Hasidic philosophy

Hasidic Philosophy or Chassidic philosophy or Hassidism, or Chassidus or Chassidut or Chasidut is the teachings and philosophy underlying the Hasidic Movement.

Rabbi Yisroel ben Eliezer (The Baal Shem Tov), introduced these teachings and founded the hasidic movement. His disciples, most noteably Rabbi Dovber of Mezeritch, spread and developed the philosophy. Of all Hasidic groups, Chabad (Lubavtich) developed and stressed these teachings the most. According to Chabad, understanding these concepts is the only way to truly achieve the goals of Hasidism.

Portrait of Shneur Zalman of Liadi (1745-1812) founder of Chabad Lubavitch and author of Tanya and Shulchan Aruch HaRav.

Hasidic Philosophy teaches a method of contemplating on God and His greatness (see Jewish meditation), as well as the inner significance of the Mitzvos (commandments and rituals of Torah law). This understanding is meant to refine one's character, improve one's interpersonal relations, and add life, vigor and joy to one's religious observance. Ultimately, these claim to be a preparation for the Messianic Era (as defined by Judaism).

Goals of Hasidic Philosophy

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A Hasidic celebration in Borough Park, New York

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Hasidim at a 1923 Rabbinical conference in Marienbad (Now Mariánské Lázně, Czech Republic)

Hasidic Philosophy has four main goals:

1. Revival: At the time when Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov founded Hasidism, the Jews where physically crushed by massacre and poverty, and religious observance seriously waned. This was especially true in Eastern Europe, where Hasidism began. Hasidism came to revive the Jews physically and spiritually. It focused on helping Jews better establish themselves finacially, and then lifting their moral 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.

3. Refinement: Hasidism teaches that one should not merely strive to improve one's character by learning new habits and manners. Rather a person should completely change the quality, depth and maturity of one's nature. This change is accomplished by internalizing and integrating the perspective of Hasidic Philosophy.

4. Demystification: Hasidism makes the esoteric teachings of Kabbalah understandable 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 to prepare the world for Moshiach, the Jewish Messiah, through these four achievements.

In a letter, the Baal Shem Tov describes how one Rosh Hashana his soul ascended to the chamber of Moshiach, where he asked Moshiach, "when will the master (Moshiach) come." Moshiach answered him, "when the wellsprings of your teachings, which I have taught you, will be spread out."

Axioms of Hasidic Philosophy

Hasidic Philosophy is the knowledge of God, which Hasidic philosophy maintains is the essence of the Torah and of everything in the world. Hassidic Philosphy (along with Kabbalah) is also known as Pnemiyut HaTorah, the Inner Dimension of the Torah.

The first premise of Hasidic Philosphy is God and His unity: That God transcends everything and, yet, is found in everything. God trasncends all forms and limitations, even the most sublime. To God all forms are equal, and so He is found in all of them equally. All existence is an expression of His Being. God is everything and everything is God.

This premise means that everything is an infinite revelation of God, even the smallest and most trivial thing. This basic axiom leads to four points which are the pillars of the Baal Shem Tov's approach:

1. Torah: According to the Baal 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 Torah infinite.

The Baal Shem Tov often explains a verse or word in unconventional, and sometimes contradictory ways, only to show how all of these interpretations 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 Baal Shem Tov every event is guided by Divine Providence. Even the way a leaf blows in the wind, turning this way and that, is part of the Divine plan. b.) Every detail is essential to the perfection of the entire world. If things weren't exactly 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 Baal Shem Tov preached that one must learn a G-dly lesson in everything one encounters.

3. Inherent Value: The Baal Shem Tov taught that even a simple jew is inherently as valuable as a great sage. For all jews are "God's children" (Deuteronomy 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. And even the smallest Jew is a crown that glorifies God.

4. Brotherly Love: The command to love another, according to the Baal Shem Tov, does not mean simply 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 Baal 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 have created us with faults and struggles. Rather, God desires our effort and struggle and challenges.

