ABSTRACT
The Jewish Pietists of medieval Germany are sometimes thought to have lived in history as far as their pietistic writings are concerned and as though they did not live in history as far as their speculative writings are concerned. The basic difference turned on the social or personal character of how the pietistic vision is described. R. Meir of Rothenburg refers to a large prayer garment that he attributes to hasidei ashkenaz. One begins by trying to reconstruct the best version of the text, turning to manuscripts if available, or comparing different versions. Rather, like the Mayseh Bukh’s account of Rabbenu Tam and Samuel the Pietist, the narrative about Amnon of Mainz or the 1096 First-Crusade martyrdom narratives, the exempla and elaborate narratives in SH also preserve a particular cultural self-image and memory.
