Jewish Law in the Beit Midrash of Hasidism

Abstract

Hasidism is often cast in shades of antinomianism or anomianism, suggesting that hasidic masters and their disciples either flouted Jewish law or ignored it. I argue for a recalibration of this dominant narrative. My argument is rooted in the reality that – contrary to the widespread assumption – hasidic masters from the earliest days of the movement were embedded in the world of halakha and active in the legal realm. This aspect of Hasidism has yet to be fully explored. The legal literature from the beit midrash of Hasidism suggests new vistas for research in both fields: Jewish law and Hasidism.

Keywords: Jewish Law, Hasidism, Law and Religion, legal literature, legal history, jurisprudence