The “Chasidim”

An excerpt from: Grace and Judaism: Christians are the true “Chasidim”. Section: The “Chasidim”

Old Testament scripture preserves an ancient term; a designation used to refer to the true followers of YHVH, and those who served with a pure heart:

Of Levi he said, “Let Your Thummim and Your Urim belong to Your godly man [Chasid], Whom You proved at Massah, With whom You contended at the waters of Meribah; – Deuteronomy 33:8

“He keeps the feet of His godly ones [Chasidim], But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; For not by might shall a man prevail.” – 1 Samuel 2:9

The term is most found in the Book of Psalms:

Sing praises to YHWH, you His Chasidim, and give thanks to His set-apart Name. – Psalm 30:5

Love YHWH, all you Chasidim! YHWH preserves the faithful, but abundantly requites him who acts haughtily. – Psalm 31:24

For YHWH loves justice; He will not forsake His Chasidim. The righteous shall be preserved forever, but the children of the wicked one shall be cut off. – Ps. 37:28

“Chasid” or “Chasidim” (plural) is derived from the Hebrew word “Chesed” – grace. Therefore when considering the etymology, the word implies the following concepts:

• saintly behavior
• exhibiting mercy/grace towards others
• existing under the covering of God’s grace.

The history behind the word is fascinating. Over time, many Jewish groups would come to appropriate the title as a method of asserting the confidence of their cause. Jewish tradition traces the transmission of it’s wisdom from Moses to Joshua, Joshua to the prophets, and the Prophets to the “Great Assembly”:

Moses received Torah at Sinai and handed it on to Joshua, Joshua to the elders, the elders to the prophets, the prophets handed it on to the men of the Great Assembly. – Mishnah.Avot 1:1

The “Great Assembly” consisted of a council of 120 Elders/Prophets who submitted to Ezra as leader. The Assembly convened during the return of the Jewish community to the land of Israel after 70 years of exile in Babylon. According to tradition, notable prophets such as Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, and Daniel, were members. Of the many reforms associated with the Assembly, tradition uniformly attributes the formation of Jewish canon, and the institution of the daily prayer (AKA the “Amidah”) to this historic group. Eventually the group would disband under tumultuous circumstances. The last known member of the Assembly was a figure known as “Simeon the Righteous”:

Simeon the Righteous was of the remnants of the Great Assembly. He used to say, “On three things the world stands: On the Torah, On the Ministry, and on Chesidim (kindness, grace).”- Mishnah Avot 1:2

During Simeon’s tenure as High Priest, the nation was honored with seven miracles that persisted ever year, and without fail:

1. The lot cast for God always came into the right hand (a procedure done on the Feast day of Yom Kippur)
2. The light in the Temple never failed
3. The red thread around the neck of the Goat/Ram became white (another procedure done on Yom Kippur)
4. The fire on the altar required little wood to keep it burning
5. A blessing rested on the offering of the first fruits
6. A blessing rested on the sacrificial loaves
7. A blessing rested on the loaves of showbread

After Simeon, the miracles would cease, or only appear intermittently:

All during Simeon the Just’s lifetime the lot for Hashem came up in his right hand; after Simeon the Just’s death sometimes it came up to the right, sometimes to the left. All during Simeon the Just’s lifetime the Easternmost light was burning; after Simeon the Just’s death sometimes it was extinguished, sometimes burning. All during Simeon the Just’s lifetime the shiny [crimson] strip turned white; after Simeon the Just’s death sometimes it turned white, sometimes it turned red. All during Simeon the Just’s lifetime the fire on the altar steadily increased; after they had put on two logs in the morning they did not add anything during the day. After Simeon the Just’s death the fire weakened; they had to add wood all day long. All during Simeon the Just’s lifetime a blessing was in the Two Breads and the shew-bread; the part of each one came to an olive sized bite; some of them ate and were full, some of them ate and left over. After Simeon the Just’s death the blessing was taken from the Two Breads and the shew-bread; the part of each one came only to a pea-sized bit. The decent ones refrained from taking; the gluttons stretched out their hands. – Jerusalem Talmud Yoma 38

When Alexander the Great marched through the land of Israel, Simeon the Righteous dressed in his priestly garments and rushed to meet the young conqueror. It is said that Alexander immediately dropped from his chariot and bowed:

