Chassidei Ashkenaz - Background

Background

The leaders of the community of the Chassidei Ashkenaz movement are descended from the Kalonymos family of Northern Italy, a family that had immigrated to Germany in the 10th century, and the Abun family of France among others, according to the sacred books they wrote at the close of the 10th century. The movement was known for its strict, almost religious observance, asceticism, and its mystical doctrines. Some posit that its theology fits into the general cannon of Jewish mysticism. It certainly parallels other Jewish mysticism; however in other ways it was very original. The extent of this community’s effect and influence during Middle Age German Judaism has not been studied, they are just books Jews have read. One should not mistake 'Hassid' for the Eastern European dynastic movement started by the Baal Shem Tov in the 18th century. Hassidim is a title used for many Jewish groups since Biblical times. In Judaisim, there are two levels of the righteous. There is the Tzadik, which comes from the term tzedek, which means just. A tzadik does what is required of him by the law and keeps the letter of the law. A Hassid is a person that does beyond what the law requires of him. The term hassid comes from the term hesed, which means kindness. Just as hesed, or kindness, is by definition beyond what a person is legally obligated to do, so too a hassid does beyond what the letter of the law requires of him, and is a term that is reserved for the especially pious.