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51-534: The book, first published in 1780, was the first Hasidic book to appear in print, and is one of four books written by Katz. His books are considered unique in Hasidic literature, as he was one of a select few to hear the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov firsthand. It was enthusiastically received within Hasidic circles, but was boycotted in non-Hasidic circles , and many prominent anti-Hasidic rabbis held public burnings of

102-428: A breach of communal unity. In addition, they faced criticism for neglecting the halakhic times for prayer. Hasidic Jews also added some halakhic stringencies on kashrut (the laws of keeping kosher). They made certain changes in how livestock were slaughtered and in who was considered a reliable mashgiach (supervisor of kashrut). The result was that they essentially considered some kosher food as less kosher. This

153-524: A concerted effort by opposing rabbis to halt its spread. In late 1772, after uniting the scholars of Brisk , Minsk and other Belarusian and Lithuanian communities, the Vilna Gaon then issued the first of many polemical letters against the nascent Hasidic movement, which was included in the anti-Hasidic anthology, Zemir aritsim ve-ḥarvot tsurim (1772). The letters published in the anthology included pronouncements of excommunication against Hasidic leaders on

204-495: A number of restrictions on the Jews, and imposed sumptuary laws , including the requirement that they wear distinctive clothing , including yellow caps for men and yellow kerchiefs for women. The Khmelnytsky Uprising destroyed the existing Lithuanian Jewish institutions. Still, the Jewish population of Lithuania grew from an estimated 120,000 in 1569 to approximately 250,000 in 1792. After

255-562: A sizable minority of Greater Lithuanian Jews belong(ed) to Hasidic groups, including Chabad , Slonim , Karlin-Stolin ( Pinsk ), Amdur and Koidanov . The first documented opposition to the Hasidic movement was from the Jewish community in Shklow , Lithuania in the year 1772. Rabbis and community leaders voiced concerns about the Hasidim because they were making their way to Lithuania. The rabbis sent letters forbidding Hasidic prayer houses, urging

306-412: Is often used for all Haredi Jews who are not Hasidim (and not Hardalim or Sephardic Haredim ). Other expressions used for this purpose are Yeshivishe and Misnagdim . Both the words Litvishe and Lita'im are somewhat misleading, because there are also Hasidic Jews from greater Lithuania and many Litvaks who are not Haredim. The term Misnagdim ("opponents") on the other hand

357-522: Is somewhat outdated, because the opposition between the two groups has lost much of its relevance. Yeshivishe is also problematic because Hasidim now make use of yeshivot as much as the Litvishe Jews. The characteristically "Lithuanian" approach to Judaism was marked by a concentration on highly intellectual Talmud study. Lithuania became the heartland of the traditionalist opposition to Hasidism . They named themselves " misnagdim " (opposers) of

408-498: Is the fact that many of the leading Israeli Haredi yeshivas (outside the Hasidic camp) are successor bodies to the famous yeshivot of Lithuania, though their present-day members may or may not be descended from Lithuanian Jewry. In reality, both the ethnic make-up and the religious traditions of the misnagged communities are much more diverse. Customs of Lithuanian non-Hasidic Jews consist of: Jews began living in Lithuania as early as

459-487: Is the pronunciation of the vowel holam as [ej] (as against Sephardic [oː] , Germanic [au] and Polish [oj] ). In the popular perception, Litvaks were considered to be more intellectual and stoic than their rivals, the Galitzianers , who thought of them as cold fish. They, in turn, disdained Galitzianers as irrational and uneducated. Ira Steingroot's "Yiddish Knowledge Cards" devote a card to this "Ashkenazi version of

510-462: Is to be grasped in erotic terms, then—Misnagdim feared—Hasidim might feel justified in neglecting legal distinctions between the holy and the profane, and in engaging in inappropriate sexual activities. The Misnagdim were seen as using yeshivas and scholarship as the center of learning while Hasidim had learning centered around the rebbe tied in with what they considered emotional displays of piety. The stress of Jewish prayer over Torah study and

