Statement

The pietist ideal sprang from an uncompromising wish to fulfill the 'will of the Creator' (retson ha-bore) beyond what religious law itself required. Invoking the Talmudic maxim 'you shall forever be resourceful in fearing God', they built an ideology of piety with an intense sense of self-sacrifice in service of God's will. The Sefer Hasidim contrasts the readiness of knights, respectable women and even thieves to risk everything for honor or gain with the effort the pietist should make for the Creator's honor.

References

1. p. 194

   supports · main text · ch. 7

   Efron, Lehmann and Weitzman. The Jews: A History. 3rd edition. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.

   Verification anchor recorded · checked against the page text

2. p. 194

   supports · main text · ch. 7

   Efron, Lehmann and Weitzman. The Jews: A History. 3rd edition. New York and Abingdon: Routledge, 2019.

   Verification anchor recorded · checked against the page text