Friday, March 6, 2009
THE CHOSEN - Ch. 6 - A Little Investigation
Aside from finding out JUST how brilliant Danny is, what happened to Reuven's mother, and how David Malter believes that Reuven and Danny are now "bound" together, we get a heavy dose of history in this chapter. You probably discovered more about Jews in this one chapter than you have in all of your education up to this point in your life. But this info. should have only piqued your curiosity. Let's take care of that shall we. I want each of you to do some additional research on any of the historical facts mentioned in this chapter and then share with us something we don't know. It can be anything but it CAN'T be something that someone else has already mentioned. Good luck and good hunting.
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17 comments:
gosh i hate history..
i was overwhelmed by it while reading this chapter that i VERY quickly lost interest in it..
i'll be back later with my "research"
I really liked this chapter because, yes, it does provide a lot of information i had no idea about. The way David Malter puts it, makes alot of sense on how Reuven and Danny are bound to be best friends, because he needs someone to talk to, and he has a brilliant mind, and so on. It all makes sense to me now.
My research on Chmielnicki Uprising-
Chmielnicki Uprising refers to a rebellion or war of liberation in the lands of present-day Ukraine which continued from 1648-1657. Under the command of Hetman Bohdan Khmelnytsky, the Zaporozhian Cossacks allied with the Crimean Tatars, and the local Ukrainian peasantry, fought several battles against the armies and paramilitary forces of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The result was an eradication of the control of the Polish szlachta, Polish Roman Catholic priests and their Jewish intermediaries well as Karaites, and other in the area. The uprising started as the rebellion of the Cossack estate, but was other Orthodox Christian classes of the Ukrainian palatinates joined them, the ultimate aim became a creation of an autonomous Ukrainian state. The Uprising succeeded in ending the Polisj influence over those Cossak lands that were taken under Russian protectorate. These events, along with internal conflicts and hostilities with Sweden and Russia, resulted in severely diminished Polish power during this period, referred to in Polish history as The Deluge. Bohdan Khmelnytsky was a noble-born product of a Jesuit education in Ukraine. At the age of 22, he joined his father in the service of the Commonwealth, battling against the Ottoman Empire in the Moldavian Magnate Wars. After being held captive in Constantinople, he returned to life as a registered Cossack, settling in his hometown of Subotiv with a wife and several children. He participated in campaigns for Grand Crown Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski, led delegations to the King Władysław IV Vasa in Warsaw, and generally was well respected within the cossack ranks. The course of his life was altered however, when Aleksander Koniecpolski, heir to Hetman Koniecpolski's magnate estate, attempted to seize Khmelnytsky's land. In 1647, Chyhyryn starost (head of the local royal administration) Daniel Czapliński openly started to harass Khmelnytsky on behalf of the younger Koniecpolski in an attempt to force him off the land. On two occasions raids were made to Subotiv, during which considerable property damage was done and his son Yurii was badly beaten, until Khmelnytsky moved his family to a relative's house in Chyhyryn. He twice sought assistance from the king by traveling to Warsaw, only to find him either unwilling or powerless to confront the will of a magnate.
Having received no support from the Polish officials, Khmelnytsky turned to his Cossack friends and subordinates. The case of a Cossack being unfairly treated by the Poles found a lot of support not only in his regiment, but also throughout the Sich. All through the autumn of 1647 Khmelnytsky traveled from one regiment to the other and had numerous consultations with different Cossack leaders throughout Ukraine. His activity raised suspicions of the Polish authorities already used to Cossack revolts and he was promptly arrested. Polkovnyk (colonel) Mykhailo Krychevsky assisted Khmelnytsky with his escape, and with a group of supporters, he headed for the Zaporozhian Sich.
Cossacks were already on the brink of the new rebellion as plans for the new war with the Ottoman Empire advanced by the Polish king Władysław IV Vasa were cancelled by Sejm. Cossacks were gearing to resume their traditional and lucrative attacks on the Ottoman Empire (in the first quarter of the 17th century they raided the Black Sea shores almost on the annual basis) as they greatly resented being prevented from the pirate activities by the peace treaties between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire. Rumours about the emerging hostilities with "the infidels" were greeted with joy, and the news that there was to be no raiding after all was allegedly explosive in itself[citation needed].