561-531: The Hatfields and McCoys ". This difference is of course connected with the Hasidic / misnaged debate, Hasidism being considered the more emotional and spontaneous form of religious expression. The two groups differed not only in their attitudes and their pronunciation, but also in their cuisine . The Galitzianers were known for rich, heavily sweetened dishes in contrast to the plainer, more savory Litvisher versions, with

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612-636: The Hebrew term Lita'im ( לִיטָאִים ‎ ). No other Jew is more closely linked to a specifically Lithuanian city than the Vilna Gaon (in Yiddish , "the genius of Vilna "), Rabbi Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (1720–1797). He helped make Vilna (modern-day Vilnius) a world center for Talmudic learning. Chaim Grade (1910–1982) was born in Vilna, the city about which he would write. The inter-war Republic of Lithuania

663-539: The 13th century. In 1388, they were granted a charter by Vytautas , under which they formed a class of freemen subject in all criminal cases directly to the jurisdiction of the grand duke and his official representatives, and in petty suits to the jurisdiction of local officials on an equal footing with the lesser nobles ( szlachta ), boyars , and other free citizens. As a result, the community prospered. In 1495, they were expelled by Alexander Jagiellon , but allowed to return in 1503. The Lithuanian statute of 1566 placed

714-549: The 1793 Second Partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , Litvaks became subjects of the Russian Empire . The Jewish Lithuanian population before World War II numbered around 160,000, or about 7% of the total population. At the beginning of the war, some 12,000 Jewish refugees fled into Lithuania from Poland; by 1941 the Jewish population of Lithuania had increased to approximately 250,000, or 10% of

765-550: The 18th century; the failure to contain Hasidism led the Misnagdim to develop distinct religious philosophies and communal institutions, which were not merely a perpetuation of the old status quo but often innovative. The most notable results of these efforts, pioneered by Chaim of Volozhin and continued by his disciples, were the modern, independent yeshiva and the Musar movement . Since

816-588: The 19th century, having been supplanted in this meaning by Litwin , only to be revived around 1880 in the narrower meaning of "a Lithuanian Jew". The "Lithuania" meant here is the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania . Of the main Yiddish dialects in Europe, the Litvishe Yiddish ( Lithuanian Yiddish ) dialect was spoken by Jews in Lithuania, Belarus, Latvia, Estonia and northeastern Poland, including Suwałki, Łomża, and Białystok. However, following

867-471: The Divine." The term Misnagdim ("opponents") is somewhat outdated since the former opposition between the two groups has lost much of its salience, so the other terms are more common. Lithuanian Jews Litvaks ( Yiddish : ליטװאַקעס ) or Lita'im ( Hebrew : לִיטָאִים ) are Jews with roots in the territory of the former Grand Duchy of Lithuania (covering present-day Lithuania , Belarus , Latvia ,

918-768: The Hasidi. The Lithuanian traditionalists believed Hassidim represented a threat to Halachic observance due to certain Kabbalistic beliefs held by the Hassidim, that, if misinterpreted, could lead one to heresy as per the Frankists . Differences between the groups grew to the extent that in popular perception "Lithuanian" and " misnagged " became virtually interchangeable terms. However, a sizable minority of Litvaks belong(ed) to Hasidic groups , including Chabad , Slonim , Karlin-Stolin , Karlin (Pinsk) , Lechovitch , Amdur and Koidanov . With

969-433: The Hasidic approach to Kabbalah , mainly as expressed by Isaac Luria (1534–1572) and his disciples, particularly Hayyim ben Joseph Vital (1543–1620). Luria greatly influenced both misnagdim and Hasidim, but the legalistic Misnagdim feared what they perceived as disturbing parallels in Hasidism to the heretical Sabbateans . An example of such an idea was that God entirely nullifies the universe. Depending on how this idea

1020-413: The Hasidic reinterpretation of Torah l'shma (Torah study for its own sake), was seen as a rejection of traditional Judaism. Hasidim did not follow the traditional Ashkenazi prayer rite and instead used a combination of Ashkenazi and Sephardi rites based upon Lurianic Kabbalistic concepts.. This was seen as a rejection of the traditional liturgy and, due to the resulting need for separate synagogues ,

