introduces new teachings (new revelations from theperspective of Jewish belief) that transform Jewish mys-
ticism and its power of explanation. In the “Kabbalah of
the Ari” (Isaac Luria), metaphysical reasons for the com-
mandments are given that describe how the revelations
in the upper, spiritual Worlds, and the messianic work
of redemption in all levels of Creation, depends upon the
sanctifying conduct of each individual in this World. The
introduction of the cosmic event of the “Breaking of the
Vessels” in the primordial World of “Tohu"(Chaos), be-
fore our order of Creation, gives rise to fallen sparks of
holiness that infuse all matter. The spiritual service of
separating and elevating the fallen sparks, through thepresent Worlds of “Tikkun"(Fixing), is accomplished by
observance of the Jewish precepts that are taught in the
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musar_literaturehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haskalahhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitnagdimhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shabbetai_Zvihttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Luriahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses_Cordovero
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105 DEFINITION AND RELATION TO THE OTHER LEVELS OF TORAH INTERPRETATION, AND TO MAINSTREAM JEWISH PHIL
revealed dimension of Judaism. Particular explanations
of each commandment’s metaphysical function are given,
that areseen as deriving fromthe Scriptural words of their
source. Where the Talmud interprets the verses of the
Torah, according to its rules, to learn out details of law
– in this study the same words are seen as offering spir-
itual explanations, derived by applying the esoteric tex-tual rules of Kabbalah. This idea of the redemption of
the fallen sparks of holiness, gives innovative sanctity to
mundane reality, and yet is also traditionally conforma-
tive – the effect of redemption is achieved whether one is
aware of it or not. This radical doctrine depends on, and
is inseparable from the revealed dimension of Judaism,
and the observance of daily Halacha (Jewish law). For
the student of Kabbalah, the “soul” of the observance, its
“kavanah"(intention) can be different. It remains a mat-
ter of opinion whether one’s intention can be directed to
achieving the Kabbalistic rectification of the command-
ment, the redemption of Divine manifestations through-out the levels of existence. Alternatively, the Kabbalistic
scheme can open the door to greater “dveikus"(cleaving)
to God Himself, the Divine essence. As this illustrates,
the intricate explanations of Kabbalah, which describe
the effect of man on the systems of Divine manifestation
in the spiritual Worlds, are inseparable from the revealed
aspects of Judaism.
To the Medieval school of Jewish Philosophy, that framed
Judaism in light of Greek thought and human intellect,
God the Infinite has no needs. As the student of Torah
ascends through the thought of the Pardes system, as the
interpretations become more inward and spiritual, it be-comes progressively understood that God desires man’s
observance of the Jewish precepts, so to speak. With
the hidden dimension of “Penimiut haTorah"(the “Inner”
mystical level of Nistar) the thought describes how, in the
purpose of Creation that God chose to take upon Him-
self, man is needed to fulfil the redemption. So why ul-
timately, would God have set up such a system? Surely
He had no needs to be met. Judaism gives various an-
swers, and Nistar gives its own reasons and explanations.
Explanations range from “it is in the nature of the good
to do good”, to Creation being a process of God know-
ing Himself, each answer reflecting a different aspect of
Divinity. Hasidus focuses on the most essential reason,that most describes the infinite ability and unknowabil-
ity of Divine paradox, beyond human grasp, reflected in
the description of Nistar(“hidden”) for the mystical lev-
els of Judaism. In this explanation the purpose of Cre-
ation is that “God desired a dwelling place in the lower
realms” - it is man who transforms the mundane, lowest
World into an abode for God’s essence. In Jewish belief,
its fulfilment will be revealed in the cumulation of Cre-
ation, in the era of resurrection, in the physical World.
The word “desire”, best summarises the essential wish,
because in Kabbalistic explanation this is desire rooted
in God’s essence, above rationality.
5.4 New mystical tradition
Emotional aspects of Hasidism: Present Kaliver Rebbe at left.
