Baal-Shem-Tov
1699 – 1760
Russian

Jewish teacher. Toward the end of his life, he created the Hassidic movement that drew upon the tradition of the Cabala and emphasized a direct, mystical, and enthusiastic communion with God. Initially the concern with spirit seemed to de-emphasize the Law, which did not necessarily sit well with the orthodox. But today, within the context of an often religiously liberal Judaism, Hassidism is considered orthodox in its degree of observance.

Contemporaries
1723–1790Adam Smith
1712–1778Jean-Jacques Rousseau
1632–1704John Locke
1724–1804Immanuel Kant
1743–1826Thomas Jefferson
1711–1776David Hume
1713–1784Denis Diderot
1725–1798Giacomo Casanova
1667–1748Johann Bernoulli
1655–1705Jakob Bernoulli
1748–1832Jeremy Bentham