Hassidic Philosophy and the other levels of Torah

Classic Jewish teachings interpret the Torah on four levels. They are:

-Pshat-simple meaning

-Remez-Hinted Meaning, how something in Torah relates to something larger in the world

-Drush-The Mitvos and moral lessons. From word Doresh-what the Torah demands

-Sod-Kabbalah Secrets of the Torah-something about G-dliness, e.g. how He creates the world

Hassidism is not 5th level of learning the Torah, but rather is bringing out the "essence" of all those 4 levels. So you’d appreciate the G-dliness in each level and how all the levels connect. This means that even someone at a low level of appreciation of the Torah (e.g. he is on the level of Pshat) can still have an appreciation of Hassidism because it reveals the inherent essence in all the levels. Hassidism also provides the tools for the intellectual and theoretical understanding to be applied to practical life.

Chassidus is just letting us see the G-dliness in e/t. When we have that we will automatically have all the other above things.

Hasidism vs. Musar

Musar helps a person to appreciate the intellectual and spiritual and G-dly matters to decrease attatchement to the bodily and physical things. Hassidism responds that as much as one will run from physical things, one can never truly suceed in this because we are found in a physical world. Hassidism teaches that the ultimate thing is to have both the spritual and the physical together. This is a two step process. First one must be able to appreciate the spiritual and G-dly, but then one must connect this inspiration back to seeing G-dliness in the mundane world.

The key to all wisdom

An anology is give to explain the difference between learning Hassidism and other parts of the Torah. It was once asked: What is the difference between Rambam and Aristotle. Wisdom vs. Torah. Both are philosophers and scientists. It is like 2 people that are trying to draw a circle and find its center-hard to find the real center. Torah starts with the center then goes and can make a circle of any size around it, and it will always be in the center.

Likewise, once you grasp Chassidus, you have all kinds of wisdom w/o putting in years studying it. U’ll automatically understand everything in the world.

Its like a story: Luke is good-half is good and half is bad. Outside the story-from authors perspective its all good even darth vader-he’s a great character.

Connection to the Jewish Messiah

Hasidism tries to find the good in everything. It does not say that the bad becomes good, but rather that in the bad itself-the struggle we find G-dliness.

This is synonymous with Moshiach-even things we saw as being bad we’ll see it being good. But not in the end in the story they become good which just makes it worth it. But with Moshiach we will see things from outside of the story and see how we are all like actors and G-d is directing the show. Outside the story, even the bad is good because the struggle is what makes the story worth reading.

We’re like actors, can express freely, not trapped by it. Really can act freely with the mask. We make this self-image, thinking that we have our certain qualities and self-imposed limitations, stops us from expressing our true selves.

Hasidism wants us to get in touch with that essence, and we’’re able to act in the world with whatever character is best at the time-come in touch with real self and be free to choose how they act, so they can act within that

Chassidus is trying to give us a taste of Moshiach-and bring this type of awareness into the world which itself will bring Moshiach by bringing a personal Geulah to each of us

Baal Shem Tov’s approach. G-d is everything and everything is G-d. Torah is all the names of Hashem, not a/t definite just the way u call them. So too Torah is infinite-can always see more and more revealing an infinite G-d.

Divine Providence. Before Baal Shem Tov there was general idea that G-d is watching over us. The Baal Shem Tov said that not only is G-d watching over everything-even feather in wind, smallest details have infinite imporatance and is essential to whole thing of creation.

Cuz G-d is choosing without any external influences that he wants exactly like that

Advantage of Jews. Not because of His understanding-essential part of G-d. Purpose of Torah and Mitzvos is only revealing that connection, not creating it (like father and son.). This is befitting and should act that way-but its not like just cuz he doesn’t do it he’s not his son

4. Love of fellow Jew. Loving anther fellow Jew is not just a good character trait but should be a whole life’s work to cultivate good character traits.

See Also

• Seder hishtalshelus
• Jewish meditation
• Merkaba

External Links

• Chabad Hasidic philosphy
• Deeper study of Hasidism and Kabbalah
• Hasidism from chabad.org
• Large collection of Hasidic Texts in English from chabad.org

Source: On the Essence of Chassidus by Menachem Mendel Schneerson, Kehot Publications Brooklyn 1998