ABSTRACT
In their writings these mystics were preoccupied with the mystery of divine unity. God Himself, they believed, cannot be known by human reason. Thus all anthropomorphic depictions of God in Scripture should be understood as referring to God’s glory which was formed out of divine fire. This divine glory – kavod – was revealed by God to the prophets and is made manifest to mystics in different ways through the ages. The aim of German mysticism was to attain a vision of God’s glory through the cultivation of the life of pietism (hasiduth) – which embraced devotion, saintliness and contemplation. Hasiduth made the highest demands on the devotee in terms of humility and altruism. The ultimate sacrifice for these Hasidim was martyrdom (Kiddush Hashem), and during this period there were ample opportunities for Jews to die in this way in the face of Christian persecution. Allied to such a manifestation of selfless love of God was the Hasidic emphasis on a profound sense of God’s presence in the world; for these sages God’s glory permeates all things.