However, the Cossack rebellion might have fizzled in the same manner as the great rebellions of 1637–1638 but for the genius of Khmelnytsky. He (having taking part in the 1637 rebellion) realised that Cossacks while having an excellent infantry could not hope to match Polish cavalry which was probably the best in Europe at the time. However, combining Cossack infantry with Crimean Tatar cavalry could have provided a balanced military force and give Cossacks a chance to beat the Polish army.
Khmelnytsky managed to overcome more than a century of mutual hostility between Cossacks and Tatars. He also turned the idea of Cossack as "protector of the Christian people" on its head by agreeing to pay the Khan of Crimea with jasyr or Christian captives (initially Polish PoWs, but later the whole tracts of land in Ukraine were assigned for Tartars to capture any unfortunate soul (including Jews who moved en masse into the palatinates of Ukraine after 1569) and lead them to be sold on the slave markets of Kaffa)
Bohdan Khmelnytsky was a noble-born product of a Jesuit education in Ukraine. At the age of 22, he joined his father in the service of the Commonwealth, battling against the Ottoman Empire in the Moldavian Magnate Wars. After being held captive in Constantinople, he returned to life as a registered Cossack, settling in his hometown of Subotiv with a wife and several children. He participated in campaigns for Grand Crown Hetman Stanisław Koniecpolski, led delegations to the King Władysław IV Vasa in Warsaw, and generally was well respected within the cossack ranks. The course of his life was altered however, when Aleksander Koniecpolski, heir to Hetman Koniecpolski's magnate estate, attempted to seize Khmelnytsky's land. In 1647, Chyhyryn starost (head of the local royal administration) Daniel Czapliński openly started to harass Khmelnytsky on behalf of the younger Koniecpolski in an attempt to force him off the land. On two occasions raids were made to Subotiv, during which considerable property damage was done and his son Yurii was badly beaten, until Khmelnytsky moved his family to a relative's house in Chyhyryn. He twice sought assistance from the king by traveling to Warsaw, only to find him either unwilling or powerless to confront the will of a magnate.
Having received no support from the Polish officials, Khmelnytsky turned to his Cossack friends and subordinates. The case of a Cossack being unfairly treated by the Poles found a lot of support not only in his regiment, but also throughout the Sich. All through the autumn of 1647 Khmelnytsky traveled from one regiment to the other and had numerous consultations with different Cossack leaders throughout Ukraine. His activity raised suspicions of the Polish authorities already used to Cossack revolts and he was promptly arrested. Polkovnyk (colonel) Mykhailo Krychevsky assisted Khmelnytsky with his escape, and with a group of supporters, he headed for the Zaporozhian Sich.
Cossacks were already on the brink of the new rebellion as plans for the new war with the Ottoman Empire advanced by the Polish king Władysław IV Vasa were cancelled by Sejm. Cossacks were gearing to resume their traditional and lucrative attacks on the Ottoman Empire (in the first quarter of the 17th century they raided the Black Sea shores almost on the annual basis) as they greatly resented being prevented from the pirate activities by the peace treaties between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Ottoman Empire. Rumours about the emerging hostilities with "the infidels" were greeted with joy, and the news that there was to be no raiding after all was allegedly explosive in itself[citation needed].
However, the Cossack rebellion might have fizzled in the same manner as the great rebellions of 1637–1638 but for the genius of Khmelnytsky. He (having taking part in the 1637 rebellion) realised that Cossacks while having an excellent infantry could not hope to match Polish cavalry which was probably the best in Europe at the time. However, combining Cossack infantry with Crimean Tatar cavalry could have provided a balanced military force and give Cossacks a chance to beat the Polish army.
Khmelnytsky managed to overcome more than a century of mutual hostility between Cossacks and Tatars. He also turned the idea of Cossack as "protector of the Christian people" on its head by agreeing to pay the Khan of Crimea with jasyr or Christian captives (initially Polish PoWs, but later the whole tracts of land in Ukraine were assigned for Tartars to capture any unfortunate soul (including Jews who moved en masse into the palatinates of Ukraine after 1569) and lead them to be sold on the slave markets of Kaffa)
By April 1648, word of an uprising had spread through the Commonwealth. Either because they underestimated the size of the uprising[2], or because they wanted to act quickly to prevent it from spreading[3], the Commonwealth's Grand Crown Hetman Mikołaj Potocki and Field Crown Hetman Marcin Kalinowski sent 3,000 soldiers under the command of Potocki's son, Stefan, towards Khmelnytsky, without waiting to gather additional forces from Prince Jeremi Wiśniowiecki. Khmelnytsky quickly marshalled his forces to meet his enemy en route at the Battle of Zhovti Vody, which saw a considerable amount of defections on the field of battle by registered cossacks who changed their allegiance from the Commonwealth to Khmelnytsky. This victory was quickly followed by rout of the Commonwealth's armies at the Battle of Korsun, which saw both the elder Potocki and Kalinowski captured and imprisoned by the Tatars.
