review
De revolution der pious (1989) is about the origin and development of hasidism. It deals with the institutional history of this movement within the Jewish faith and describes the journey of the fictional rabbi Dan Ish-Tom through time. Daniël Meyers describes the development of the different movements within Hasidism against the background of the political situation in Poland and later Russia. A book review.
data
- Title: The revolution of the pious
- Author: Daniël Meijers
- ISBN: 90 304 0475 2
- Publisher Gooi & Sticht, Hilversum
- Year: 1989
Author
Daniël Meijers is a cultural anthropologist and a Lubavitcher Chabad Hasidic Jew. He wrote this scientific book from this background.
Hasidism
Hasidic Judaism was founded in 1734 by Rabbi Yisroel Ba’al Shem Tov in Poland. He sees that within Judaism there is a large group of people who, due to a lack of Jewish knowledge, are hardly able to maintain themselves as a Jew. The traditional Jewish intelligentsia (mitnagdim) is hardly aware of this problem and is mainly concerned with enriching their own knowledge. She accuses Hasidism of heresy and unorthodox behavior. Despite this, the movement is growing. The idea that in addition to the Talmud study (oral commentaries on the Torah (Bible)) also prayer and Jewish philosophy are essential is gaining ground.
Daniël Meyers describes the development of the different movements within Hasidism against the background of the political situation in Poland and later Russia. They are of course based on the teachings of the Ba’al Shem Tov, but are distinguished by specific characteristics and their own approach. The movements that arise as a result of this ‘split’ cannot be compared with the various movements within Christianity. In Christianity there are dogmatic differences, while the Hasidic movements and also the non-Hasidic movements within traditional Judaism are based on the same basis – namely the Torah and the Talmud. Each movement has its own preference, while they all practice the same discipline. Hence Meijers like his own Lubavitcher or Chabad Hasidism example covers in his book.
Chabad Hasidism
Chabad Hasidism is founded by Rabbi Sjneur Zalman around 1770 in Belarus. Unlike the Polish Hasidism of the Baal Shem Tov and his successors, Chabad’s Russian Hasidism is more focused on the intellect. Chabad is the abbreviation for chochmah (wisdom), binah (insight) and that (knowledge), the three mental qualities of man. If man only lives from his feelings then there is almost no difference between man and animal. Religious emotions therefore need to be mentally aroused. Only the Chabad does not believe, like traditional Judaism (the mitnagdim), that knowledge alone is the saving grace.
America and Israel
Due to anti-Semitism in Russia, many Jews emigrate to the United States. Here Orthodox Judaism has to deal with the liberal and conservative Jews who have previously settled in the country. Orthodoxy is slowly increasing, as is Chabad Hasidism. American Jewish society is developing into a number of completely self-contained rival regimes, each of which has a life of its own. Much is done to find new members.
Finally, the author describes the developments in Israel. There exists the village of wisdom, understanding and knowledge – Kfar Chabad. It is an orthodox village, a modern variation on the Eastern European sjetl (Jewish city). There is a constant effort to recruit new members. Here too there is a conflict with other Hasidic groups and with traditional Judaism.
Conclusion
One of the main conclusions of the book is that orthodox Judaism is characterized by a structural contrast between rationalism and mysticism. It does not paralyze, but rather forms the development engine of Judaism.
The great thing about this study is that the author shows up with a fictional person, a traveler through time. This brings the reader closer to the individual Hasid, the common people and their lives.
Its two-level approach, that of the individual Hasidim and that of the larger relationships in which they live, makes it a special book for anyone interested in Jewish religious history.