תשעים ואחת אני יודע: לשון עכו"ם בפיהם של צדיקים חסידיים בהקשרים סקרליים

Hasidic leaders in Eastern and Central Europe vehemently opposed the infiltration of non-Jewish languages into Jewish communities. Nevertheless, numerous accounts scattered across Hasidic, polemical, and ethnographic sources recount instances of Zaddikim and Admorim who themselves employed the languages of their neighbors in prayers, sermons, Hasidic gatherings, and the like. This article focuses on elucidating the ideological foundation of the phenomenon of Zaddikim using Gentile languages in sacral contexts, as well as its practical manifestations. A broad array of sources reflecting the traditions of diverse Hasidic courts, examined within the framework of this research,attests to a widespread, rich, and varied phenomenon that existed from the early stagesof the Hasidic movement. The study demonstrates the close connection between the linguistic practices documented in the sources and the conception of language in Hasidic thought. It becomes evident that the use of words, phrases, proverbs, and songs in Slaviclanguages or Hungarian, sometimes perceived as a curiosity or personal hobby of the Zaddikim, is rooted in a structured, multi-layered mystical doctrine. Analysis of the sources sheds new light on Hasidic mystical concepts and practices, reveals various forms of sacralization of non-Jewish language, and identifies key roles that foreign linguistic elements play in the speech and songs of the Zaddikim.