In addition to the loss of significant forces and military leadership, King Władysław IV Vasa passed away in 1648, leaving the Crown of Poland leaderless and in disarray at a time of rebellion. The Szlachta was on the run from its peasants, their palaces and estates in flames. All the while, Khmelnystky's army marched westward.
Khmelnytsky stopped his forces at Bila Tserkva, and issued a list of demands to the Polish Crown, including raising the number of Registered Cossacks, returning Churches taken from the Orthodox faithful, and paying the Cossacks for wages which had been withheld for 5 years[4].
At this point, news of the peasant uprisings troubled a noble born such as Khmelnytsky; however, after discussing information gathered across the country with his advisors, the cossack leadership soon realized the potential for autonomy was there for the taking. Although Khmelnytsky's personal resentment of the Szlachta and the Magnates influenced his transformation into a revolutionary, it was his ambition to become the ruler of a Ruthenian nation which expanded the Uprising from a simple rebellion into a national movement. Khmelnytsky had his forces join a peasant revolt at the Battle of Pyliavtsi, striking another terrible blow to weakened and depleted Polish forces.
There is my research...there was more but it would be too long.
Also, i still have no idea how Reuven's mother died...
I think i put to much information, so sorry!!!!!
Ok, i'm not too fond of this chapter. It was a very lengthy history lesson but it gives us good insight.I thought the part about the guy who was married to Hannah was intresting.
Well lets see what facts to research. Ashley did most of it. LOL!
I'd been wondering what a Talmud was, it is a collection of rabbinic writings on Jewish law and customs.
Shabbat is a celebration of the Sabbath starting Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown.
Going back to the genius guy from the story. He was of course a genius but according to Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, he is considered "last great philosopher". He influenced Idealism in Germany and challenged Kent's ideas. (Kent was also a philosopher). Maimon died in 1800. It is said he had a bad temper and alinated his friends. Maimon studied medicine, then went into pharmacy. After 3 years of study, he did not professionally pracice pharmacy. Moses Mendelssohn took Maimon under his wing after reading a letter of his criticising Wolff's "Metaphysics". Along with being a genius, Maimon was very cynical.
Shabbetai Tzvi (variously spelled Shabtai Tsvi, Shabtai Zvi. Sabtai Tzvi etc.) - False Messiah who stirred up Jewish hopes of returning to Zion, then converted to Islam. Arrived in the land of Israel from Israel in 1662. Visited Nassan Ashkenazy of Gaza who declared him to be the Messiah. The two tried to convince the rabbis of Jerusalem, without success, but they created a sensation throughout the Jewish world. Shabtai Tzvi returned to convince the Sultan of Turkey to grant a Jewish state to the Messiah, but instead the Sultan gave him the choice of conversion to Islam or death Shabbetai Tzvi' converted to Islam in 1666
My computer is being gay. so I'll see if I can find more and post it...BTW, The movie Watchmen SUX! 3 hours for a bunch of nothingness, and then they blow up New York! DC Comics has really lowed its standards...and that was my rant for the day...^_^
Kabbalah (Hebrew: קַבָּלָה, lit. "receiving") is a discipline and school of thought discussing the mystical aspect of Judaism. It is a set of esoteric teachings that are meant to explain the relationship between an infinite, eternal and essentially unknowable Creator with the finite and mortal universe of His creation. In solving this paradox, Kabbalah seeks to define the nature of the universe and the human being, the nature and purpose of existence, and various other ontological questions. It also presents methods to aid understanding of these concepts and to thereby attain spiritual realization. Kabbalah originally developed entirely within the mileu of Jewish thought and constantly uses classical Jewish sources to explain, demonstrate, or prove its esoteric teachings. These teachings are thus held by kabbalists to define the inner meaning of both the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) and traditional Rabbinic literature, as well as to explain the significance of Jewish religious observances.[1]