1071-513: The Holy Land, broadly speaking, were divided into Hasidim and Perushim , who were Litvaks influenced by the Vilna Gaon . For this reason, in modern-day Israeli Haredi parlance the terms Litvak (noun) or Litvisher (adjective), or in Hebrew Litaim , are often used loosely to include any non- Hasidic Ashkenazi Haredi individual or institution. Another reason for this broadening of the term

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1122-454: The Jewish people, especially following the Chmelnitzki pogroms (1648–1654) and the aftermath of disillusionment in the Jewish masses following the millennial excitement heightened by the failed messianic claims of Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank . Opponents of Hasidim held that Hasidim viewed their rebbes in an idolatrous fashion. Most of the changes made by the Hasidim were the product of

1173-492: The absolutist state to change Jewish education and culture, which both Misnagdim and Hasidim perceived as a greater threat to religion than they represented to each other. In the modern era, Misnagdim continue to thrive, but they are more commonly called "Litvishe" or " Yeshivish ." Litvishe is a Yiddish word that refers to Haredi Jews who are not Hasidim (and not Hardalim or Sephardic Haredim ). It literally means Lithuanian. While Litvishe functions as an adjective,

1224-463: The basis of their worship and habits, all of which were seen as unorthodox by the Misnagdim . This included but was not limited to unsanctioned places of worship and ecstatic prayers, as well as charges of smoking, dancing, and the drinking of alcohol. In total, this was seen to be a radical departure from the Misnagdic norm of asceticism, scholarship, and stoic demeanor in worship and general conduct, and

1275-417: The book in the towns of Brody by Yechezkel Landau and Vilna . Toldot Yaakov Yosef is edited similarly to a commentary on the parshahs , and includes discussions of Halakha, although not exclusively Hasidic thought. The book also has a lot of content concerning the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, contains more than 280 quotations from him, each preceded by the words "I heard form my teacher." The writing

1326-512: The boundary known as the Gefilte Fish Line . The Lithuanian Jewish population may exhibit a genetic founder effect . The utility of these variations has been the subject of debate. One variation, which is implicated in familial hypercholesterolemia , has been dated to the 14th century, corresponding to the establishment of settlements in response to the invitation extended by Gediminas in 1323, which encouraged German Jews to settle in

1377-456: The burning of Hasidic texts, and humiliating prominent Hasidic leaders. The rabbis imprisoned the Hasidic leaders in an attempt to isolate them from coming into contact with their followers. The bans of excommunication against Hasidic Jews in 1772 were accompanied by the public ripping up of several early Hasidic pamphlets. The Vilna Gaon , Elijah ben Solomon Zalman, a prominent rabbi, galvanized opposition to Hasidic Judaism . He believed that

1428-496: The claims of miracles and visions made by Hasidic Jews were lies and delusions. A key point of opposition was that the Vilna Gaon maintained that greatness in Torah and observance must come through natural human efforts at Torah study without relying on any external "miracles" and "wonders". On the other hand, the Ba'al Shem Tov was more focused on bringing encouragement and raising the morale of

1479-405: The country of that name today, but to the historic Grand Duchy of Lithuania , which also included all of modern-day Belarus and, until Union of Lublin , most of Ukraine.) Litvishe Jews largely identify with the Misnagdim , who "objected to what they saw as Hasidic denigration of Torah study and normative Jewish law in favor of undue emphasis on emotionality and religious fellowship as pathways to

1530-475: The country's total population. Vilna (Vilnius) was occupied by Nazi Germany in June 1941. Within a matter of months, this famous Jewish community had been devastated with over two-thirds of its population killed. Based on data by Institute of Jewish Policy Research, as of 1 January 2016, the core Jewish population of Lithuania is estimated to be 2,700 (0.09% of the wider population), and the enlarged Jewish population

1581-481: The death of the Vilna Gaon in 1797 and the partitions of Poland in 1793 and 1795, the regions of Poland where there were disputes between Misnagdim and Hasidim came under the control of governments that did not want to take sides in intra-Jewish conflicts, but that wanted instead to abolish Jewish autonomy. In 1804 Hasidism was legalized by the Imperial Russian government, and efforts by the Misnagdim to contain

