The relationship between Kabbalah and Chasidut is also reflected in the word “Chasidut” itself, which is based on “loving-kindness” (chessed), in Hebrew. Loving-kindness is the force of love and dedication to others. Thus, the word “Chasidut” complements the word “Kabbalah,” one of whose meanings is “to receive.” But just as we saw in the previous article that the word Kabbalah has a deeper meaning, so too does the word Chasidut.
The traditional definition of a chasid is someone who acts “beyond the letter of the law,” that is, does good beyond what is required. What does this mean in the context of the Chasidic movement? Well, it can be said that Chasidut goes “beyond the letter of the law” of Kabbalah. The Kabbalistic models, as subtle and profound as they may be, are just a system of laws if not “lived” from within. A chasid is not satisfied with intellectual contemplation of these structures but seeks to experience them, to enter, so to speak, into the Kabbalistic law. The Hebrew phrase for “beyond the letter of the law” (לְ פָ נִ ים מִ וּשּׁרַ ת הַ דִּ י ן) can also be read as meaning, “inside the letter of the law” (לִ פְ נִ ים מִ וּשּׁרַ ת הַ דִּ ין ). For this reason, just as Kabbalah is defined as the “soul of the Torah,” Chasidut is defined as the “soul of Kabbalah.” It exposes the living spirit breathing within the seemingly technical models of Kabbalah. Entering the inner dimension of Kabbalah infuses it within us, turning it into what is described as “the living words of God” (דִּ בְ רֵ י אֱ�קים חַ יִּ ים)—a Torah of the psyche that pulsates within us.
The Ba’al Shem Tov showed his students that his wisdom “is not in heaven” but is revealed within the verses of the Torah and the commentators. All we need to do is slightly shift the traditional lenses of reading. He taught, for example, that the word mitzvah, which means “commandment” (מִ צְ וָה ) should not only be read as deriving from the verb letzavot, meaning, “to command” (לְ צַ וֹוּת) or “to give orders,” but can also as understood as coming from the word meaning “together” (צַ וְ תָּ א ), pronounced tzavta, thus implying that its purpose is to elevate the individual and connect him together with God through the performance of the commandment.
Other examples: he taught that God’s call to Abraham, “Go forth” (לְ � לֶ�), is not just a call to go on his path, but also a call to “go to yourself,” to your hidden essence. He taught that the famous saying from the sages, “Know what is above you” (מִ מְּ� לְּ מַ ﬠְ לָ ה מַ ה דַּ ע) is not only a directive meant to give man some perspective regarding his position under God, but can also be read as saying, “Know [that] what is above, [comes from] you.” In other words, everything that happens above and seems to just overpower you, is all essentially from you, a reflection of your inner reality.