Growing up as a shephard boy before being brought to Hasidism,
Yitzchak Isaac Taub (1744-1828) of Kaliv later adapted Hun-
garian folk songs to serve Hasidic mystical fervour. “The rooster
crows, Dawn brightens the sky..” [15] Hasidic emotion received
musical expression in distinctive forms of nigun melody
Imaginative aspects of Hasidism: Nachman of Breslov articu-
lated the most poetic interpretation of Hasidic thought. His au-
tobiographical accounts shaped a path of creative faith. The 13
Sippurei Ma'asiyot Wonder-Tales of Royalty and Sages, animals
and forests give artistic literary personification to Hasidic thought
and are studied for Kabbalistic allusions and devotion[16]
Hasidism, the most recent expression of the Jewish mys-
tical tradition, is founded upon the earlier Kabbalah. Inthe 18th century the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the
Hasidic movement, reframed Jewish spirituality in a new
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baal_Shem_Tovhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiddish_literature#Hasidic_and_Haskalah_literaturehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nachman_of_Breslovhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigunhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosterhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaliv_(Hasidic_dynasty)
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5.5 Systematic articulation 11
paradigm, that described the Kabbalah in relation to man.
This represented a profound change in the expression of
Jewish mysticism, because it left aside the Heavenly focus
of Kabbalistic understanding, which had required enor-
mous intricacy and subtle esoteric categorisation, that had
only been accessible to great scholars. The new path of
the Baal Shem Tov related Kabbalistic ideas to humanpsychological experience, that was accessible to every
person. The follower of the Baal Shem Tov, and later
Hasidic Masters, was given the ability to perceive the Di-
vine here in this world, through the sensitivity of their
heart, and grasp of their mind to Godliness. Biblical and
Rabbinic thought describes the two feelings of love and
fear(awe) of God, as the basis of Jewish observance and
the experience of holiness. In this quest of the spirit,
various levels of both are described, and paths to de-
velop them are given. The variety of Scriptural, practical
and spiritual texts in the Jewish tradition can awaken in
a sympathetic reader many responses, from poetical de-light to intellectual reverence. If the reader feels through
them an encounter with Divinity, they can inspire per-
sonal shades of love and awe, in proportion to each in-
dividual’s understanding. To the Medieval school of in-
tellectual Philosophy, additionally, considering the won-
ders of Creation offered another path to seeing Divine
Providence. The spiritual teachings of the Hasidic Mas-
ters, that brought mysticism into tangible grasp, awak-
ened soulful, innermost levels of the two main feelings of
love and awe of God, and their derivatives. The teach-
ings of Kabbalah include discussion of the Divine spark
in the soul of man, and the unique embrace of God in-
herent in the commandments of the Torah. By referringthe whole mystical tradition around this Godly essence,
higher than the Heavenly emanations, the Hasidic path
uncovered the inner simple essence of the Kabbalah. Be-
cause this approach was rooted in the essential unity of
God rather than the elaborate Divine manifestations, it
could be conveyed to the whole community of Israel,
great and small alike. The teachings, stories and conduct
of the Baal Shem Tov uncovered this essential holiness in
sincerity to God and one’s fellow man, which came nat-
urally to the unlearned, who had previously been looked
down to, by those more spiritually adept, and who now
could learn from them lessons in serving God. The BaalShem Tov reached out to two groups of people: the sim-
ple unlearned masses whom he encouraged and invigo-
rated, and the great Torah scholars who formed a close
circle of saintly mystics around him. He would teach both
groups with short, mystical Torah explanations, parables
and stories that alluded to the inner meaning of Kabbal-
istic ideas. To the simple masses this was the first time
Jewish mysticism had been conveyed in a way they could
grasp, while his close circle understood the profound na-
ture of the ideas alluded to. This “Holy Society” of saintly
followers would later go on to become Hasidic Masters
themselves, in the second generation under the leadership
of Dov Ber of Mezeritch, and in the third generation di-
versifying into many branches across Eastern Europe.
5.5 Systematic articulation
Intellectual aspects of Hasidism: Sholom Dovber Schneersohn
called the " Maimonides " of Hasidut in Habad for his new sys-
tematic development of Hasidic thought. Habad differed from
mainstream Hasidic fervour by seeking the philosophical inves-
tigation and contemplative internalisation of its mystical spiritu-
ality. This stressed the mind as the route to the heart [17]
This idea, that the new path begun by the Baal Shem
Tov, opened up the mystical tradition to everyone, how-
ever is not the complete explanation of the relationship
of Hasidus to the other parts of Torah. According to
this characteristic quality, Hasidus gave every person a
perception of the Divine, and made Kabbalistic expla-
nations understandable. As its inner meaning, or “soul”,
the esoteric terminology of Kabbalah could now be made
alive, and emotionally invigorating. In this way, Hasidus
might be viewed as a vital commentary on Kabbalah. In-
deed, during the secular Haskalah-Jewish Enlightenment,
many scholars who were disparaging of mysticism saw
the Baal Shem Tov only as a populariser of Kabbalah.
