Hasidism

Sect of Orthodox Judaism, originating in 18th-century Poland under the leadership of Israel Ba'al Shem Tov (c. 1700-1760), also known as Besht. Hasidic teachings encourage prayer, piety, and ‘serving the Lord with joy’. Many of the Hasidic ideas are based on the Kabbalah, a mystical Jewish tradition.

Hasidism spread against strong opposition throughout Eastern Europe during the 18th and 19th centuries, led by charismatic leaders, the zaddikim. The sect emphasized ecstatic prayer and spiritual union with God, while denouncing the intellectual approach of Talmudic academies (see Talmud). A later, more intellectual approach was instituted by the Lubavitch rabbi of Russia, now based in New York City. Hasidic men have the unshaved forelocks (specified in Leviticus 19:27) and dress in the black suits and fur-fringed broad-brimmed hats of 18th-century European society, a tradition that they conservatively maintain. A resistance to modernization had led some Hasids to oppose Zionism, though others are active supporters of Israel.