chosid shoteh

Pronunciations

chasid shoteh (CHUH-sid SHOI-teh) listen

Definitions

  • n. A blind follower, especially of religion.

Example Sentences

  • "Some of these political TV ads are so bad that only a chasid shoteh would believe them." (Glinert)

  • "RCA: Don’t Be a Chosid Shoteh: Make and Receive Phone Calls on Yom Tov & Shabbos For Those in Serious Psychological Distress" (source)

  • "We live in urban, densely populated areas, any fire can pose a danger to surrounding buildings and people and should be treated as such. Don't be a chosid shoteh." (source)

  • "The behavior of MANY frum people is extremely boorish at times, and they use the Torah as an excuse for their ill-mannered and obnoxious ways. That is why we have a concept of chosid shoteh." (source)

  • "Please have rachmanus on those hatzalah member[s] who have young children and put their lives in danger just because some people are being careless and being chosid shote." (source)

  • "In the Mishnah (20a) Rabbi Yehoshua mentions a number of people who he categorizes as mevalei olam – those whose actions destroy the world. One of them is a chasid shoteh – a “foolish righteous person.” Our Gemara defines the term by giving the example of a man who sees a woman drowning and reacts by saying that, as a religious person, it is inappropriate for him to look at her – even though that is the only way to save her." (source)

Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish

Etymology

  • TH חסיד שוטה chasid shote 'a foolish pious person' > Y חסיד־שוטה khosid-shoyte

    • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)

      Regions

      • North America

      Dictionaries

      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).

      Alternative Spellings

      chasid shote, hasid shote, chosid shote, hosid shote, chassid shote, hassid shote, chossid shote, hossid shote, chasid shoteh, hasid shoteh, hosid shoteh, chassid shoteh, hassid shoteh, chossid shoteh, hossid shoteh

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