Bits and Pieces of Chassidism

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Although there is the famous claim that the Baal Shem Tov (1698 – 1760) was the founder of the chassidic movement, the basic idea of the movement consisted much much earlier. Already during Temple times, Kavanot, different ways of spirituality and closeness to G – d were a very common practise. Many centuries later, Jewish Orthodoxy in Eastern Europe concentrated on its leaders. A common Jew hardly knew anything about his religion but relied on the Rabbis. He prayed, kept kosher and the holidays but only a very few people studied Judaism in depths. The result was that Jewish spirituality got separated from the ordinary Jewish population. The Jewish leaders, on the other hand, treated their religion and the Torah study as an intellectual matter rather than involving their feelings. 

In the 17th century, the Baal Shem Tov revealed his mission and especially attracted ordinary Jews by letting them know that every one of us has a certain way and potential in order to connect to the Creator. Kavanah, feelings, emotions rather than only intellectual studies. However, the Baal Shem Tov did neither neglect nor reject higher Jewish studies such as Talmud or Halachot. 

 Signature of the BESHT

Source: Wikipedia

The first group of Chassidim were the students of the Baal Shem Tov and slowly, slowly, Chassidism spread all over Eastern Europe. White Russia had its Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (Alter Rebbe of the later Lubavitcher movement). Poland had its Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhansk and his student the Seer (Chozeh) of Lublin. 

Seen at the National Jewish Library Exhibition in Jerusalem

Photo: Miriam Woelke

From Lublin and the Chozeh over the Pryzsucha Movement – each chassidic community led a different internal lifestyle. Ideologies, spiritual orientations and identities were not always the same. The most famous example may be Rabbi Shneur Zalman who put many of his own interpretations into the teachings of the Maggid of Mezritch or the dispute between Lublin and Rabbi Simcha Bunim. When you look at the massive amount of chassidic literature being today, you may faint. Huge volumes of literature and in order to get a tiny idea, you already need a few years of study. In order to understand Chassidim and Chassidism it is essential to study chassidic writings. 

Until today, many chassidic groups are proud of their direct line to the Baal Shem Tov. Just look at Rabbi Nahum of Chernobyl, Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, the Maggid or Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz. Only very few groups do not have a direct line such as, for instance, Toldot Aharon. 

Nevertheless, all chassidic groups have in common that their ideology is based on the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov. Furthermore, all of those groups follow the ZADDIK concept. Some more and some less. As we know from history, Rabbi Elimelech and the Seer of Lublin were those who enthusiastically stressed the Zaddik Concept whereas Rabbi Simcha Bunim saw the Zaddik’s task from a very different perspective.

The old Jewish Yishuv in Tiberias

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The Sephardi Synagogue Center "Etz Chaim" at the promenade in Tiberias. Rabbi Chaim Abulafia came from Turkey and in 1740, he restored the Jewish community of Tiberias.



See below - 

Next to the "Etz Chaim Synagogue":

The house of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk, 1730 - 1788.

Now part of the "Karlin - Stolin" Synagogue.





Photos: Miriam Woelke

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk

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On Sunday, we commemorate the Yahrzeit of the great chassidic master Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk (1717 - 1786).

The American Bialer Rebbe praying at Rabbi Elimelech's grave in Poland.

Hundreds (if not thousands) of Chassidim are going to spend this Shabbat in Lizhensk (Poland). The Toldot Avraham Yitzchak and the Toldot Aharon are forming one group of 80 Chassidim (30 Avraham Yitzchak and 50 Toldot Aharon) and travel together to Poland. The Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe is not going but I don't know about the Tishes tonight. Some may not take place due to this famous Yahrzeit because the Chassidim are simply gone.

Nittle Night - xmas

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Last Thursday night, 7th of Tevet - 24th of December, is known as "Nittle Nacht (Night)", and the custom is that we don’t learn Torah this night till midnight, (see Rama on Shulchan Aruch, letters of the Chatam Sofer and others) Kabbalisticly the reason is, as is known from the Rebbe Rasha"b the 5th Chabad Lubavitch Rebbe Shalom Dov Baer, 1860 - 1920, the reason is so as to not be “adding Chayus” spiritual life and strenth to him and his followers.

