Should Hasidism Be Considered Revolutionary?
January 13, 2004
The term revolution is defined as: A fundamental change in political organization, or in a government or constitution; the overthrow or renunciation of one government, and the substitution of another, by the governed . The term revolutionary is defined as: markedly new or introducing radical change . Through these definitions of the terms revolution and revolutionary one can conclude that Hasidism should be considered revolutionary. This conclusion could be supported by the fact that Hasidism created a radical and fundamental change , while creating many new ideas as the foundation of the religion , as well as changing the way in which the Jewish people express themselves during festivals, as well as normally .
Hassidism introduced a radical and fundamental change in the Jewish belief system . The Rabbi became reinvented by the Hasidim with powers that were not acknowledged before .
Jews praying in the Synagogue on Yom Kippur. (1878...
Hasidic schoolchildren in Łódź, circa 1910s.
The Tosher Rebbe of Montreal, Canada. Considered t...According to the Hasidim this Rabbi, known as a Tzaddik was considered very holy . He was considered holy because he was seen as having a direct link to G-d. Through the Tzaddik, God sends to the faithful three earthly blessings; life, a livelihood, and children . The Hasidim support the Tzaddik by pidyonim in order to enable the holy man to become "absorbed in the contemplation of G-d." Hasidism also revolutionized the commonly accepted opinions on the omnipresence of God, and the idea of communion between God and man. The founder of Hasidism, the Bal Shem Tov, said the following which encompasses the Hasidic way of thinking. "Let man realize that when he is looking at material things he is in reality gazing at the image of the Deity which is present in all things " The Hasidim though that communication with G-d should be for the purpose...