When Alexander saw Shimon HaTzaddik, he descended from his chariot and bowed before him. His escorts said to him: Should an important king such as you bow to this Jew? He said to them: I do so because the image of this man’s face is victorious before me on my battlefields, i.e., when I fight I see his image going before me as a sign of victory, and therefore I know that he has supreme sanctity. – Talmud Yoma 69a

Simeon was succeeded as High Priest by his son Onias the 3rd, who is mentioned in the Book of 2nd Maccabees:

While the holy city was inhabited in unbroken peace and the laws were very well observed because of the piety of the high priest Onias and his hatred of wickedness. – 2nd Maccabees 3:1

At this time, Antiochus Epiphanees rose to power, and the High priesthood was transferred from Onias the 3rd, to his brother Jason. Jason took the priesthood through an act of bribery:

…Jason the brother of Onias obtained the high priesthood by corruption, promising the king at an interview three hundred and sixty talents of silver and from another source of revenue, eighty talents… he at once shifted his countrymen over to the Greek way of life… and introduced new customs contrary to the Torah. – 2nd Maccabees. 4:7-8, 10, 11

Jason was not respected, and regarded as an illegitimate High Priest:

…Jason, who was ungodly and no high priest…- 2nd Maccabees 4:13

Jason served three years, only to be replaced by Menalaus who offered an even larger Bribe to Antiochus. Upon hearing a rumour that Antiochus had died in battle, Jason executed a power grab to reclaim the High Priesthood. Antiochus interpreted the infighting as a slight against his authority and sent an army to Jerusalem. Thousands were killed.

Soon after, Antiochus enacted a policy of Hellenization by prohibiting circumcision and Torah study under threat of death, and demanding the sacrifice of pigs:

“For Antiochus the unexpected conquest of the city [Jerusalem], the looting, the wholesale slaughter were not enough. His psychopathic tendency was exacerbated by resentment at what the siege had cost him, and he tried to force the Jews to violate their traditional codes of practice by leaving their infant sons uncircumcised and sacrificing pigs on the altar.” – Flavius Josephus, The Jewish War, Book 1.34-35

And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane sabbaths and festivals, 46 to defile the sanctuary and the priests, to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and other unclean animals, and to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, 49 so that they would forget the law and change all the ordinances.  He added, “And whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die. – 1 Maccabees 1:41-50

These are the changes that many assume forced the disbandment of the Great Assembly.

During the historic period from the fifteenth day, to the twenty-fifth day “of Chislev”, the king’s officers were sent to the town of “Moedin” and they assembled the locals to sacrifice pigs. When a Jew approached the altar, a man named “Matthahias” burned with zeal, ran to the Jew and killed him on the altar.

Then Mattathias cried out in the town with a loud voice, saying: “Let every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!” Then he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the town.” – 1 Maccabees 2:27-28

Matthathias and his family would lead a successful revolt, and eventually restore service to the Temple. The Holiday of “Hannukkah” is a celebration of this event.

However another group would seek refuge in the wilderness. They would appropriate the title of Hasidim – or in Greek: “Hasideans.” Very little is known about this group. It likely that they were led by a disciple of Simeon the Righteous, known as “Antigones of Soko”:

Antigones of Soko received [teaching] from Simeon the Righteous. He used to say, “Be not like servants who serve their master for the sake of wages, but be like servants who serve their master with no thought of a wage – and let the fear of Heaven be upon you.” – Mishnah Avot 1:3

This would become the principle teaching of the Chasidim. Since they were under God’s grace/Chesed, their service to God was not regarded as meritorious. Instead, they would obey “with no thought of a wage.” The only acceptable motive for any religious act was therefore the “fear of heaven.”

Antigones of Soko passed his teaching/wisdom to “Yose ben Yozer”:

Yose ben Yozer… received it [proper teaching and Torah wisdom] from them [Simeon the Righteous and Antigones of Soko]. Yose ben Yozer used to say: Let your house be a gathering place for sages. And wallow in the dust of their feet. And drink in their words with gusto. – Mishanah Avot 1:4

Yose ben Yozer was the last of the Chasidim:

When Rabbi Yose [Yose ben Yozer] Qatnuta died, the Chasidim passed away. And why was he called “Qatnuta”? Because he was least of the Chasidim. – Mishnah Sotah 9:15

Yose ben Yozer served as the first president (in Hebrew: Nasi) of what would develop into the Pharisaic Sanhedrin. Yose met his demise, along with 60 other Chasidim, who were crucified by Syrian general Bacchides (1st Maccabees 7:16).