The Rebbe says in a Sicha that we shouldn't "waste our time" but involve ourselves in something like chess which exercises the mind or any other chore that needs to be done. And the Rebbe related a story in the Sicha where a Bochur would save all the sewing of the buttons on his cloths to “Nittle Nacht” to be productive in a “non adding Chayus” way.

Links:

Chabad and the Nittle Night 

Details about the Nittle Night on "Hirhurim".

J. in the Talmud

Chess in Chabad during the Nittle Night 

Yahrzeit of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev and the Chatam Sofer

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Yesterday, on 25th Tishrei, two important Yahrzeits (memorials) took place:  

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev as well as the Yahrzeit of the Chatam Sofer.

Rabbi Levi Yitzchak used to be a student of the Baal Shem Tov successor the Maggid of Mezritch and was known to be the Jew's attorney. Any time a Jew in Berditchev did something wrong, Rabbi Levi Yitzchak justified him positively before G - d. The Rabbi saw the good in every Jew and he was a person, we severly miss in our days. At least since Rabbi Aryeh Levin of Jerusalem passed away a long time ago.

The Chatam Sofer was very famous too but not necessarily in chassidishe circles. He rejected anything new. Why should we change our ways when our ancestors successfully dealt with the same behaviour, laws and tools ?

Until today, the Chatam Sofer remained an important figure in Mea Shearim, as there, nothing has to change and new ways of life are banned. Chassidut Dushinsky entirely built on the theology of the Chatam Sofer and there are at least two Synagogues / Batei Midrash in the Batei Hungarin (Mea Shearim).

Eastern European Chassidim during the Holocaust

Chassidic Clothes - A brief History

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In 1764, Russia, Prussia and Austria divided Poland, Latvia, Reisin and the Ukraine among each other, and for the next 120 years, the local Chassidim were forced to adjust to Russian, etc. rules. When Russia, Prussia and Austria divided the four other areas, the governments didn't take all the thousands of Chassidim into consideration. Suddenly there were all these Chassidim in countries not really used to them. And especially the Christian population feared the spreading of Chassidut (Christians may convert to Judaism, etc.).

Very early, Russia introduced new laws concerning chassidic life and clothing style:

1. Jews were not allowed to spread all over the new ruling countries but had to live in certain areas only.

2. Jews had to follow a special clothing style.

3. Example: Jewish traders were forced to wear German or Russian clothing style and not anything chassidic.

Especially religious Jews have always kept Jewish traditions and, throughout history, have tried to keep a special clothing style separating them from Gentiles. And didn't most of the Jews (Israelites) in Egypt keep three important Jewish traditions:

1. The Hebrew language.

2. Giving Jewish names to their children.

3. A Jewish clothing style.

In 1827, two years after Czar Nicolas I. came to power, he introduced a fatal law: Every Jewish child (young man) had to join the Russian army. Rabbis and families feared to loose many religious young man to secularism. In the army they wouldn't be provided with kosher food and get into contact with Gentiles and their customs and religion. How should these Jewish young men resist all the temptations and, furthermore, loose time to study Torah ?

The chassidic Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshis'cha stated: "Every Jew has to be extremely careful not to adjust his clothes to Gentile clothes because our Jewish clothes give us Kedusha (Holiness) and this is where we depend on".

There are opinions considering chassidic kaftans as something kabbalistic and mystical. So far, I haven't really had the time to find out more but, for now, let's put it this way: The chassidic groups Toldot Aharon, the Toldot Aharon Yitzchak as well as parts of Breslov, sometimes wear two kaftans on Shabbat. Mostly a brown kaftan over their first regular one, and this second kaftan represents the kabbalistic "Or Makif – A shining light".

Especially the Russian and the Austrian governments introduced many rulings concerning the Jews and their clothes. They should look "normal" and dress as everyone else did. Even the Peyes (side curls) were supposed to be cut off. However, religious Jews refused to give in to the new rules and rather preferred paying a high tax to the above governments in order to keep their traditional style and the Peyes.

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Source:

Among others – An article written by Rabbi Amram Bloi (Blau) and published in the chassidic magazine "Heichal HaBesht".

Rabbi Amram Bloi (1894 – 1974) used to be the head of the Neturei Karta in Mea Shearim.