Soloman (Maimon)- Philosophical writer; born at Nieszwicz, Lithuania, in 1754; died at Niedersiegersdorf, Silesia, Nov. 22, 1800. Endowed with greaty ability, he became versed in rabbinical literature while still a child. He was married at the age of twelve, by his father, to the daughter of a widow of his native town; at the age of fourteen Maimon was a father. Pressed by his mother-in-law, with whom he was perpetually quarreling, to earn a livelihood, he became tutor to the family of an innkeeper in a neighboring village. His days were spent in expounding the Pentateuch to his unpromising pupils, and the greater part of his nights in studying Jewish philosophical literature. He derived special pleasure from speculative science. Maimonides' "Moreh Nebukim" became his guiding star, and it was in token of reverence for that great master that he assumed the name of "Maimon." He soon plunged into cabalistic mysticism, which he endeavored to place upon a philosophical basis, being convinced that the Cabala was an attempt, veiled in allegory and fable, at a scientific explanation of existence. This endeavor of Maimon's irritated the Ḥasidim with whom he associated, and he received rebukes instead of the expected compliments. Disillusioned, he turned to secular studies. Maimon began to study physics, especially optics, from old German books, which he procured at considerable pains. The further he advanced in the study the stronger grew his innate thirst for knowledge, and, being harassed both by his implacable mother-in-law and by his coreligionists, who began to regard him as a heretic, he decided to go to Germany and there study medicine.
I actually loved this chapter. It was like listening to your grandfather while he tells you about the "days of old". (that's what my Papa calls it.) I have always loved history, so this chapter was a welcomed surprise, really. The information that we find out in this chapter really helps the reader to relate to, and understand, where Danny is coming from and why he is the way he is. I still am wondering HOW Reuven's mother died! The last page of the chapter kind of left us hanging, and that made me mad...but not mad enough to stop reading the book. NEXT CHAPTER REUVEN MEETS DANNY"S FATHER, OMG!!!!
ok what the heck is going on i just logged on right now and im looking at what people posted im not liking this!!!! no sir. sheesh all i wanna do is sleep and i have to do this. why are people putting so much stuff! what is going on! ok i guess ill read the post now ugh ok ill do the real thing now......
do i really have to do this! i dont want to!!!!!!! im eating this really big hershey's chocolate kiss lk the rull big ones ha its rull good by the way but yeah i mean i gots to do my works. this blog thing is very distracting cause i can talk about nothing whenever i want.
i cant focus im watching the sisterhood of the traveling pants i totally cried!!!
The Sabbath (or Shabbat, as it is called in Hebrew) is one of the best known and least understood of all Jewish observances. People who do not observe Shabbat think of it as a day filled with stifling restrictions, or as a day of prayer like the Christian Sabbath. But to those who observe Shabbat, it is a precious gift from G-d, a day of great joy eagerly awaited throughout the week, a time when we can set aside all of our weekday concerns and devote ourselves to higher pursuits. In Jewish literature, poetry and music, Shabbat is described as a bride or queen, as in the popular Shabbat hymn Lecha Dodi Likrat Kallah (come, my beloved, to meet the [Sabbath] bride). It is said "more than Israel has kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept Israel."
Shabbat is the most important ritual observance in Judaism. It is the only ritual observance instituted in the Ten Commandments. It is also the most important special day, even more important than Yom Kippur. This is clear from the fact that more aliyot (opportunities for congregants to be called up to the Torah) are given on Shabbat than on any other day.
Shabbat is primarily a day of rest and spiritual enrichment. The word "Shabbat" comes from the root Shin-Beit-Tav, meaning to cease, to end, or to rest.
Shabbat is not specifically a day of prayer. Although we do pray on Shabbat, and spend a substantial amount of time in synagogue praying, prayer is not what distinguishes Shabbat from the rest of the week. Observant Jews pray every day, three times a day. See Jewish Liturgy. To say that Shabbat is a day of prayer is no more accurate than to say that Shabbat is a day of feasting: we eat every day, but on Shabbat, we eat more elaborately and in a more leisurely fashion. The same can be said of prayer on Shabbat.
