Judaism Analyzed and Tabulated
I wish I had this table 6 years ago.
The newly religious mistakenly mix any of the below to suit themselves.
Interesting what R. Bergstein and others have to say about this.
| Community===>> | LITVISHE, LITVAK, THE LITHUANIAN |
CHABAD | HASIDISHE | RELIGIOUS ZIONIST (Kipah Sruga =Woven Kipa, borrowed from Sephardim) |
SEPHARDIM (Italian, Iraqi, Persian, Bucharan, Kavkaz, Ethiopian--not exactly Sepharadim) |
YEMENITES |
| JEWISIH ETHNICITY |
ASHKENAZI, from Northern France-Germany | ASHKENAZI, from
Northern France-Germany |
ASHKENAZI, from Northern France-Germany | ASHKENAZIS of the modern Israel | SEPHARDI from Spain, Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, Lybia, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Southern France& the Balkans. | YEMENITE from Yemen after Babylon |
| CURRENT RESIDENCE | USA, S. Africa, Israel | everywhere | USA, Israel, Amsterdam, Brussels | Israel | Israel, France, Seattle, NewYork, | Israel, New York |
| STEREOTYPED AS: |
"The Opponents (Misnagdim)"
by Hasidim and Chabad; "Black and white, Haredi" by Kipa Sruga |
"The Rebbe worshippers" (by many), "Black and white, Haredi" by Kipa Sruga | "ultra-orthodox"
by media, "Cossack-looking fanatics" (by others), "Black and white, Haredi" by Kipa Sruga |
"Confused ashkenazis trying to be sepharadi", "The Settlers" by Israelis | "Mizruchniks, Mizrachi" by others | "exotic, cute" by others |
| APPEARANCE | shaved faces, or
trimmed beard, black and white suit, Fedora hat "like the 50's movies" |
untrimmed beard, sloppy
Lithuanian black and white suit, or the Korosten simple look |
the Cossack look, big cylindrical or flat fur hat, long coats, beard, peyos, pants tucked into socks |
Woven, esp. White yarmulka with blue fringe--borrowed from the Sephardim, JEANS, SHIRT OVER PANTS, SANDALS | woven, colored yarmulka, any dress, Rabbis and Yeshiva students-Black and white | any dress, peyos, black and white possible |
| PRAYER STYLE | ASHKENAZ | CHABAD | SPHARAD (=Hasidishe, or Polish), | confused between SEPHARADI and SPHARAD (=Hasidishe, or Polish) | SEPHARADI | TEYMANI |
| PRAYERS | simple and shorter than Sephardim | simple and shorter than Sephardim | simple and shorter than Sephardim | use books from other communities | rich | rich |
| Shabbos Observance | soup ladle is the second vessel-not kept in the soup | soup ladle is the second vessel-not kept in the soup | soup ladle is the second vessel-not kept in the soup | depends on personal observance | soup ladle is the 1st vessel, kept in the soup, strict when making tea | specifics not known |
| Pesach Observance | Beans, rice, lentils,
corn--forbidden, moistened matza-- OK. |
Beans, rice, lentils,
corn--forbidden, moistened matza-- forbidden |
Beans, rice, lentils,
corn--forbidden, moistened matza-- forbidden |
Depends on personal observance | no special restrictions, Moroccans--like Ashkenazis | no special restrictions |
| MEAT KASHRUS | glatt optional, "glatt"
used for advertising, Fish and milk OK |
glatt
optional, "glatt" used for advertising, slaughter more specific, Fish and milk OK |
glatt optional, "glatt"
used for advertising, some stringencies during slaughter, Fish and milk OK |
depends on personal observance | glatt only(Beit Yosef), Fish and milk--forbidden |
glatt level |
| PROMINENT RITUALS | rituals standard and quiet | wearing a rope belt
for prayer, some Cabbalistic practices, many songs in Russian-Belorussian- Ukrainian. |
singing(Breslav),playing music(Carlbach), demonstrative strictness in prayer, dress, social behavior; many Cabbalistic practices copied from the Sephardim and called Spharad | rituals picked from others for beauty or political significance | Cabbalistic rituals appear rich and beautiful to outsiders, etc. | Beautiful rituals |