Baruch of Medziboz

"Light of Torah" von Elie Benzaquen


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The small Ukranian town Medziboz only became famous due to the Baal Shem Tov who used to live there from 1740 – 1760. In those days, Medziboz used to be one of the biggest towns in the Ukraine;
there were 545 Christian and 219 Jewish households in Meziboz. Altogether 5000 Jews of whom one – third was Jewish. The inhabitants mostly earned their living as merchants, as the town's location between Lwov and Kiev was more than convenient.

Rabbi Baruch ben Yechiel of Medziboz was born in 1753 and died on 18th Kislev 1810 (see "Encyclopedia of Chassidut" by Yitzchak Alfassi). Already Rabbi Baruch's mother was more than famous, as her name was Adel and she was the daughter of the Baal Shem Tov. His father was Rabbi Yechiel Ashkenazi. The younger brother of Rabbi Baruch was the well - known Rabbi Chaim Ephraim of Sudlikov (the "Degel Machane Ephraim"). It is said that Baruch of Medziboz inherited the fiery temperament of his mother Adel.

When someone like him comes from such a famous chassidic family background, one usually becomes a rabbi himself in order to keep of the family tradition. And thus for a short period of time, Rabbi Baruch studied with the successor of the Baal Shem Tov, with the Maggid of Mezritch (Rabbi Dov Bear Friedman). Then he studied at the school of Rabbi Pinchas Shapira of Koretz. Later, Rabbi Baruch married the daughter of the wealthy Rabbi Tuvia of Ostrova and settled in Tulchin (Ukraine).

Unfortunately, hie first wife died and when Rabbi Baruch married for the second time, it was the daughter of the relative and Rabbi Aharon of Titov. With his second wife he moved to Medziboz where he bought a great house and even horses. Rabbi Baruch didn't consider it as a contradictory being a famous chassidic rabbi and, at the same time, leading a wealthy lifestyle.

It is not easy to determine Rabbi Baruch's character today. He considered himself as the "real" successor of the Baal Shem Tov because the great chassidic master was his grandfather. Nevertheless, there was a fraction of three rabbis against him and those three were Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi (the Chabad founder) as well as the Seer (Chozeh) of Lublin, Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchak Horowitz. A further critic of Rabbi Baruch was Rabbi Nachman of Breslov.

All the disputes didn't keep new Chassidim from coming in order to study with Rabbi Baruch of Medziboz who eventually had a few hundred followers. And another positive point was that he was very friendly with Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk.

Today there are different versions about the dispute between Rabbi Baruch and Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. However, Rabbi Baruch considered himself as more "special" because he was related to the Baal Shem Tov and, according to his opinion, he was the one who interpreted the teaching of his grandfather in the right and authentic way. Already the Maggid of Mezritch admitted that he himself interpreted the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov according to his own understanding.

And this is a problem today, as we don't always know the original teachings of the Baal Shem Tov. All the rabbis after him changed some teachings according to their individual understanding.

Later on, also Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi interpreted the Chassidut according to his thoughts and opinions. No wonder that Rabbi Baruch was angry about all the different versions and everyone claiming something else. When Rabbi Shneur Zalman published his TANYA, Rabbi Baruch got extremely upset. In 1808, Rabbi Shneur Zalman came down to the Ukraine in order to raise funds and Rabbi Baruch considered this as trespassing into his territory.

There is no doubt that Rabbi Baruch had the advantage of being related to the Baal Shem Tov, and his "competitor", Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi had never met the chassidic master. For Rabbi Baruch was Rabbi Shneur Zalman not an "original" Chassid although the latter loved to say that he is the "spiritual grandson" of the Baal Shem Tov.

The Baal Shem Tov emphasized the concept of the Zaddik (righteous) but the chassidic Rebbes after him turned it into a real concept (e.g. Rabbi Elimelech of Lejansk). According to Rabbi Baruch, the Zaddik has to be the center of the community. He is the most important person and the Chassidim are supposed to learn from him.

Quite often, Rabbi Baruch of Medziboz suffered from depression and melancholy and his Chassidim tried to cheer him up.
The Rabbi didn't leave any writings of his own and when he passed away, his Chassidut died out.
He was survived by three daughters who all married rabbis; however, he had no son and thus no successor.

