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Kagal - what is this? Definition, synonyms

In modern language, the word kagal is sometimes found. What is this word for, it's interesting to know? It is all the more strange that this word occurs only in a figurative sense. What languages did Cahal come from in the modern Russian language, what does it mean?

Kahal is an ancient Hebrew word meaning a gathering, a gathering of people. This spontaneous form of social organization arose after the destruction of Jewish statehood. The main function of the kagal is mediation between the state and the Jewish community.

Occurrence

Various forms of Jewish public organizations have been known since ancient times, but the most complete form of the Jewish kagal acquired in Poland. It was the middle of the 16th century. It was then that an understanding of what a kagal was. The definition of this word can be conveyed by the word "mediation". The emergence of such an autonomous organization was due to the separate residence of Jews in various states and their special relations with feudal lords.

The value of Cahal

Cahal is a community united on a national basis. The specific attitude towards Jews from other nationalities made them rally in front of a hostile society. So the Jew did not stay alone with the state machine - the cahal served as a buffer between them. This reduced the likelihood of physical or material damage, reduced the likelihood of persecution, and so on. All kagals by the second half of the XIV century received their own autonomy and were "states in the state".

The Jewish communities did not obey the local authorities - they preferred to apply to higher bodies. Practically in all European states for Jews a special status was provided - servants of the king. The activities of these servants were governed by special royal orders - "privileges", entering the kagal. This interaction was conducted directly, bypassing local authorities. Kagal had full autonomy in the financial, judicial, administrative, educational and religious spheres.

The financial function of the kahal

The most important duty of all Jews in the Cahal is the proper payment of taxes to the treasury. To do this, the money was collected from the whole community, after which they were regularly transferred to the state treasury. In addition, the Cahul has approved special funds to support widows and orphans, to educate the poor, to support the poorest sections of the population. A portion of the funds collected from special funds went to bribes and bribes to officials. The sergeant in the kagal could collect a large sum that went to help the subordinate kagal Jews.

Judicial function

Full autonomy allowed the Jewish communities themselves to decide the court and establish the guilt or innocence of the defendants. He judged the Jews in the kagalas dayan, a member of the supreme council of the kagal, who possessed the rights of a lay judge. By its decision, the guilty parties were punished. For minor offenses punishable by a fine of several coins. Serious punishment was serious: corporal punishment, exclusion from the community, and in some places decisions were made to execute the condemned person. The judicial duties of the organizers of the kahal had the authority to act on the part of the defense, if in public courts the defendant was a Jew.

Administrative function

Cahal is an unrecognized territorial unit uniting the Jews of one district. Such an association was required to collect state taxes on the principle of mutual guarantee. All Jews must be attributed to a particular place of residence. Their movements were controlled by the connections between the various kahals. In some territories with extensive and scattered Jewish settlements, it was difficult to control cash inflows into the kagal. This was decided by the creation of smaller structural units - sub-dumps, which performed the functions of the kahal in a certain area and submitted directly to him.

Vaad

Those countries where there were especially many kagalas formed a kind of superstructure over the kagalas - it was called vaad. From Hebrew this word was translated as "commission".

It is well known that the vaad operated on the territory of Lithuania and Poland and interacted directly with the government. Thus, the Seimas appointed the amount that the Jews were obliged to pay within a year, and the Vaad were dispatched throughout the country by messengers who ascertained the solvency of one or another kahal, and according to this estimate the amount of money contributed by Kagal was determined. If there were no rich communities in this area, and the existing kagal could not pay the right amount, a richer mite contributed to it. This distribution helped the Jews survive in a hostile environment, because each of them felt the support of the community.

Educational and religious functions

The religious functions of the Jewish kahal consisted in the maintenance of religious buildings, the performance of religious rites, the organization of weddings and funerals, the maintenance of ancient rituals, and so on. The observance of the rituals and prescriptions was followed by the rabbis. At the discretion of the elders, the community was provided with kosher food, hospitals, orphanages and the elderly. The main educational functions were: the education of children and adolescents in the old rules and customs, the maintenance of general and religious schools.

The internal structure of the Cahal

The number of members of the board of the Jewish community reached 30-40 people. The sergeant of the kahal is usually the most prosperous and respected member of the society, he ran the ordinary members of the kagal board and represented the Jewish community in high circles. Top management consisted of five or six leaders (roshi) - alternate members, and three permanent honorary members - they were called Tuva. Roshi alternately ruled the kahal, occupying the posts of foreman or treasurer (Parnassus).

The meetings of the kahal were open - they were attended not only by members of the council, but also by elected representatives of the community. Such elective participants did not have the right to take part in the voting, but it was from them that the council of the kahal was elected. Elected to the council and those individuals who were responsible for any projects of the community - for example, for charity or for the guardianship of a shelter, school or almshouse.

Decline of the Jewish Administration

The deterioration of the general economic situation has affected the functionality of the kahal. Gradually, the leadership of the community closed the power on itself. The financial burden was distributed unevenly - most of the taxes were paid by ordinary members of the community. Outraged residents of villages and small towns were outraged - it was they who put a heavy burden on the "Jewish" people, but there was no longer any support from the Kagal. For a long time this could not continue, and the kagal began to disintegrate - the Jews preferred to pay taxes individually, without seeing from the kagal either protection or patronage.

XIX - XX century

In the XIX century, a number of reforms were undertaken in the Russian Empire aimed at social adaptation of Jews in the state. Therefore, the functions performed by the Cahal have changed significantly. This innovation was viewed differently by the Jewish community, but nothing could be done - the state gradually assumed the function of the kagal. So, by the decree of 1804 all Jews were obliged to be noted in city books - so the control over the movements and occupations of Jews passed to the city authorities. In 1827 the kagalas were given the supply of recruits for the army, and in 1835 the kagals were formally abolished. Such abolition was in many respects welcomed by ordinary Jews: tax books were conducted carelessly, and the scale of corruption was so great that it caused massive outrage in the society. The law included items prohibiting the imposition of new taxes on the Jewish population, it was also forbidden to judge them or to punish them - judicial functions were transferred to local state authorities. Behind the kagalas there were only educational and religious functions permitting them to perform rites and raise children according to their faith. They were given shelter for shelters and hospitals for the poor.

In this form, kahals existed until the February Revolution of 1917. After a special law, the Jews were equated with the rest of the inhabitants of the state and received equal rights and duties.

The modern meaning of the word

At present, this concept is practically not used in the direct sense. But in colloquial speech, in the figurative sense, the word "kagal" is still used. Synonyms for this word - hum, noise from talking a lot of people, din, mess, stuff.

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