However, there is a deeper explanation. One follower
of Dov Ber, Shneur Zalman of Liadi, was the founder
of Habad-a Kabbalistic acronym for the intellectual pow-
ers of the soul, that expressed the “wellsprings” of the
Baal Shem Tov in systematic intellectual form. This ap-
proach was very different from the other schools of Ha-
sidism, and at first glance looked to be the opposite of the
path of the Baal Shem Tov, who had emphasised simple
sincerity. Shneur Zalman’s approach used an intellectual
contemplation of understanding inner Torah concepts to
achieve elevated states, as opposed to the mainstream aim
to arouse the emotions by devotion in prayer. All ap-proaches, however, aim to evoke the emotions of love
and fear of God, which are the two 'wings’ on which a
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habadhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shneur_Zalmanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_meditationhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habadhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maimonideshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sholom_Dovber_Schneersohnhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dov_Ber_of_Mezeritch
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125 DEFINITION AND RELATION TO THE OTHER LEVELS OF TORAH INTERPRETATION, AND TO MAINSTREAM JEWISH PHIL
person can elevate himself to the direct perception of the
Divine. His main work, the Tanya became established as
a classic, inspirational text, and was studied by other Ha-
sidic paths even though they did not follow its methods.
The approach of Habad, later to be called Lubavitch after
its home town, developed over 7 generations of leaders,
each Rebbe explaining the teachings of Hasidus in evergreater elucidation and clarity. If the inner dimension
of Nistar describes Jewish thought from God’s perspec-
tive, then the increasing explanation of Hasidic philoso-
phy through the teachings of the 7 leaders of Habad draws
God’s intellect down into man’s comprehension. It would
seem that the finite mind should not be able to grasp the
infinite. However, true infinity should also find expres-
sion in the finite, a paradoxical achievement, similar to
God’s relation with Creation. Medieval Jewish Philoso-
phy systematically studied Jewish thought in line with An-
cient Greek methods, framing it from Man’s Intellect. To
some extent the abstract Kabbalistic systems of the 16thCentury, elucidated a Divine image of Judaism that the
Human mind could grasp, but it was not a complete un-
derstanding from Man’s perspective. With the study of
Habad Hasidic philosophy, that intellectually explained
the inner soul of Judaism that the Baal Shem Tov and
subsequent leaders had conveyed, the Divine intellectual
image of Torah could be truly assimilated into Human
thought. This intellectual explanation of “the Torah of the
Baal Shem Tov” represents a study of the Divine – The
fifth lubavitcher Rebbe Shalom Dov Ber said that Habad
Hasidus enables the human mind to know God’s essence.
When the student contemplates deeply the concepts of
Godliness delineated in Habad Hasidus, and senses emo-tionally the holiness, the inherent love and awe of God
within the ideas, then he realises that within the idea he
has grasped is true Divinity. This philosophy retains an
aspect that is transcendent and beyond grasp, the Divine
origin of the idea.
5.6 Philosophical explanation
On the Hasidic festival of the 19th of Kislev (tradition-
ally described in Habad as the New Year for the Torah
of Hasidus) in 1965, the 7th leader of Habad, Menachem
Mendel Schneerson, gave a discourse that gave a philo-
sophical explanation of the nature of Hasidic thought.
It was later published by Kehot Publication Society in a
bilingual edition as “On the essence of Chassidus”. In line
with the aim of Habad to articulate the inner Torah with
fullest intellectual explanation, each subsequent Rebbe of
Lubavitch saw their task as to spread the “wellsprings” of
Hasidus to new intellectual frontiers. Each Rebbe had
their own style of thought, and this discourse is an exam-
ple of the depth and clarity of the last Rebbe’s thought.
Like the common saying found in other contexts, “stand-
ing on the shoulders of the previous generations”, the ex-planations and emphases of each successive Rebbe was
made possible by the developing teachings of their pre-
decessors. In this discourse, the Rebbe asks what is the
nature of Hasidus, and how does it differ from those parts
of Torah that had been revealed until then?