In modern America, we take the five-day work-week so much for granted that we forget what a radical concept a day of rest was in ancient times. The weekly day of rest has no parallel in any other ancient civilization. In ancient times, leisure was for the wealthy and the ruling classes only, never for the serving or laboring classes. In addition, the very idea of rest each week was unimaginable. The Greeks thought Jews were lazy because we insisted on having a "holiday" every seventh day.
Shabbat involves two interrelated commandments: to remember (zakhor) Shabbat, and to observe (shamor) Shabbat.
Apikoros (perhaps from the Greek "Epicurean"), is a term designating a person who leaves the rabbinic tradition. The term first occurs in the Midrash, and is defined by Maimonides as anyone who rejects revelation and prophecy, or who insists that God has no knowledge of human activity. Currently the term is used to describe anyone holding heretical or heterodox views.A Jewish skeptic or apostate.
1882, Paul Isaac Hershon (tr.), Treaures of the Talmud, p. 48
And these are they that have no portion in the world to come: He who says that the revivifcation of the dead canot be proved from the Law, and that the Law is not from heaven, and an Apikoros (that is, one that does not fully believe in the Law).
1961, Daniel Bell, "Reflections on Jewish Identity", in Commentary Magazine
A persistent fear worried the Jews of the early Diasporas and of Hellenistic times: the fear that a child of theirs might grow up to be an am-haaretz—a peasant, ignorant of Torah; or, even worse, an apikoros—a sophisticated unbeliever who abandons Jewish faith to indulge in rationalistic speculation about the meaning of existence.
1967, Chaim Potok, The Chosen
“How can you do that if you don't belive in God?” “I belive in God. I never said I didn't belive in God.” “You don't sound like a Hasid, though,” I told him. “What do I sound like?” “Like a—an apikoros.”
2005, Ruth Fredman Cernea (ed.), The Great Latke-Hamantash Debate, p. 203
Others prefer cherry, apricot, or apple, but even these innovations are rejected by the modern apikoros, the child raised in America who sees chocolate as the only possible substance that should be stuffed inside the hamantash.
Hasid: A member of a Jewish mystic movement founded in the 18th century in eastern Europe by Baal Shem Tov that reacted against Talmudic learning and maintained that God's presence was in all of one's surroundings and that one should serve God in one's every deed and word.
yeshiva:1 : a school for talmudic study
2 : an Orthodox Jewish rabbinical seminary
3 : a Jewish day school providing secular and religious instruction
In ancient times, we would hang the tassels from the fringes of the four-cornered cloaks that were part of people's everyday wardrobe. Today, Jewish men and boys have two ways to do this mitzvah every day:
a) During prayer, wrap yourself in a tallit gadol (literally: big cloak). This is the large sheet-like fringed prayer shawl worn during the morning prayers.
b) Wear a little poncho called a tallit katan (literally: small cloak). For most of us, it fits neatly under the shirt.
The fringe tassels themselves are called tzitzit. Their strings and knots are a physical representation of the Torah's 613 do's and don'ts. It works like this: Each letter in the Hebrew alphabet has a corresponding numerical value. The numerical values of the five letters that comprise the Hebrew word tzitzit add up to 600. Add the eight strings and five knots of each tassel, and the total is 613.
Wearing tzitzit is a sign of Jewish pride. Jews have always had a way of dress to distinguish them from the people of the lands in which they lived—even when that meant exposing themselves to danger and bigotry. By the grace of G‑d, today most of us live in lands where we are free to practice our religion without such fears. Today we wear our Jewish uniform with pride and with our head's held high.
I found this chapter to be somewhat interesting, but towards the middle of it I have to say I lost great interest in it. It was, as Alyssa called it, a very lenghty histroy lesson. Apparently Reuven's mother passed away some time back, and Reuven's father mentions this in the last page of the chapter. Mr. Malter feels that Danny and Reuven should be bound together as friends becuase he describes Danny as one of these Jewish people in history, and describes him as being go intelligent, smart and gifted, just like the prophet. He also mentions how this man was a very lonely person who studied materials that he shouldn't of been studying just like Danny is doing. But Mr. Malter also mentions how Danny is also a very lonely person and he feels that Reuven should be his friend so he can have someone to talk to and be there for him. Mr. Malter feels that this injury and disaster that has happened to Reuven is just the begining of a great friendship. I did do some research on Jewsih history and hope it is some stuff that you were looking for, and I hope you find it interesting.
