Some Hasidic "courts", and not a few individual prominent masters, developed distinct philosophies with particular accentuation of various themes in the movement's general teachings. Several of these Hasidic schools had lasting influence over many dynasties, while others died with their proponents. In the doctrinal sphere, the dynasties may be divided along many lines. Some are characterized by
rebbes who are predominantly Torah scholars and
decisors, deriving their authority much like ordinary non-Hasidic rabbis do. Such "courts" place great emphasis on strict observance and study, and are among the most meticulous in the Orthodox world in practice. Prominent examples are the House of
Sanz and its scions, such as
Satmar, or
Belz. Other sects, like
Vizhnitz, espouse a charismatic-populist line, centered on the admiration of the masses for the Righteous, his effervescent style of prayer and conduct and his purported miracle-working capabilities. Fewer still retain a high proportion of the mystical-spiritualist themes of early Hasidism, and encourage members to study much kabbalistic literature and (carefully) engage in the field. The various
Ziditchover dynasties mostly adhere to this philosophy. Others still focus on
contemplation and achieving inner perfection. No dynasty is wholly devoted to a single approach of the above, and all offer some combination with differing emphasis on each of those. Hasidism does not constitute a united movement, but a host of
Hasidic dynasties, united by self-understanding of common descent or evolution from the original mystical inspiration of the
Baal Shem Tov. Subsequent developments of Jewish history in Eastern Europe, particularly the perceived external secularising threats of
Haskalah,
assimilation, and late 19th century
Jewish political movements like
Zionism, added additional political and social views to their theologies, drawn from general
Talmudic Judaism, in common reaction with their original traditionalist Rabbinic opponents, the
Mitnagdim. However, the Hasidic movement can be divided into major groups and schools in its internal spirituality relationship to Hasidic
Jewish mystical thought. The first two works of Hasidic thought published (
Toldot Yaakov Yosef (1780), by
Jacob Joseph of Polnoye, and ''Magid Devarav L'Yaakov'' (1781), by
Dov Ber of Mezeritch, compiled by Shlomo of Lutzk) represent the foundational thought of the
Baal Shem Tov, and his successor the Maggid of Mezeritch, who lived before Hasidism became a mass movement. Dov Ber of Mezeritch, the last unifying leader of most of the early elite movement, was the movement's first systematic thinker and architect, who cultivating a stellar
Hevrah Kadisha (Holy Group) of disciples who would go on to disseminate Hasidic spirituality to different areas of Eastern Europe among the common masses, beginning the innovation of Hasidism's varying schools of thought.
Popular Tzadikism , leading disseminator of Hasidism in
Poland-
Galicia Among the disciples of the Maggid of Mezeritch,
Elimelech of Lizhensk (1717–1787), who founded
Hasidism in Poland-Galicia, wrote the early Hasidic classic work
Noam Elimelech (1788), which developed the role of the Hasidic
Tzadik into a full training of charismatic
theurgic mystical "Popular/Practical Tzadikism". The work so cultivated the innovative social mysticism of leadership that it led to the proliferation of new Hasidic Tzadikim among leading disciples in Galicia and Poland. This populist "Mainstream Hasidism" praised the role of the elite tzadik in extreme formulations, which incurred the censorship of the
Mitnagdim. The tzadik was depicted as the divine foundation of existence, whose task was to draw and elevate the common Jewish masses by
charismatic appeal and
theurgic intercession. He cultivated their faith and emotional
deveikut to the divinity that the Tzadik represented on the material plane, as a collective of the divine sparks in each person's soul. Disciples who became the subsequent popular tzadikim leaders of
Polish Hasidism include the
Chozeh (Seer) of Lublin, the
Maggid of Koznitz and
Menachem Mendel of Rimanov.
Peshischa , successor to
The Holy Jew, who continued the Peshischa School of Hasidism In 1812, a schism occurred between the
Seer of Lublin and his prime disciple, the
Holy Jew of
Przysucha (Peshischa in Yiddish), due to both personal and doctrinal disagreements. The Seer adopted a populist approach, centered on the Righteous' theurgical functions to draw the masses. He was famous for his lavish, enthusiastic conduct during prayer and worship, and extremely charismatic demeanour. He stressed that as
tzaddiq, his mission was to influence the common folk by absorbing Divine Light and satisfying their material needs, thus converting them to his cause and elating them. The Holy Jew pursued a more introspective course, maintaining that the
rebbes duty was to serve as a spiritual mentor for a more elitist group, helping them to achieve a senseless state of contemplation, aiming to restore man to his oneness with God which
Adam supposedly lost when he ate the fruit of the
Tree of Knowledge. The Holy Jew and his successors did neither repudiate miracle working, nor did they eschew dramatic conduct; but they were much more restrained in general. The Peshischa School became dominant in
Central Poland, while populist Hasidism resembling the Lublin ethos often prevailed in
Galicia. One extreme and renowned philosopher who emerged from the Peshischa School was
Menachem Mendel of Kotzk. Adopting an elitist, hard-line attitude, he openly denounced the folkly nature of other
tzaddiqim, and rejected financial support. Gathering a small group of devout scholars who sought to attain spiritual perfection, whom he often berated and mocked, he always stressed the importance of both somberness and totality, stating it was better to be fully wicked than only somewhat good.