• To begin with, he gives four answers that have been
given in earlier sources and manuscripts. Firstly, at
the time of the Baal Shem Tov the Jewish world wasin a state of faint, and common to the custom to
arouse the soul of someone who has fainted by whis-
pering their Jewish name in their ear, so the Baal
Shem Tov, who shared his name Israel with all the
Jewish people, awoke the people of Israel from this
state. Secondly, commenting on the Talmudic dic-
tum that “a Hasid (pious person) is one who goes
beyond the letter of the law”, Hasidic explanation
of this sees in this idea an ability to serve God with
true selflessness. While seeking personal spiritual
revelations is commended in Torah, nonetheless, the
motivation of a true Hasid is to sacrifice these goalsto help another person, or serve God more sincerely.
Thirdly, the main point of Hasidus is to change the
nature of the emotional attributes in one’s personal-
ity, including rectifying the instinctively good traits,
so that they become intentionally holy ones. The
fourth answer is that by explaining Kabbalistic ideas,
Hasidus enables everyone to grasp Divinity, even
those people without lofty souls, or who have not
refined themselves.
• After this the Rebbe concludes that none of these an-
swers captures the essence of Hasidus, but are char-
acteristic aspects. Distinguishing between essenceand manifestations, the Rebbe defines the essence of
Hasidus as a new revelation in Torah directly from
the highest possible Kabbalisic levels, corresponding
to the 5th level of the soul, its essential “Yechida”
(complete “singular unity” with God). While all of
Torah is believed to derive from God’s essence, the
4 levels of Pardes are seen to be affected by the
ever increasing concealment of Tzimtzum (contrac-
tions of the Divine “light”) as they descend through
the Kabbalistic system of the 4 spiritual “Worlds”.
Each level of Torah relates to and is affected by
each World, that also correspond to the 4 lower lev-
els of the soul. Each of the 4 levels of Pardes be-
come limited and fixed in the defining qualities of
each of their particular natures, even the most lofty
and abstract mysticism of the 4th level, Sod. Only a
5th level, the Hasidic explanation of Torah, remains
unresricted and unaffected by Tzimtzum, which is
why it is not listed among the 4 levels (similar to the
way that a person’s soul is not listed in relation to
their head, or their foot). While the 4th level, the
Kabbalistic interpretation, is called “the soul of the
Torah”, as it gives the metaphysical explanation of
Torah, the 5th level of Hasidus is called the “soul of
the soul”, or “inner soul”, the true infinite essence ofTorah, that reveals the Divine origin of the lower 4
levels.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pardes_(Jewish_exegesis)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menachem_Mendel_Schneersonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menachem_Mendel_Schneersonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalom_Dov_Berhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubavitch
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5.6 Philosophical explanation 13
• To explain this, the Rebbe takes a line from Jewish
liturgy (poigniantly the first words a Jew says upon
awakening in the morning, “Modeh ani...”, in line
with the Rebbe’s emphasis on action in serving God)
and then proceeds to explain it on each of the 4 suc-
cessive levels of Pardes interpretation. Afterwards
the Rebbe gives the Hasidic meaning of Modeh ani,the 5th level of explanation. A soul has two qualities:
it both transcends the body, and also descends into
and permeates the body, being found from the high-
est faculty of the body (the head), even down into
the limbs with the most simple function (the feet).
In this way, the 5th explanation represents the soul
in itself, as it transcends the 4 levels of Pardes. Af-
ter this the Rebbe then goes on to show how now
that we know the Hasidic interpretation of Modeh
ani, each of the previous 4 explanations takes on a
whole new meaning. We are now able to see the
soul of Hasidus within each of the previous 4 lev-els. Each one now becomes alive and soulful, as
we now understand each of the 4 levels of Pshat,
Remez, Drush and Sod “in light of Hasidus”. To
demonstrate this the Rebbe goes through their 4 ex-
planations, illuminating each in light of the 5th level.
In each case their meaning is deepened and spiritu-
alised. This represents the soul as it descends into
and permeates the 4 levels of Pardes. To conclude,
the Rebbe shows how it only the Hasidic explanation
that unites each of the preceding 4 commentaries,
by revealing the essential common thread that runs
through them, as essence permeates all manifesta-
tions. For this reason, Hasidus is likened to olive oil,its concealment in the olive representing “secret of
secrets”, which analogously possesses the two qual-
ities of an essence: it does not mix with other liq-
uids, similar to the way that essence is separate, but
permeates other substances, as essence infuses all its
manifestations. This is contrasted with wine, whose
concealment before pressing represents Kabbalistic
“secrets”, but whose ripening in the fruit improves
its quality. Hasidus is above all boundaries of con-
cealment and revelation, and so can reach and reveal
the “innermost secret” soul of the most distant per-
son to holiness.