The date and place that Jewish history came about was in 1300 B.C. in Mesopotamia.
Judaism is the religion and way of life of the Jewish people. The basic laws and tenets of Judaism are found in the Torah, which are the first five books of the bible. The most important teaching of Judaism is that there is a one and only God, and he wants all his people to do what is just and merciful. All people are created in the image of God and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.
The Jewish serve God in the way by study, prayer and the observance of the ten commandments that are set forth in the torah. This act is said to be understood as the vocation, mission and witness of the Jewish people. Judaism is not like other religions, this religion does not believe that people have to adopt their religous beliefs and practices in order to be redeemed. The Jewish community does not believe in the act of conversion to another religion, but it is a decision that is made my the religous authorities. This is not a matter of person self-identification.
The most important of all religous texts is the bible itself, which consits of the books of the Torah, the Prophets and the writings. After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans in the year 70 CE, Jewish religous scholars that were from the land of Israel came up with the six volumes of the Mishnah in order to record and preserve the canon of jewish religous legislations, laws and customs.
Most of the religous observance for all Jews is recognized in the home by doing daily prayers, which are said three times a day, in the morning, afternoon, and just before sunset. Community prayers are usually taken place in a synagogue, which is a Jewish house of prayer and study. This takes place on Mondays, Thursdays, the Sabbath, festivals and high holy days. This service mainly includes the activity of readings from the Torah and the Prophets. A synagogue ceramony can be lead by any knowledgeable member of the congregation. But most services are performed by a cantor or rabbi, which is an ordained religous teacher who has studied yeshiva, which is a jewish religous seminary. A rabbi's duty is to conduct weekly or daily study session for members of the congregation. He can also be expected to be called upon to give infomred decisions application of jewish religous law and tradition to daily life.
Another factor of Jewish Religion is called to Brit Milah, this is when Jewish boys who are just eight days old are circumcised. This has been practiced since the day of Abraham, this is known as a physical sign of convenant.
When a Jewish girl reached the age of twelve and a Jewish boy reached the age of thirteen they come to the age in terms of their religous duties and responsibilities. THis time is calle the Bar Mitzvah, this is when the boy is called up for the first time to read out of the Torah. In congregation where women participate in conducting the service, Bat Mitzvah girls the girls do the same duties as the boys, which is to also go up and read for the first time out of the Torah.
okay first of all. You people are crazy. he asked for a little research. not like 5 pages of it!!! okay, im not sure about you guys when you say that you didn't like the chapter because i actually find history really interesting. i like finding new things out about not only our history but other peoples history as well. so yes this chapter had a lot of stuff to take in but it was pretty interesting. it was alot of history stuff but the main part that really stuck out was how his father was saying that Reuven and Danny should and are bound to be like best friends and be really close to each other. i really thought that was interesting because what he said was true about how he probably doesnt have any friends and how he was able to just unload all of his feelings and emotion onto Reuven.
Hasidic Judaism (also Chasidic, etc., from the Hebrew: חסידות , Hasidut, meaning "piety", from the Hebrew root word חסד chesed meaning "loving kindness") is a type of Orthodox or Haredi Jewish religious movement. Some refer to Hasidic Judaism as Hasidism, and the adjective chasidic / hasidic (or in Yiddish חסידיש khasidish) applies. The movement originated in Eastern Europe (what is now Belarus and Ukraine) in the 18th century. As compared with other Jewish movements, Hasidic Judaism tends to focus on the role of the rebbe as a spiritual conduit of God. Hasidic followers join worship groups associated with dynasties of Hasidic spiritual leaders. Each dynasty follows its own principles; thus Hasidic Judaism is not one movement, but a collection of separate individual groups with some commonality. There are some 9 major Hasidic groups, approximately 30 smaller Hasidic groups, and several hundred minor or extinct Hasidic groups. Though there is no one version of Hasidism, individual Hasidic groups often share with each other fundamental philosophy, worship styles, dress, songs, etc.
