Hasid

This article is about the term. For the branch of Orthodox Judaism, see Hasidic Judaism. For the medieval sect, see Ashkenazi Hasidim.

Hasid (Hebrew: חסיד, "pious"; plural חסידים‎ "Hasidim") is a Jewish honorific, frequently used as a term of exceptional respect in the Talmudic and early medieval periods. In classic rabbinic literature it differs from "Tzadik" ("righteous") by instead denoting one who goes beyond the legal requirements of ritual and ethical Jewish observance in daily life. The literal meaning of "Hasid" derives from Chesed ("kindness"), the outward expression of love for God and other people. This spiritual devotion of faith motivates pious conduct beyond everyday limits. The devotional nature of its description lent itself to a few Jewish movements in history being known as "Hasidim". Two of these derived from the Jewish mystical tradition, as it could tend towards piety over legalism.

As a personal honorific, both "Hasid" and "Tzadik" could be applied independently to the same individual with both different qualities. The 18th-century Vilna Gaon, for instance, at that time the chief opponent of the new Jewish mystical movement that became known as "Hasidism", was renowned for his righteous life. In tribute to his scholarship, he became popularly honored with the formal title of "Genius", while amongst the Hasidic movement's leadership, despite his fierce opposition to their legalistic tendencies, he was respectfully referred to as "The Gaon, the Hasid from Vilna".

In the aggregate, it may refer to members of any of the following Jewish movements:

• the Hasideans of the Maccabean period, around the 2nd century BCE
• the Ashkenazi Hasidim, an ascetic German mystical-ethical movement of the 12th and 13th centuries
• Hasidic Judaism, a movement which began in Ukraine in the 18th century

In addition to his numerous interventions to help other Jews, for example also economically, the Hasid and Rebbe Baal Shem Tov used to travel to spread the words of the Torah in order to awaken even the soul and faith of those who considered themselves far from the Jewish religion: the Besht also talked about the Torah with Jewish women, something uncommon at the time which certainly revealed his spiritual purity.

Every Jew, although he may be distant from the complete observance of the Mitzvot, is naturally inclined to religious devotion so even the most distant is always happy to talk about God and His wisdom, especially in the company of his own Jewish brothers: this religious nature intrinsic to persons of Jewish religion, then striving to find words of Torah or Jews sincerely willing to show their goodness wherever they can, is the closest to the simple meaning of Tikkun olam, the improvement of everything through its more deep transformation "from unholy to holy":

How, then, can those who are distant from Torah be aroused from their "spiritual slumber"? For such people, the Torah must be clothed and concealed in stories: they must hear narratives of ancient times, which go beyond simple Hasidut and are “great in Hasidut”

— Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, Likutey Moharan I, 60:6

Guemilat chesed ("doing an act of kindness") is greater than doing charity

— Talmud, Sukkah 49b

The Hasid certainly possesses great goodness, especially towards other Jews who are also Hasidim. The Hasid almost goes beyond his own strength and crosses the limits of common power and will to help his Jewish brothers in order to bring them closer to faith in God, a reason for pride and a means to rise more persons in situations of distance and existential difficulties or more simply in the everyday life of practical life: this religious pragmatism is necessary in order to awaken the Teshuvah with the support of someone who is "useful" and "fraternally protective", with love and joy, balance and good advice. The "Hasidic saying": "With each fall... an even greater [spiritual] elevation" is true but it cannot be denied that it is better not to persist in looking for who is friend or who is loved precisely in the worst moments disgrace; thereby excluding any cynical and cruel selfishness, a Hasid and Tzadik know that such friends also exist among non-Jews. It is true: the Jewish religion "places a thousand barriers between Jews and non-Jews", especially with the Teshuvah, which however it is certainly a good thing in fact Teshuvah existed even before Creation came to be realized... But it cannot be denied that the "pious soul" - Chesed is benevolence in itself as an attitude - is not a characteristic only of the Jewish people: this friend absent in the moment of misfortune , we are sure, he knew how to rejoice in the next best restart of the Hasid and Tzadik Jew!

See also

• Amidah
• Baal teshuva
• Book of Life
• Illui
• Mekaven
• Tzadik