You can probably pick out a Chassid on the streets of New York by the traditional dress, the side-curls or even the accent. But those are pretty superficial indicators. Are they what really makes a Chassid into a Chassid?
The term Chassid actually goes back millennia. Derived from the Hebrew word for ‘kindness’ (chesed), the name became a term to describe extreme piety. The Talmud refers to figures as far back as Adam as a ‘Chassid’, and uses the term to describe especially holy people.
Today’s Chassidism – and the more recent usage of the term ‘Chassid’ - traces back to a movement that began in 18th century Eastern Europe. This latter-day Chassidism has many different streams, Chabad being one of the better known. So what does the label Chassid mean in our [more modern] lexicon?
Over the past two centuries, the Chabad Rebbes gave a definition to the term and its implications. Aside from Torah-true behavior in concrete terms, the Chassid strives for a specific attitude.
A. The Chassid tries to genuinely feel another’s pain, and to truly rejoice in another’s good fortune. To that end, the Chassid delights in helping another, even when it demands self-sacrifice.
B. The Chassid regularly and pro-actively pursues honest self-awareness. Perceiving life as a tireless exercise in self-improvement, the Chassid can’t afford the normative human tendency to overlook one’s own flaws (and focus intently on others’). There is work [on one’s self] to be done, and we can’t get distracted by the ego’s fragility.
C. Truth is an absolute value, including an honest perspective of one’s motives and actions,
D. The Chassid is guided by his/her responsibilities. The Chassid accepting that every action should have purpose, consciously submits to a ‘North Star’, the Divine. The Chassid may have a variety of material pursuits, but they all need to be aligned with higher meaning.
Chassidism isn’t for a select few who look and speak a certain way. It’s an attitude to embracing meaning in life. One begins with the ‘installment plan’, finding an appropriate are to begin finding deeper introspection and connectedness, and then working to maintain self-awareness and achieve incremental growth.
And this thoughtful life is there for anyone who is motivated to achieve it.
So, are you Chassidic?
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