Following the revelation of the Zohar in the 13th century, it was studied exclusively in Kabbalistic academies and under private tutelage. Esoteric and cryptic, its depths remained out of reach to the average Jew.
The building blocks of Chassidic teachings are culled from the array of Kabbalistic texts, chief amongst them the Zohar itself. But Chassidut contains an added, essential component: it engages every aspect of every Jew. The Baal Shem Tov’s innovation of Chassidut demonstrates how the deepest layers of the Torah are not only readily understandable but also applicable to everyday life.
In order to fulfill the Moshiach mission, it is not enough for the soul of Torah to remain in the study hall; the fountainhead must overflow downstream and satiate the arid soil of the material world. Conceptual, spiritual sparks of inspiration must be internalized and “grounded” by each recipient of its life-giving waters. How does the lofty reach the mundane?
One student of the Chassidic movement, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, took the Baal Shem Tov’s ideas yet further. A prolific author, he taught how to embed Chassidic thought within the psyche. His discipline, which he called Chabad (representing three branches of intellect), immerses the mind in G-dly understanding, and then seeks to bind the knowledge with human emotion and practice. By redirecting self-centered human endeavor through an appreciation of the Divine, Chabad Chassidut brings the power of the ever-flowing wellspring to the outermost reaches of worldly interaction.
This is the pathway to redemption, which is a time when humanity’s receptiveness to spirituality becomes the universal reality and the soul-nourishing waters of Torah’s essence permeate the furthest reaches of the human experience. The study of Chassidut is a primer, and a catalyst, for that time.
Spreading the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov (Chassidut) is the final frontier in bringing Moshiach.
Redirecting self-centered human endeavor through an appreciation of the Divine, Chabad Chassidut brings Torah’s ever-flowing wellspring to the outermost reaches.
