Chassidei Ashkenaz
Encyclopedia
The Chassidei Ashkenaz was a Jewish movement in the 12th century and 13th century founded by Rabbi Judah the Pious
(Rabbi Yehuda HeChassid) of Regensburg
, Germany and several other German Jews members of the Lehr family and the Kalonymus family.
Rabbi Judah was born in Speyer
, Germany in 1150 during a time of persecution for Jews. He was a Tosafist and attended the schools of the Tosafists
. At a young age though he came to learn under his father Rabbi Samuel (Rav Shmuel HaChassid) who taught him the intricate words of Jewish esoterica. Rabbi Judah soon became a renowned and famous pietist. He with his father and several other German Jews took upon themselves an oath of piety and became purely pious men. They were known throughout the German lands and many flocked to learn from them.
Their philosophy is explained in their prominent Chassidei Ashkenazic works such as Rabbi Judah's Sefer Chassidim and famous liturgal poem An'im Zemirot which is recited every Sabbath in most Ashkenazic synagogues.
Rabbi Judah's student Rabbi Elazar Rokeach
is best known for his Sefer HaRokeiach. Rabbi Rokeach's student was Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, commonly known as Nachmanides, who wrote a famous commentary on the Torah
.
Due to extreme persecutions many of the Chassidei Ashkenaz migrated to Spain during the early part of the 13th century. After Rabbi Judah died in 1217 and the Rintfleisch-Pogrom
in the early part of the 13th century, almost all the Chassidei Ashkenaz moved out of the Germanic lands. The ones that came to Spain changed their movement's name and they and their students became the great Kabbalists of the Jewish Golden Age in Spain in the 13th century. By the onset of the 14th century the movement had ceased to exist. Sefer Chassidim and the Rokeach have had a major influence on Jewish customs and Torah study.
Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg
Judah ben Samuel of Regensburg , also called HeHasid or 'the Pious' in Hebrew, was the initiator of the Chassidei Ashkenaz, a movement of Jewish mysticism in Germany....
(Rabbi Yehuda HeChassid) of Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
, Germany and several other German Jews members of the Lehr family and the Kalonymus family.
Rabbi Judah was born in Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
, Germany in 1150 during a time of persecution for Jews. He was a Tosafist and attended the schools of the Tosafists
Tosafists
Tosafists were medieval rabbis from France and Germany who are among those known in Talmudical scholarship as Rishonim who created critical and explanatory glosses on the Talmud. These were collectively called Tosafot , because they were additions on the commentary of Rashi...
. At a young age though he came to learn under his father Rabbi Samuel (Rav Shmuel HaChassid) who taught him the intricate words of Jewish esoterica. Rabbi Judah soon became a renowned and famous pietist. He with his father and several other German Jews took upon themselves an oath of piety and became purely pious men. They were known throughout the German lands and many flocked to learn from them.
Their philosophy is explained in their prominent Chassidei Ashkenazic works such as Rabbi Judah's Sefer Chassidim and famous liturgal poem An'im Zemirot which is recited every Sabbath in most Ashkenazic synagogues.
Rabbi Judah's student Rabbi Elazar Rokeach
Elazar Rokeach
Eleazar Rokeach , also known as Eleazar of Worms or Eleazar ben Judah ben Kalonymus, was a leading Talmudist and mystic, and the last major member of the Chassidei Ashkenaz, a group of German Jewish pietists.- Biography :...
is best known for his Sefer HaRokeiach. Rabbi Rokeach's student was Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, commonly known as Nachmanides, who wrote a famous commentary on the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
.
Due to extreme persecutions many of the Chassidei Ashkenaz migrated to Spain during the early part of the 13th century. After Rabbi Judah died in 1217 and the Rintfleisch-Pogrom
Rintfleisch-Pogrom
The Rintfleisch-Pogrom was a pogrom against Jews in the year 1298.It was set during the civil strife between King Adolf of Nassau and his rival Albert of Austria, when imperial authority, traditionally concerned with the protection of the Jews, had temporarily collapsed.The Jews of the Franconian...
in the early part of the 13th century, almost all the Chassidei Ashkenaz moved out of the Germanic lands. The ones that came to Spain changed their movement's name and they and their students became the great Kabbalists of the Jewish Golden Age in Spain in the 13th century. By the onset of the 14th century the movement had ceased to exist. Sefer Chassidim and the Rokeach have had a major influence on Jewish customs and Torah study.