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1632-467: The dispute between the Hasidim and the Misnagdim , in which the Lithuanian academies were the heartland of opposition to Hasidism, "Lithuanian" came to have the connotation of Misnagdic (non-Hasidic) Judaism generally, and to be used for all Jews who follow the traditions of the great Lithuanian yeshivot, whether or not their ancestors actually came from Lithuania. In modern Israel, Lita'im (Lithuanians)

1683-426: The issue is subject to debate among researchers. Some believe that the differences between the two schools of thought were almost semantic, while others regard their understanding of key doctrines as starkly different. Lithuania became the heartland of the traditionalist opposition to Hasidism, to the extent that in popular perception "Lithuanian" and "misnaged" became virtually interchangeable terms. In fact, however,

1734-632: The late 19th century, tensions with the Hasidim largely subsided, and the heirs of Misnagdim adopted the epithet Litvishe or Litvaks . The rapid spread of Hasidism in the second half of the 18th century greatly troubled many traditional rabbis ; many saw it as heretical. Much of Judaism was still fearful of the messianic movements of the Sabbateans and the Frankists , followers of the messianic claimants Sabbatai Zevi (1626–1676) and Jacob Frank (1726–1791). Many rabbis suspected Hasidism of an intimate connection with these movements. Hasidism's founder

1785-748: The leading Lithuanian authorities were Chaim Soloveitchik and the Brisker school; rival approaches were those of the Mir and Telshe yeshivas. In practical halakha , the Lithuanians traditionally followed the Aruch HaShulchan , though today, the "Lithuanian" yeshivas prefer the Mishnah Berurah , which is regarded as both more analytic and more accessible. In the 19th century, the Orthodox Ashkenazi residents of

1836-411: The names of their Lithuanian forebears. American "offspring" of the Lithuanian yeshiva movement include Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin , Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary , Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yisrael Meir HaKohen ("Chofetz Chaim"), and Beth Medrash Govoha ("Lakewood"), as well as numerous other yeshivas founded by students of Lakewood's founder, Rabbi Aharon Kotler . In theoretical Talmud study,

1887-541: The northeastern Suwałki and Białystok regions of Poland , as well as adjacent areas of modern-day Russia and Ukraine ). Over 90% of the population was killed during the Holocaust. The term is sometimes used to cover all Haredi Jews who follow an Ashkenazi , non- Hasidic style of life and learning, whatever their ethnic background. The area where Litvaks lived is referred to in Yiddish as ליטע ‎ Lite , hence

1938-450: The now-widespread Hasidim were stymied. By the mid-19th century most of non-Hasidic Judaism had discontinued its struggle with Hasidism and had reconciled itself to the establishment of the latter as a fact. One reason for the reconciliation between the Hasidim and the Misnagdim was the rise of the Haskalah movement. While many followers of this movement were observant, it was also used by

1989-457: The plural noun form often used is Litvaks . The Hebrew plural noun form which is used with the same meaning is Lita'im . Other expressions are Yeshivishe and Misnagdim . It has been equated with the term "Yeshiva world". The words Litvishe , Lita'im , and Litvaks are all somewhat misleading, because there are also Hasidic Jews from Lithuania , and many Lithuanian Jews who are not Haredim. (The reference to Lithuania does not refer to

2040-689: The spread of the Enlightenment , many Litvaks became devotees of the Haskala (Jewish Enlightenment) movement in Eastern Europe pressing for better integration into European society, and today, many leading academics, scientists, and philosophers are of Lithuanian Jewish descent. The most famous Lithuanian institution of Jewish learning was Volozhin yeshiva , which was the model for most later yeshivas. Twentieth century "Lithuanian" yeshivas include Ponevezh , Telshe , Mir , Kelm , and Slabodka , which bear