| APPEARANCE of AN AVERAGE SYNAGOGUE | simple, tidy, clean, quiet service | the poor look, poor maintenance possible, talking during service | poorly maintained, orderly service | medium clean, varies widely, children and talking unrestrained | very clean, well maintained, children quiet, no talking | clean, quiet |
| PRONUNCIATION, example |
shabbos, shvuos, mezonoys | shabbos, shvuos, mezonoys | shabbos, shvies, mezunoys | shabbat, shavuot, mezonot | shabbat, shavuot, mezonot | shabboth, shvuoth, mezonoyth |
| ORIGINAL CENTERS | Slobodka-Lithuania, Brest-Litovsk(Brisk), Mir, Minsk, Ponevezh, Novardok(Dvinsk), Slobodka-Kremenchug, |
Lubavitch, Berdichev, Dnepropetrovsk, Kremenchug, Nikolayev, New York |
Carpathian-Polish
& Ukrainian towns serve as the names for specific Hasidic
movements:Gur, Amshinov, Uman, Chernobyl, Beltz, Skvir, Karlin-Stolin, Ruzhin, Vizhnitz, Lvov, Satmar, etc. Boston-hasidim started in USA; Neturei Karta-started in Israel |
ISRAEL | Spain, Morocco, North Africa, Yugoslavia, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey | Yemen |
| FOUNDERS | naturally evolved | Baal Shemtov, the Alter Rebbe, Levi Itzhak of Berdichev, Tzemach Tzedek | Baal Shemtov started the idea of Hasidism, afterwards- specific family of rabbis | none, but appropriated R. Kook | naturally evolved | naturally evolved |
| FIRST RABBIS | The Vilnius Gaon, R. Chaim of Volozhin, rabbis of original towns, R. Salanter | its founders | individual founders | Appropriated R.
Kook |
Alfassi, R.
Nissim,Rambam, R. Yosef Caro, Hida and many Cabbalists |
Rambam, R. Kappach |
| LEARNING AT YESHIVAS: | Mir, Ponevezh, Novardok, Slobodka, Tora vDaas, LakewoodNJ, MuncieNJ., Ohr Sameach | Tomchei Tmimim, Chabad, New York, Israel | many names, Williamsburg-Brooklyn, Mea Shearim-Jerusalem. | The R. Kook Center, Machon Meir and others | Porat Yossef, Orach Haim, Chaf HaHaim, Ohr Sameach | many names |
| RECENT RABBIS | Chofetz Haim,
Feinstein, Soloveichik, Kamenetzky, Kotlar, Kalmanovich, Shach, Kook |
The late Rebbe, R. Ginzburg |
each has its own rabbi, except for Carlbach, Breslav--the rabbis died with no replacement | R. Shapiro,R. Tau, Shlomo Aviner, Sepharadi rabbis | Baba Sali(Morocco), Ben Ish Hai(Iraq), Mordechai Eliyahu(Israel), Ovadia Yosef(Israel), |
no major rabbis due to each community having its own rabbi |
| PHILOSOPHY | self-control, character development, "thinking on one's feet", ethics, singing and dancing when appropriate, learning of Talmud, laws and Tora | outreach to Jews,
improvement through prayer& impulsive singing and dancing, studying Tanya and Cabbala |
isolation, improvement through prayer, impulsive singing and dancing, studying mystics, Cabbala, attempt to be naturally spiritual - like the Sephardim, Boston-similar to Chabad |
pray, study hard, be a religious Israeli, Israeli Government is Holy, Government things and holidays are holy, | follow and respect
rabbis, explore prayer, music, etc naturally spiritual |
naturally spiritual |
| LEARNING BASED | Talmud, ethics&morals books. | Talmud, Tanya-a psychological-philosophical -mystical teachings aimed at self-improvement. |
Talmud, if hard, then-- Cabbala | Talmud, modern Zionist philosophy through R. Kook | Tamud, Zohar (Cabbala) | Talmud |
| BEHAVIOR | Gentlemanly, clean, friendly | reserved, in US-very warm | reserved, serious, | serious, intense, some angry | warm, temperamental, imitated by many Ashkenazi Jews | quiet, warm, shy |
