Updated: 2013.10.09
Plural (indicating "members of…") of a portmanteau of ãåÉø ãÅòÈä, forming the name of one of the four ancient sages, ãÇøÀãÌÇò (Mᵊlâkh•imꞋ ÂlꞋëph 5.11), indicative of the ultimate generation of wisdom – the generation that basked in the wisdom of ShᵊlomꞋoh ha-MëꞋlëkh.
ãÇøÀãÌÇòÄéí refers specifically to the 19th century C.E. restoration movement of the
Beside ãÇøÀãÌÇò, the other three names listed in Mᵊlâkh•imꞋ ÂlꞋëph 5.11, as well as their "father," also [a] are named nowhere else and [b] all exhibit a charactonym (charactonymous portmanteau):
ãÇøÀãÌÇò as the portmanteau of ãåÉø ãÅòÈä, charactonymous of a generation of knowledge;
äÅéîÈï, charactonymous of äÄîÅï and its cognate äÈîåÉï;
ëÌÇìÀëÌåÉì, charactonymous of ëÌÇìÀëÌÈì (Mᵊlâkh•imꞋ ÂlꞋëph 5.7);
and the father, îÈçåÉì, charactonymous of îÄçÉì
These should be understood as cryptonyms esoteric to the ãÇøÀãÌÇòÄéí implying (to the initiated) a knowledge surpassing that of the worldly popular and politically correct (äÅéîÈï) and Yo•seiphꞋ-like ancient (economic & provision) planning geniuses (ëÌÇìÀëÌåÉì)—from the profane (viz., goy•imꞋ) population (îÈçåÉì).
Thus, the esoteric tradition of ãÇøÀãÌÇòÄéí is reflected in the ancient text of Mᵊlâkh•imꞋ ÂlꞋëph, millennia before Rav Qapakh restored it in the 20th century (see "Teimanim" section in our History Museum). This ancient esoterica was later reflected in the symbology of the Talpiot Tomb (also paralleled in the Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ logo) and, much later, may have been the inspiration for îÈçåÉì imitations like the Knights Templar, Illuminati and Freemasons.
In the early 19th century, a tᵊshuv•âhꞋ movement arose among the most pristine—Ba•lad•iꞋ—sect of the Tei•mân•imꞋ as a backlash against the growing incursion of irrationalism (mysticism, magic & superstition) that had been rejected by their Tei•mân•imꞋ predecessors, as most famously espoused by their European rationalist connection 7 centuries earlier—RamꞋba"m (1135-1204 C.E.).
Spirituality—realizing that é--ä exists in a non-dimensional realm beyond our dimensional universe—has always been a legitimate and desirable staple of Tor•âhꞋ, embodied in the ancient (but not the modern imitation) Kha•sid•imꞋ; as a function of rational, logical and scientific reasoning, not the mysticism, magic, sorcery and superstitious a•vod•âhꞋ zâr•âhꞋ of the goy•imꞋ. Today, however, "Hasidim" has been corrupted to mean Qabâlists, whereas the proper meaning implies those who can relate to the non-dimensional "eternal kingdom" beyond our physical universe ("not of this world") through rational, logical and scientific reasoning—introduced to Jews and Judaism in the 1st century C.E. by RibꞋi Yᵊho•shuꞋa, making him the ultimate spiritual Khâ•sidꞋ. (The Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ are also Kha•sid•imꞋ—spiritual, not Qabâlist.) Today, sadly, secular, agnostic, atheist and Christian physicists and cosmologists far excel above the Qabâlist "Hasidim."
Despite the condemnations of the Tei•mân•imꞋ and RamꞋba"m, many of the assimilating European Jewish communities in Dark Ages Europe continued to be attracted to irrational mysticism, magic & superstition. In the late 1300s C.E.—less than a century after RamꞋba"m's death—a Spanish rabbi, Moses b. Shem Tov de Leon, created the Zo•harꞋ, fraudulently claiming origins in an earlier Sage. The Zo•harꞋ subsequently became the basis of a new, rebranded, reinventing of irrationalism, mysticism, magic & superstition: Qa•bâl•âhꞋ. Like other forms of assimilation in a•vod•âhꞋ zâr•âhꞋ, Zo•harꞋ and Qa•bâl•âhꞋ has subsequently grown to infect large sections of the Jewish community across the world.