2091-629: The total population. During the German invasion of June 1941, 141,000 Jews were murdered by the Nazis and Lithuanian collaborators. Notable execution locations were the Paneriai woods (see Ponary massacre ) and the Ninth Fort . Litvaks have an identifiable mode of pronouncing Hebrew and Yiddish; this is often used to determine the boundaries of Lita (area of settlement of Litvaks). Its most characteristic feature

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2142-475: The whole community (as opposed to strictures voluntarily adopted by the few), based on mystical considerations, greatly angered the Misnagdim . On another, theoretical level, Chaim of Volozhin and his disciples did not share Hasidism's basic notion that man could grasp the immanence of God's presence in the created universe, thus being able to transcend ordinary reality and potentially infuse common actions with spiritual meaning. However, Volozhin's exact position on

2193-553: Was Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer ( c. 1700–1760), known as the Baal Shem Tov ("master of a good name" usually applied to a saintly Jew who was also a wonder-worker), or simply by the acronym Besht ( Hebrew : בעש"ט ); he taught that man's relationship with God depended on immediate religious experience, in addition to knowledge and observance of the details of the Torah and Talmud . The characteristically misnagdic approach to Judaism

2244-507: Was a religious movement among the Jews of Eastern Europe which resisted the rise of Hasidism in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Misnagdim were particularly concentrated in Lithuania , where Vilnius served as the bastion of the movement, but anti-Hasidic activity was undertaken by the establishment in many locales. The most severe clashes between the factions took place in the latter third of

2295-456: Was estimated at 6,500 (0.23% of the wider population). The Lithuanian Jewish population is concentrated in the capital, Vilnius, with smaller population centres including Klaipėda and Kaunas . The Yiddish adjective ליטוויש Litvish means "Lithuanian": the noun for a Lithuanian Jew is Litvak . The term Litvak itself originates from Litwak , a Polish term denoting "a man from Lithuania", which however went out of use before

2346-540: Was home to a large and influential Jewish community whose members either fled the country or were murdered when the Holocaust in Lithuania began in 1941. Prior to World War II , the Lithuanian Jewish population comprised some 160,000 people, or about 7% of the total population. There were over 110 synagogues and 10 yeshivas in Vilnius alone. Census figures from 2005 recorded 4,007 Jews in Lithuania – 0.12 percent of

2397-535: Was marked by a concentration on highly intellectual Talmud study; however, it by no means rejected mysticism. The movement's leaders, like the Gaon of Vilna and Chaim of Volozhin , were deeply immersed in kabbalah . Their difference with the Hasidim was their opposition to involving mystical teachings and considerations in the public life, outside the elitist circles which studied and practiced kabbalah . The Hasidic leaders' inclination to rule in legal matters, binding for

2448-404: Was preached and interpreted, it could give rise to pantheism , universally acknowledged as heresy, or lead to immoral behavior, since elements of Kabbalah can be misconstrued to de-emphasize ritual and glorify sexual metaphors as a more profound means of grasping some inner hidden notions in the Torah based on the Jews' intimate relationship with God. If God is present in everything, and if divinity

2499-430: Was seen as a change of traditional Judaism, and an over stringency of halakha, and, again, a breach of communal unity. With the rise of what would become known as Hasidism in the late 18th century, established conservative rabbinic authorities actively worked to stem its growth. Whereas before the breakaway Hasidic synagogues were occasionally opposed but largely checked, its spread into Lithuania and Belarus prompted

2550-507: Was the first Hasidic book published in print describing the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov, and as such, attracted harsh criticism from those who rejected Hasidic thought. It was seen as controversial that the book was printed without pre-discussed agreement between different scholars , as was customary at the time for publication of commentaries of the Torah. Misnagdim Misnagdim ( מתנגדים ‎, "Opponents"; Sephardi pronunciation : Mitnagdim ; singular misnaged / mitnaged )

2601-525: Was viewed as a development that needed to be suppressed. Between 1772 and 1791, other Misnagdic tracts of this type would follow, all targeting the Hasidim in an effort to contain and eradicate them from Jewish communities. The harshest of these denouncements came between 1785 and 1815 combined with petitioning of the Russian government to outlaw the Hasidim on the grounds of their being spies, traitors, and subversives. However, this would not be realized. After

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