[Avodah] What is a Chasid?

[Micha Berger]

On Fri, May 18, 2018 at 05:24:24AM +0200, Ben Waxman via Avodah wrote:
: The nature of language is that meanings of words change over time.
...

With that in mind as a caveat, let's look at Chazal's chassidim
harishonim. Aside from famously spending 9 hours a day (12 on days
when Mussaf is said?) on tefillah,

    Our sages repeated [in a beraisa]: The early Chassidim would hide
    their thorns and broken pieces of glass in the middle of their
    fields 3 tefachim [roughly one foot] deep, so that it would not
    [even] stop the plowing.

    Rav Sheishes would put them to the fire, Ravan would place them
    in the Tigres [the large river alongside which his home city of
    Pumbedisa was built].

    Rav Yehudah said: The person who wants to be a chassid [he should
    take care] to follow the words of [the tractates on] damages.

    Ravina said: The words of [Pirqei] Avos.
    
    Others say in response [that Ravina said]: the words of [the tractate]
    Berakhos [blessings].
				    - Bava Qama 30a

"Amrei leih" as the end is most ocnsistent with what we normally discuss
about them.

However, notice everyone else assumes a BALC definition of chassidus.

They come up in Seifer Hakabiim I as among the bravest of warriors,
and among the last to accept the permissibility of fighting on Shabbos.

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             The goal isn't to live forever,
micha at aishdas.org        the goal is to create so mething that will.
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