• During the demonstration of the 4th level of Kab-
balah, as it is explained and lives in light of the 5th
level of Hasidus, the Rebbe addresses a widely held
misconception. It is commonly held that Hasidus
came along to explain Kabbalah so that everyone
could grasp ideas of Godliness. In this way, maybe
Hasidus is a commentary on Kabbalah, and Kab-
balah, with its hidden and complicated terminology
mastered only by great Kabbalists, is more lofty?
This accords with the misconception that Hasidus
is just a part of the 4th level of Sod. Was the Baal
Shem Tov merely a populariser of the Jewish mys-tical tradition, as many secular historians have de-
picted him? To answer, the Rebbe explains that just
the reverse is true, Kabbalah is a commentary on
Hasidus! In this discourse the Rebbe shows that
Hasidus is not just part of the 4th level of Sod, but
the true “Quintessetial” (the translator was excited
that this word also indicates the concept of 5!) 5th
level of Torah, the Divine source of the 4 manifes-
tations. Each of the 4 levels of Pardes are limitedcommentaries, in their respective fashions, on the
inner, infinite soul of Torah, that is only expressed
in the 5th Hasidic level. The Hasidic illumination
of Kabbalah is a characteristic manifestation of this
essence, and is only one of the qualities of Hasidus.
The reason that Kabbalah is abstract and compli-
cated, while Hasidus is soulfull and simple, is be-
cause Hasidus aloneis a reflection of the infinite sim-
plicity of God. It takes a higher light of spirituality
to unite multiplicity and division, so Hasidus derives
from a higher source. As well as explaining concepts
of Kabbalah, Hasidus interprets ideas from all 4 lev-els of Torah, in addition to the vitality with which it
permeates the explanations themselves, of each of
the 4 levels.
• In the rest of the discourse, the Rebbe explains the
relationship of Hasidus, the Yechida of Torah, to the
Messiah, the general Yechida soul of the community
of Israel, and to the Messianic era he inaugurates,
the Yechida of Creation. He also describes the re-
lationship of Hasidus to Halachah (Jewish ritual and
ethical law), which comprises the vehicle in Judaism
by which man approaches God in his daily life. The
Rebbe takes an example from Jewish law to illus-trate this (the Rabbinic law of temporary acquisition
of property in a person’s vicinity). The “revealed”,
legal part of Judaism has its own methodollogy and
logic from first principles to final rulings, indepen-
dent of additional philosophical, ethical, or mystical
meanings of the law. Nonetheless, the mystical tra-
dition in Judaism sees itself as united, inseparable,
and complimentary to the revealed tradition. Some
great figures in Jewish history who expounded both
dimensions, state that true decisions in Jewish law
should only be made in light of Kabbalistic under-
standing.
While this connection with halachah is found in the eso-
teric explanations of Kabbalah, the simple Divine essence
articulated through Hadidic philosophy brings a true, es-
sential connection with the law. Using the example given
in this discourse, the Rebbe demonstrates how the legal
rulings gain new depth and clarity on their own terms,
once their spiritual Hasidic explanations are understood.
The mysticism of Hasidus, unlike Kabbalah, is able to de-
scend and be revealed in all parts of Jewish thought, and
gives new vitality to each level, within the style of thought
of each one.
• Since, the Rebbe explains, Hasidus is the essence of
Torah, and an infinite essence cannot be grasped it-
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145 DEFINITION AND RELATION TO THE OTHER LEVELS OF TORAH INTERPRETATION, AND TO MAINSTREAM JEWISH PHIL
self, the nature of Hasidus is expressed only from its
manifestations. The Jewish mystical text Sefer Yet-
zirah describes the dynamic process of spirituality
with the words “the beginning is wedged in the end,
and the end is wedged in the beginning”. In Jewish
mysticism, this flow of Divinity applies to the pur-
pose of Creation: the true and initial desire of Godwas for a dwelling place in the lowest physical level
of Creation. In the Kabbalistic description of Cre-
ation, the infinite “light” that emanates from God,
descends through innumerable contractions, levels,
and concealments until it reaches and continuously
creates our physical Universe. The purpose is only
found in the lowest level, where man mystically ele-
vates the material world by using it to fulfill the will
of God. When the process is complete, this world
will become the dwelling place for God’s essence.
