One who studies chassidus in-depth, especially Chabad chassidus, will find deep Torah insights founded upon intellect. On the other hand, nowhere is there a greater emphasis on the importance of pure faith. However, in order to combine intellect and faith in one's service of Hashem, one has to begin by defining the area of each.
One who has not learned chassidus may confuse intellect and faith. For instance, he may say he believes a certain concept, and will then proceed to immediately bring intellectual proofs to support his faith. However, this is a mixing of the respective areas of intellect and faith. Faith is above all knowledge and logic. It does not require intellectual proofs or logical rationale. The intellect, on the other hand, is another domain altogether, wherein the laws of logic rule.
The Previous Rebbe stated, “chassidus demands that anything that can be grasped by the mind should not be grasped by faith... rather one must come to understand it through one's intellectual grasp." In order to recognize the existence of a Creator, one does not need faith, for this can be grasped intellectually. The mission of man is to learn and to understand - the greatness of the Creator, the reasoning in creation and the way in which Hashem runs His world - according to the capabilities of one's mind. Afterwards, he must begin to use the power of faith in order to believe that Hashem Himself is infinitely higher than all that can be understood about Him with the mind.
Thus it is said in chassidus, “the more a person understands in G-dliness, the greater his faith becomes. For the increase in one's knowledge of G-dliness brings one to a knowledge of the depths of G-dliness that can’t be grasped. When a person grasps ideas of G-dliness he realizes the essential loftiness of G-d, which is the level of purity of faith alone. And this strengthens him in all areas of life.”
When we look further into the combining of intellect and faith, we find also that intellect is based in faith. In the HaYom Yom it is written: “Every Jew believes in Hashem with a simple faith and his heart is one with Hashem. But the obligation of the mind and the intellect is to bring this faith into knowledge and understanding - ‘know the G-d of your forefathers, and serve Him wholeheartedly.’”
The Alter Rebbe compares faith to the loins, according to the verse, “she girds her loins with strength", and explains that just as the loins strengthen and support the entire body, so too does faith strengthen and support the intellect. Loins support the entire body, including the head that is positioned over them. It is they that lead and bring the body to its desired destination. Just as it is with the physicality of the body, so it is with the spirituality of the Divine soul. The soul’s loins are the true belief in the Unity of G-d. This faith is referred to as the loins which uphold and sustain the head—the intellect—that contemplates and concentrates on the greatness of the Infinite One.
Translated & adapted from Sichat HaShevuah by Chaim Yochanan Cohen
