Mitnagdim

The Mitnagdim , or “opponents”, are the orthodoxe Juifs which were opposed to the 18th century with the appearance of the Judaism Hassidique. By extension, the current religious groups continuing the religious practices of the first Mitnagdim are always called thus, although the opposition to the hassidim became very thin.

One also speaks about Lithuanian current to indicate the Mitnagdim , because the Yeshivot (religious academies) of this current were particularly influential in Lithuania at the 19th century and the beginning of the XXe century.

Hassidisme

The Judaism hassidic or hassidism (“piety” or “integrity”, of the חסד root meaning “generosity”), is a religious movement founded Juif at the 18th century in Eastern Europe (Bielorussia and Ukraine) by Rav Israel Ben Eliezer (1700 - 1760), more known under the name of Baal Shem Tov . The movement is a reaction against the “academic” Judaism of its time.

Ba' Al Chem Tov insisted particularly on the merry communion with God, laying the stress on the celebration, the dance, the song ( niggoune ), the joy, the emotional one ( hassidoute ), enthusiasm and enthusiasm ( hitlahavoute ), the love of god ( ahava ), without to neglect the study.

The hassidim carried towards the mystic based on the exaltation of the religious emotions, while the mitnagddim , mainly resulting from the talmudic schools of Lithuania, practice a more austere Judaism, more intellectualized, based on the principle of the dialectical casuistry ( Pilpoul ). Criticizing a hassidic orientation ensuring the supremacy of the Cabal (mystical Jewish) on the Halakha, the mitnagddim reproach them in particular a “love of life”, which they consider incompatible with the study of the Torah.

Opposition

The Hassidisme caused a very firm opposition at once. The Eastern-European Judaism of the 18th century always lived in the memory traumatisant of the “false Messiahs” Sabbataï Tsevi and Jacob Franck of the 17th century and 18th century, and was wary of any mystical exaltation. Fear to see the hassidism deviating towards the heresy, in particular worms of the extatic or Messianic practices was strong.

The opposition was particularly strong in large the academy of Lithuania, with Vilna in particular. The largest leader of this current was at the time famous Elyahou Kramer (1720 - 1797), the Gaon de Vilna, which did not hesitate to launch two Cherem (excommunication) against the hassidim , and to prohibit any marriage with them.

The opposition of the successors of the Gaon de Vilna will go sometimes very far, until denouncing the first hassidim with the official authorities (inter alia Russian), to try to obstruct their actions “heretics”.

Some admor, like the third admor of Loubavitch (Tséma' H Tsédéq) will recognize that the influence of Gaon de Vilna had been positive, in what it had obliged the movement hassidic being born to avoid going too far in its innovations or its antinomism (the antinomism is the opposition or the indifference with the Law, by will of better communier with God. It is about a recurring tendency in the mystical movements).

Bringing together

As from second half of the 19th century, the relations between the two currents improve.

On the one hand, the fear of the mitnagdim to see the hassidim evolving to the heresy because of their very mystical and merry report/ratio with God grows blurred.

In addition, of new dangers appear for the orthodoxe Judaïsme within the Jewish people, and the attitude of the two currents will be very hostile with regard to these innovations: Judaism reformed, Zionism, assimilation, Socialism. The religious Jews thus feel the need to gather. The two currents will thus create concert the party Agoudat Israel in 1912, in Poland.

The differences of religious practices and organization always exist. In the plan of the practices, the “Lithuanians” practice a more austere Judaism, centered on the study, without the festive aspect which one finds in many hassidic celebrations. In the plan of the organization, the “Lithuanian” communities are organized around the Yeshivot (religious academies), and of the Roch Yeshivot (chiefs of the Yeshivot ), which reach the direction by co-optation of the leader rabbis of the former generation. The Hassidim are on the other hand in general directed (there are exceptions) by hereditary Admorim , whose lines go at the 18th century or the 19th century.

The convergence points are however most numerous, in particular the reserve to see the rejection (according to the communities) in front of Western “modernity”: secularity, freedom sexual, equality of sexes, democracy, Zionism (certain currents minority accept it, much tolerate it), which explains that one gathers these currents under a common noun, that of Haredim (ultra-orthodoxe).

The relations between mitnagdim and Hassidim are rather good today, even if certain traces of the old oppositions have still sensitive. Thus, in the years 1980, the rav Schach, the principal rabbi of the current mitnagdim in Israel (and beyond) questioned himself to know if the hassidim of Loubavitch were still Jewish (because of their relation considered as too strong with their admor (religious leader), that some regarded as the Messie). Thus also, the majority of the mitnagdim left the religious party Agoudat Israel in the years 1980, and are today gathered in the religious party Degel HaTorah , which allied but is not confused with the Agoudat , one of the political expressions of the Israeli Hassidim .

See too

Bond interns

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