The same dynamic expressed by the Sefer Yetzirah
applies to Hasidus. The true essence of Hasidus isexpressed most when it extends to and revives the
furthest places, reflecting the classic answer of the
Messiah to the Baal Shem Tov on Rosh Hashanah
of the year 5507 (1746) that he would come when
“your wellsprings are spread to the furthest places”.
All parts of Torah have the ability to spiritually
awaken people far from the Jewish tradition. How-
ever, often their estrangement from Jewish thought
precludes them from feeling a connection to Jew-
ish spirituality, that might inspire them to investi-
gate further. Because Hasidic thought sees the hid-
den purity and goodness in everything, it can awaken
those who feel most distant. Through understandingHasidic thought, they can then identify themselves
with the Hasidic dimension in their own conscious-
ness, and become inspired to develop their Jewish
connection to reflect this. In this way, the Baal Shem
Tov revealed the unique spiritual connection with
God that unlearned Jews possess, whereas the re-
vealed levels of Jewish thought highlighted their dis-
tance. In similar fashion, the leaders of Habad, who
articulated the greatest scholarly profundity of Ha-
sidic thought, in the latter generations also sought to
give Hasidus its greatest outreach beyond traditional
boundaries of Jewish life (perhaps reflected in thistradition’s other name of Lubavitch. “Habad” refers
to the intellectual powers of the soul, while “Lubav-
itch” means the emotion of “town of love” in Rus-
sian). Hasidic thought seeks, and is most truly ex-
pressed, when it can spiritually revive a person most
estranged from Judaism, who may not be awoken
by other levels of Torah. In accord with the ex-
pression from the Tanya, that “from the reward of
a commandment, one can know the true nature of
the commandment” (Schneur Zalman’s Hasidic ex-
planation of the statement from Perkei Avos, “the
reward of a Mitzvah is a Mitzvah”), the discourse
explains that since the task of spreading Hasidus is
the prerequisite to bringing the Messiah, so Hasidus
itself is the Messianic level of the Torah, and a fore-
taste of the Messianic era when God’s essence will
be revealed.
5.7 Current thought
Non-Orthodox philosopher Martin Buber (1878-1965) was the
first to publicise Hasidism to the wider world. His Neo-Hasidism
found the essence of Hasidism in its experiential stories . Gershom
Scholem (1897—1982), who began the academic study of Jew-
ish mysticism, found the essence of Hasidism in its scholarly the-
ology
This discourse of the Rebbe gives a systematic explana-
tion of the philosophical nature of Hasidism inaugurated
by the Baal Shem Tov (1698–1760), and developed since
then by the great Hasidic Masters, across the many dif-
ferent interpretations and schools of thought. The earlygreat teachers of Hasidism, from the first few genera-
tions, are depicted through their teachings and stories
as legendary figures. The later generations of the Ha-
sidic movement, traditionally regard the spiritual stature
of their leadership to have gradually declined. As the
charismatic inspirations of the initial teachers receded,
and with the changing social circumstances, so the spiri-
tual ideals began to diminish. However, in the tradition
of Habad, which developed separately from mainstream
Hasidic paths, the followers tend to believe that their lead-
ership avoided this decline. This derives from the differ-
ences of their approach, where the task of each leader was
to communicate and explain the systematic teaching of
Hasidus. The charismatic appeal to emotions was placed
secondary. The dynasty of the 7 Habad leaders sought, in
each generation, to broaden the articulation of the teach-
ings, so that it could appeal to, and reach, further audi-
ences. From this derives the view that each leader filled
the place of their predecessor. While the particular em-
phasis of each Rebbe differed, in accord with their times
and personalities, their leadership remained great. This
discourse, typical of the 7th Rebbe’s thought, itself rep-
resents a major contribution to Hasidic thought. In this
description of Hasidus, the Rebbe teaches, using the in-
tellectual expression of the Habad method, the loftinessof the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, and his succes-
sors. The emotional enthusiasm of Hasidism, and the
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_ideashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gershom_Scholemhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gershom_Scholemhttps://en.wiki