Chabad , founder of
Chabad The
Chabad school, also called
Lubavitch after the village in White Russia where it subsequently settled, was founded by
Shneur Zalman of Liadi from among the circle of Dov Ber of Mezeritch, and was elaborated over 7 generations by his successors until the late 20th century. Chabad was originally the more inclusive term, as it also generated a number of short lived offshoots, but hereditary dynasticism defined the main branch, which became publicly prominent for its outreach to the wider Jewish world under the post-war leadership of the last
Lubavitcher Rebbe. The term
Chabad, an acronym for the intellectual
sephirot powers of the soul, defines the thought of the movement, which emphasises the role of inward intellectual and psychological contemplation of Hasidic mysticism, in contrast to mainstream Hasidic emotionalist faith and fervour. Chabad
Rebbes, while not eschewing charismatic authority, emphasises their role as teachers and guides for the own internal work at divine contemplation of their followers. Chabad is an offshoot of Hasidism and a movement of its own, characterised by its own successively articulated orientations, and with its own extensive writings that are typified by the systematic nature of their thought, with their own conceptual language. Chabad is described in scholarship as the intellectual or philosophical school in Hasidism. These comparisons are qualified, however, by considerations that Chabad thought is not
rationalistic, as it builds its philosophical investigations of divinity upon
Lurianic Kabbalah and other traditional Torah sources without independent reason from first principles; though incorporating
Maimonidean and other medieval
Jewish philosophy methods, most Chabad thought is presented in a
Kabbalistic theosophical framework; its aim is inward mystical self-transformation applied to self-sacrifice in
Jewish observance, not
formal philosophical intellectualism; and Chabad thought retains
mystical revelation as its infinite intuitive divine essence source, drawn down into successively greater intellectual understanding by each leader of Chabad. In Chabad thought, the
Kabbalistic realm is mirrored in the internal life of man, so that it develops a conceptual spiritual psychology of human life. This enables the insights of mysticism, through
Hitbonenut contemplation during prayer, to be translated into inward emotions and practical action, while forming a precise analogical understanding for philosophical articulation of divinity. Chabad theology translates the esoteric symbols of Kabbalah into
dialectical terms that intellectually study divinity through internal human psychological experience. The ultimate paradox contemplated in meditative Chabad prayer is its
acosmic panentheism that leads to
Bittul self-nullification and inward ''Hitpa'alut'' ecstasy. While each Chabad leader developed and deepened these contemplative themes, the thought of the last Rebbe treated Hasidic thought not as a self-contained mystical study, but much more widely as the inner unifying divine essence of
all parts of Torah, expressed in analytical talks that united the exoteric and esoteric, mystical and rational of Judaism, and emphasised the corresponding unity of the whole Jewish people.
Breslov 's tomb,
Uman, Ukraine Another school of Hasidic thought, distinct from mainstream Hasidism, was formulated by
Nachman of Breslov (or Bratslav), a great-grandson of the Baal Shem Tov. His
Breslov Hasidim continued to follow him without appointing a successor. Nachman said he was the true Tzadik of the generation who cleaves to God by prophetic perfection, and regarded himself as a new Kabbalistic revelation in succession to
Isaac Luria and the
Baal Shem Tov. Nachman's personality and thought comprise the anti-rational pole of Hasidism, deriding the logical limitations of
medieval Jewish philosophy to reach mystical union and the revelation of the Kabbalistic Divine "Nothingness" Absolute. Imagination occupies a central position, drawing from
prophecy, and perfecting faith, new Torah revelation, melody, joy, laughter, simplicity, and
personal secluded prayer, by casting away the rational mind. Actions of "smallness" (foolish madness) nullify the ego, and relate to the folly of material existence, and the comic playfulness of
Judaic observance, which like the world becomes only real and Divinely meaningful with the longing and cleaving to God of
deveikut mysticism. Within Hasidism's paradox of
Divine Immanence versus worldly reality, Nachman portrayed the
existential world in grim colors, as a place devoid of God's perceived presence, which the soul transcends in
mystical yearning. He mocked attempts to perceive the nature of infinite-finite dialectics and the manner in which God still occupies the
Vacant Void of Creation albeit not, stating these were paradoxical, beyond human understanding. Cleaving to the one true
Tzadik who reaches above the void, simple faith, silence and melody confront the inevitable heresies of pre-Messianic finite reality. Mortals were in constant struggle to overcome their profane instincts, and had to free themselves from their limited intellects to see the world as it truly is. Recent scholarship has rejected earlier academic constructions of Rabbi Nachman's thought as an existentialist Hasidism of faith, versus the general movement's Hasidism of mysticism, establishing the dialectic ladder of mystical union (a mysticism of faith) that Breslovian faith communicates == Key concepts ==