We’ve seen them in airports, in movies, on the street, and (at least in my case) in our living rooms. Some of them wear fancy fur-lined streimels that sit atop their heads like huge crowns. Some have long sidelocks elegantly curled at each side of their heads, short sidelocks tucked behind their ears, or no sidelocks at all. The women may wear wigs alone, with hats or no wigs but helmet-like hats which cover every strand of hair. Yes, as implied by this lengthy introduction, they are most apparent for their dress, but who are hassidic Jews and what do they believe?
Hassidism is a movement in Judaism which began in the 18th century as a response to the intellectualism that prevailed in Jewish observance and life up until that era. After terrible pogroms and massacres in Poland destroyed a third of the Jewish population, many communities were left without leaders and rabbis to teach and carry on the tradition. Many of these Jews, bereft of proper instruction but with a passion to survive spiritually as well as physically were searching for teachers who would address their needs. The Baal Shem Tov began the hassidic movement which stressed the emotional aspects of prayer and observance, rather than focusing almost entirely on learning. The simple Jew was taught that his love of G-d was as precious as extensive Torah learning. More educated Jews tended to fight against this movement, since they felt that it would lead to a distortion of Torah, but with time, the Hassidic movement gained acceptance.
So what’s with the long beards, sidelocks and streimels? First of all, many of these Jews preserved the tradition of dress from their prospective societies, because they did not want to be vulnerable to non-Torah influences (i.e. if a hassid would suddenly wear crocs, it would be proof of secular influence. However, there are more liberal hassidim, women and children, who do wear crocs…although they would say they like crocs because they are comfortable, not because they are “cool.”)
The long beards and the sidelocks demonstrate the hassidic principle of going beyond the letter of the law. While many Orthodox Rabbis* permit some kind of shaving of the hair of the beard and above the ears (peyos), the hassidic Jews believe that is pious to go beyond the letter of the Jewish law, which forbids actual cutting of the hair in these areas,and to grow long beards and long sidelocks. Hassidism are also influenced by Kabbala (jewish mysticism) and many of these hassidim wear long beards and keep their hair very short for mystical reasons.
See Also: What is an Upshernish?
A portrait of Jewish Leadership: Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneersohn
And for a completely different kind of hasid! Matisyahu: A New Kind of Reggae
* These Rabbis conclude that certain kinds of cutting and shaving are not included in the Torah prohibition.