Ashkenazi Hasidim

This article is about the medieval sect. For the modern movement, see Hasidic Judaism.

The Hasidim of Ashkenaz (Hebrew: חסידי אשכנז, trans. Hasidei Ashkenaz; "German Pietists") were a Jewish mystical, ascetic movement in the German Rhineland during the 12th and 13th centuries.

The movement is known for its strict asceticism and mystical doctrine who radically reimagined Jewish ethics, holding themselves accountable to din shamayim (an unwritten Law of Heaven) in addition to traditional halakha. Some posit that its theology fits into the general canon of Jewish mysticism. It certainly parallels other Jewish mysticism; however in other ways it was very original. The extent of the movement's influence and the nature of its community have been subjects of extensive academic debate. Significant research by scholars such as Gershom Scholem, Joseph Dan, and Ivan G. Marcus has explored whether the movement was a widespread social phenomenon or a literary ideal preserved in texts like Sefer Hasidim. Modern scholarship continues to examine its impact on medieval Jewish social life and various other areas.

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