- Mitnagged
-
Eng., Ashk. Heb. /mis nah"gid/; Seph. Heb. /meet nah ged"/, n., pl. Mitnaggedim Eng., Ashk. Heb. /mis nahg"dim/; Seph. Heb. /meet nahg deem"/. Judaism.a member of an Orthodox Jewish movement in central or eastern Europe in the 18th and 19th centuries that advocated an intellectual, legalistic approach to Judaism and opposed the emotional, mystical approach of the Hasidim. Cf. Hasid (def. 1).[1900-05; < Medieval Heb mithnaggedh, Yiddish misnaged < Heb mithnaggedh opposing, opponent]
* * *
▪ Judaismmember of a group of tradition-minded Jews who vigorously opposed the mid-18th-century Hasidic movement of eastern Europe when it threatened to encompass large numbers of Jews. Under the leadership of Elijah ben Solomon, called the Vilna Gaon, the Mitnaggedim excommunicated all Hasidic groups from Orthodox Jewish communities. The Hasidim were accused of espousing doctrines tinged with pantheism and were severely criticized for establishing independent synagogues with Sefardic (Spanish-rite) liturgy. The Mitnaggedim were further incensed that Hasidic religious leaders (tzaddiqim) were looked upon as mediators between man and God and that undue emphasis on religious emotionalism undermined the traditional authority of the rabbis by downgrading serious study of the Torah. The controversy subsided in the 19th century, when the two sides turned their attention to combatting Haskala, a secularizing movement.* * *
Universalium. 2010.
