Hasidic philosophy

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Hasidic philosophy or Hasidism (Hebrew: חסידות), alternatively transliterated as Hasidut or Chassidus, consists of the teachings of the Hasidic movement, which are the teachings of the Hasidic rebbes, often in the form of commentary on the Torah (the Five books of Moses) and Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). Hasidism deals with a range of spiritual concepts such as God, the soul, and the Torah, dealing with esoteric matters but often making them understandable, applicable and finding practical expressions.^[1][2]

With the spread of Hasidism throughout Ukraine, Galicia, Poland, and Russia, divergent schools emerged within Hasidism. Some schools place more stress on intellectual understanding of the Divine, others on the emotional connection with the Divine. Some schools stress specific traits or exhibit behavior not common to other schools.^{[citation needed]} Most if not all schools of Hasidic Judaism stress the central role of the Tzadik, or spiritual and communal leader, in the life of the individual ^[3]

Etymologically, the term, hasid is a title used for various pious individuals and by various Jewish groups since biblical times,^[4] and an earlier movement, the Hasidei Ashkenaz of medieval Germany was also called by this name.^[4] Today, the terms hasidut and hasid generally connote Hasidic philosophy and the followers of the Hasidic movement.^[1][5]