i found more stuff but that is just like a overall review. Took way too long to type out. :(
holy crap you wrote a bunch. ok here we go. i ended up liking this chapter because it really did have a lot of information that i had never even heard anything about. it was very interesting. so about this guy Shabbtai Zvi. he was probably one of the one infamous false prophets in history. most of his early life he was pretty much a vagrant, traveling from country to country. this was around the 1650s- 1660s. then in 1663 he attracted attention in a town called Hebron when began praying quite fervently, even here he attracted people to follow him. He was supposed to be very charismatic and have a very magnetic personality. this is what caused him to attract so many followers so easily. in the two years that he preached himself as the messiah, he forced a massive upheaval in the Jewish community. Shabbtai Zvi already had a name for himself as a holy man, but it took another man involved in Kabbalah to put him over the top. This man, Nasan Ashkenazi, supposedly had a dream that he was to see the messiah and that he would be the messiah's prophet. When he finally met Shabbtai Zvi he pronounced him as so, and they went from there. Using Shabbtai Zvi's extreme charisma, they infected many Jews with this lie. so after a while of going around to different towns and declaring himself the messiah, they came to Jerusalem, where they me thteir biggest challenge yet from the rabbis there. he ended up going a little to far and pushing people out of their traditions too much and the rabbis eventually won. so after that, long story short, he converted to Islam after a threat from the Sultan, thereby betraying and alienating all of his followers. Oddly enough, though, he still had people following him even after this conversion. wow that took way too long. see ya
i wasn't very fond of this chapter it had a little bit of too much history but one way or anther it did provide some very helpful information about whats going on. I think its really cool on Reuven and Danny seem to be destin to become close friends since each one of them need the other. i did some research on the Chmielnicki Uprising-Chmielnicki Uprising and it was a war of liberation in the place we now call Ukraine which the war was from 1648-1657. It was under the order of Hetman Bondon Hmelntkky, and something about the Zaporazhian Cossacks were working together with Crimeans Tatars, and also with the Ukrainian peasantry. They fought battles together. Anyways there is still a lot more history to go through but that would make this blog too long.
ughh, this is going to take forever. i have to read through everyones post to make sure i dont get the same information...but my mommy just got mad at me so i'll post tomorrow since im behind anyways.
So yeah, I'm pretty confused on what to do... I wasn't hear when you gave out this reading assignment because my freaking idiotic councelour who has no idea what she is doing there decided to pull me out of THE most important class of the day...
Any how..
Ba'al Shem Tov
orig. Israel ben Eliezer
(born c. 1700, probably Tluste, Podolia, Pol.—died 1760, Medzhibozh) Charismatic founder of Hasidism (c. 1750). An orphan, he worked in synagogues and yeshivas, and when he retired to the Carpathian Mountains to engage in mystical speculation he gained a reputation as a ba'al shem, or healer. From c. 1736 he lived in the village of Medzhibozh and devoted himself to spiritual pursuits. He was widely known as the Besht, an acronym of Ba'al Shem Tov. He rejected the asceticism of older rabbis and focused on communion with God, service of God in everyday tasks, and rescue of the sparks of divinity that, according to the Kabbala, are trapped in the material world. His discourses during Sabbath meals have been preserved; he left no writings of his own. He made a point of conversing with simple working people. Hasidism brought about a social and religious upheaval in Judaism, establishing a mode of worship marked by new rituals and religious ecstasy.
’Abba’
"Father" This Aramaic ord ’Abba’, "Father," has always been a significant word in the spiritual life of believers. It was used in the Old Testament to describe the spiritual relationship between believers and God; but it became more pronounced in the New Testament in the light of Jesus’ instructions on prayer and the apostolic teachings. But today there is little clear understanding of what the description means; moreover, it is being defined and used in a way that was not intended. The word, then, calls for closer scrutiny.
a talmudist any of the compilers of the Talmud
a student of or expert in the Talmud
a person who accepts the authority of the Talmud
wow...
that is all i have to say
i couldnt find anything people hadnt already mentioned except these two things.
so here's what i got
Mitnagdim- this is a hebrew word meaning opponents. It is used in the book when David Malter is talking about how there was a terrible bitterness bewtween the Mitnagdim, the opponents of Hasidism, and the follwers of the Besht.
It is the plural of Misnaged or Mitnaged.
Tzaddick- a title which is generally given to those who are considered to be righteous such as a spiritual master or rebbe. The root of the word tzadik, is tzedek, which means justice or righteousness. This term thus refers to one who acts righteously.
thats all i got. sorry =(
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