| BOOK OF PRACTICAL LAWS, all based on The Shulchan Oruch | Summarized Shulchan
Oruch--Chayey Odom (Chayey Adam), Mishno Beruro |
Shulchan Oruch haRav, Kitzur(Summarized) Shulchan Oruch | Kitzur (Summarized) Shulchan Oruch | any of others | The Shulchan Oruch | Rambam's Mishne Torah, NOT BASED ON The Shulchan Oruch |
| CONTROVERSIAL BEHAVIOR | coldness (according to
Hasidim), anti-Mysticism, women wear wigs much like their own hair-it is
"seductive" to men, say Hasidim, Sepharadim; men shave, appearance of leniencies due to understanding of laws. |
"The Rebbe is
Messiah", intuitive and demonstrative stringencies, obsessive practice of customs without understanding by rank and file, some lack learning of practical law, |
Blind following of its rabbis and their customs, intuitive and demonstrative stringencies, obsessive practice of customs without understanding by amateurs, some lack learning of practical law, rationalized extremes and strict approach to husband-wife relationship, Satmar and Neturei Karta - against the state of Israel | stringencies copied from any source in the name of holiness, exposing self to danger when settling, driving among Arabs | naturally intuitive,
spiritual observance, the base for Hasidishe strictness |
quiet, may have more than one wife |
| WOMEN | wear attractive wigs, cover arms, skirts longer than the knee, overall -the attractive look, must look pretty to her husband | attractive wigs optional, cover arms, skirts longer than the knee, the attractive look is OK | attempt to dress well, poor style&color coordination, most women wear hats and coverings on top of wigs | strict requirement of
hairsock or kerchief covering 100% of hair, but known lapses into
opposites: exposed hair&short skirts. May look Biblical, or like a cleaning woman |
wigs outlawed by their
rabbis, kerchiefs and odd hats |
their own ethnic head coverings |
| POSITIVE ACHIEVEMENTS | developed concepts of
self-improvement and ethics; balanced work-study life; think, without running to a rabbi for small advice |
saved Jews from
Tzarist Army; Jewish education worldwide; saving Israelis from Buddhism in India |
spiritual stories,
learning, music, dances, Mysticism for European Jews, Carlbach musical spirituality for American Jews |
Settling Arab-occupied territories, maintaining Jewish presence | Moroccan Jews built
Israel, etc, music of Billy Joel & Neil Sedaka, etc., preserving rituals en masse, preserving Cabbala |
loyal to keeping faith despite Israeli govt attempt to break them |
| FAILURES & NEGATIVES |
"the cold" approach, self-criticism, opposition to Hasidim | decision that The Rebbe is Messiah, "he did not die, he will come back" | fanatical rationales,
i.e.: "we wore Cossack clothes in Egypt", opposed to life in external world, all letting their rabbis tell them how to live |
support govt and their Mafdal party irrational policies, crudeness in synagogue |
rationalized beating of their wives, wives are stupid(according to Peleh Yoetz) | submission, passive behavior |
| ODD BEHAVIOR | attempt to eliminate any oddities | dialectic or dogmatic speeches, fanatical behavior among amateurs | fanatical behavior, odd table customs, compulsive actions: rocking while praying & reading of holy books, husband and wife don't talk in bedroom (Bialy), wife kept at distance from husband (Gur), prayer in woods, through jumping and screaming (Breslav), playing music whenever possible during prayers & husband-wife kissing after Friday night kiddush |
fanatical behavior, sloppiness, roughness, robotic singing& dancing, angry at Jews in Diaspora, USA may be called evil |
temperamental, religious sights, sounds and rituals | none |