The forgotten Zarki

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Lucja Morawska took the below pictures at the Jewish cemetery in a town called ZARKI.

Zarki is located near Lelov in Western Galicia.

A trader in Zarki. The bottom picture was taken in Zarki in approx. 1936.

It is unbelievable how much chassidic life and history got lost due to the Holocaust.

Philosophy in Chassidut ?

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Although I like the haredi world and admire certain people, I still always remain reluctant when it comes to a certain subject called "education". Looking at a haredi school's curriculum scares me away.

Despite all criticism, different haredi groups and directions have changed the curriculum to the better. Al least the girls' school curriculum. Example: the Vishnitzer Chassidim.
They, for instance, started teaching their girls English. This is already something, at least in Israel where English among Haredim is not to be taken for granted. If you speak to a Gerer Chassid (male or female) or to someone from Toldot Aharon in English, then you have a language disaster coming up if you don't know Hebrew or Yiddish. Those Chassidim don't know any English unless they are from the States or England.

The Haredi world, or in other words, Litvishe and Vishnitzer Chassidim decided to teach English to the girls and the reason seems obvious. Girls are becoming wives and many wives have to earn the family's income. Especially Israeli high tech companies are looking for haredi women in order to employ them. Working in the high tech field is good money but the applicants have to know English. And here you have the reason.

I am not generalizing haredi education and there are groups offering more and better education than others. Especially the Batei Yaakov in England and the States are much more advanced and efficient than in Israel. But what I do criticize are certain subjects definitely belonging onto a curriculum. Such as higher math, physics and other science and especially history and philosophy.

Chassidim, however, always seemed to have a problem with philosophy; even with Jewish philosophy. Rabbi Nachman of Breslov was probably the most fundamental opponent of philosophy. Until today, Breslover Chassidim don't really study the Rambam's famous book "Moreh Nevuchim – The Guide for the Perplexed". It is strange because Chabad (Lubavitch) does exactly the opposite and Chabadnikim love the Rambam.

There was no real Jewish philosophy until the time of Raabi Saadia Gaon (9th – 10th century). The reason for a missing philosophy was that there was simply no need for it. Many years before, the Jews had lost their Second Temple and leading rabbis had been extremely busy putting together the Talmud and further laws in order to ensure the survival of the Jewish people living in the Diaspora. Only when Islam started to rise and the Karaites proclaimed their strange ideas, Judaism was forced to react and provide answers. And Rabbi Saadia Gaon was then the greates opponent of the Karaite movement. He wrote several books and succeeded in destroying all their claims and arguments. He alone won all the discussions and disputes.

As I mentioned before, the chassidic movement under the Baal Shem Tov wasn't interested in philosophy. Philosophical questions and ideas, rationality, reasoning … all this doesn't fit into a world of Kabbalah and total spirituality. And Rabbi Nachman emphasized the concept of the "Simple Jew" with faith.
One has to see G – d everywhere and, although His reasons and thoughts are not ours, we have to accept His actions.

Jewish philosophy is very diverse. You can find poems, laws, Torah texts or even Aristotelian ideas. Rabbi ibn Da'ud and his successor, the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) are the first discussing Aristotelian ideas and comparing them to Judaism. Aristotle had a similar picture of G – d; that there can only be one G – d ruling over everything.

Not all thesis are welcomed in the haredi world. Rabbis fear that their communities could be let astray. Someone studying philosophy should have reached a certain age and be strongly observant. I am sure that different Rebbes do deal with philosophy but keep it far away from their Chassidim. The only group teaching lots of philosophy are the Chabad Chassidim, as they consider themselves to be the most intellectual chassidic group. And just have a look at the "Tanya" of the Chabad founder, Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi. The "Tanya" consists of plenty of philosophical as well as kabbalistic ideas and concepts.

Unfortunately, I don't know too many Haredi dealing with philosophy. I actually do know some Vishnitzer Chassidim doing research on how far Judaism was influenced by non – Jewish philosophical ideas. A very interesting but complicated subject. And, unfortunately, not too many haredi students today know about Rabbi Saadia Gaon, Rabbi Yehuda HaLevy or Rabbi Shlomo ibn Gvirol.