Towards the end of the nineteenth century, the external world began to encroach into Yemen and, as a result, knowledge became increasingly available to the Yᵊhud•imꞋ Tei•mân•imꞋ. History clearly demonstrates that the Yᵊhud•imꞋ Tei•mân•imꞋ have always been inclined toward rational thought, logic and the scientific method—as corroborated, inter alia, by their affinity for Ramb"mꞋ, the European champion of rational thought, logic and the scientific method.
The Hakham Bashi (Turkish translation of "Chief Rabbi" and representative of the community to the Moslem authorities) and most outstanding Bal•ad•iꞋ—rationalist—rabbi, îÉàøÄé éÄçÀéÈä ÷ÈàôÅç, introduced arithmetic, natural science, history, geography, astronomy and sports as well as Hebrew, Arabic and the grammar of both languages—revitalizing the ancient, rationalist, understanding of Tor•âhꞋ. He combined the phrase ãåÉø ãÅòÇä and ãÇøÀãÇò to name his revitalization ãÇøÀãÇòÄéí.
In a redux of the centuries-old dispute between rationalism, famously espoused by Ramb"mꞋ, versus the irrational Qabâlists, the Qabâlists in Yemen, who clung obdurately to the perverse a•vod•âhꞋ zâr•âhꞋ of Qa•bâl•âhꞋ, managed to close down his schools. For this perverse obduracy, the Qabâlists of Yemen became known as the I•qᵊsh•imꞋ.
In reviving their predecessors' (and RamꞋba"m's) rejection of irrationalism, the DarᵊdaꞋim revived No•sakhꞋ Tei•mân•iꞋ, which scholars agree reflects the most pristine understanding of Tor•âhꞋ as it was practiced at Har Sin•aiꞋ.
The Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ identify most closely with the DarᵊdaꞋim, who advocate a return to authentic No•sakhꞋ Tei•mân•iꞋ, a rejection of Qa•bâl•âhꞋ irrationalism (mysticism).
 1949.05 Operation 'Magic Carpet' (National Photo Collection) |
When the Tei•mân•imꞋ were brought to Israel in Operation 'Magic Carpet' in 1949.05, they were regarded by the patronizing Ash•kᵊnazꞋim as primitive natives. Upon arrival in Israel, their beards and pei•yotꞋ were forcibly shaved from them, many of their children taken from them (under the pretense of check-ups at the hospital) and spirited away from their "primitive native" parents to "have a better chance in life" by being raised by Ash•kᵊnazꞋim Jews in the United States (see Yᵊdi•otꞋ A•khar•on•otꞋ 2001.11.05, Ma•a•rivꞋ, hâ-ÂꞋrëtz and Jerusalem Post 2001.11.06, two articles in Jerusalem Post 2001.11.08).
Persecuted even more than the other Tei•mân•imꞋ, the DarᵊdaꞋim were threatened with kâ•reitꞋ unless they embraced the Zo•harꞋ—which, like the Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ rejecting the NT in 333 C.E., the DarᵊdaꞋim refused to do.
It is a mistake to assume that the Tei•mân•imꞋ followed RamꞋba"m. Rather, RamꞋba"m was highly respected by the Tei•mân•imꞋ because the teachings of RamꞋba"m were the closest to the Tei•mân•imꞋ tradition—and particularly because RamꞋba"m was the most powerful ally in opposing the Qa•bâl•âhꞋ-ists. There are, however, examples in which the Tei•mân•imꞋ followed their own traditions where they differed from RamꞋba"m ("Rav al-Fasi On Tractate Khul•inꞋ," by MorꞋi GâꞋpheikh).
This DarᵊdaꞋim protest movement, a subgroup of the Ba•lad•iꞋ sect, was based on the desire to restore the pre-Zo•harꞋ, pre-Qa•bâl•âhꞋ and pre-1600 pristineness of the Tei•mân•iꞋ tradition that traces back to Har Sin•aiꞋ.
The Nᵊtzâr•imꞋ make no secret of identifying with, and sharing the aims of, the DarᵊdaꞋim.
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