Alan Smith and Harry Kewell scored the goals that brought Tottenham's 16-match unbeaten run to an end and earned Leeds a measure of revenge against former manager George Graham.
The victory was also a welcome tonic for David Batty, playing his first senior game after enduring a torrid three months on the sidelines with a broken rib. Batty's return was marked by another yellow card, however.
It was payback time after Leeds had crashed out of the FA Cup to Spurs just two weeks ago when spectacular goals from Darren Anderton and David Ginola put paid to their Wembley ambitions.
The goals - on 42 and 68 minutes - allowed Leeds to cement their fourth place in the table, five points adrift of Chelsea and four clear of Aston Villa, and with a place in Europe now firmly in their sights.
It was obvious there was no love lost between the two sides, their third encounter in 25 days after the two FA Cups games, with a venomous first half providing ample testimony of the depth of ill-feeling. The heated skirmishes threatened to boil over on many occasions, while Leeds manager David O'Leary was up out of the dug-out gesticulating and protesting vehemently at the linesman and his decisions.
Three minutes before the break Leeds cut through the Spurs defence as Hasselbaink's flick found a clean-through Kewell. The Australian international's point-blank shot was blocked by a brave Ian Walker, only for Smith to hook home from six yards for his seventh goal of the season.
Cries of "Judas, Judas what's the score" were aimed at Graham, with the same chant following Kewell's ninth this term when he rose to head home a Alf Haaland cross from the right midway through the second half.
One of the key moments for Leeds came just before the break when Nigel Martyn pulled off a magnificent double save from Tim Sherwood and Steffen Iversen.
Leeds: Martyn, Woodgate, Wetherall, Radebe, Harte, Haaland, Batty, Bowyer, Smith, Hasselbaink, Kewell. Subs Not Used: Wijnhard, Halle, McPhail, Jones, Robinson. Booked: Batty, Haaland. Goals: Smith 42, Kewell 68.
Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Campbell, Young, Edinburgh, Anderton (Nielsen 75), Sherwood, Freund, Ginola (Sinton 75), Iversen (Ferdinand 75), Armstrong. Subs Not Used: Vega, Baardsen. Booked: Sherwood, Freund, Young. Att: 34,521.
Referee: N Barry (Scunthorpe).
