How the Mitteler Rebbe Took Chassidism to the Next Level

The Mitteler Rebbe’s imprisonment came about after the wellsprings of the Baal Shem Tov had already swept the Jewish People, nourishing tens of thousands of souls. Despite all this, there descended a darkness so profound that it challenged even such a great light, and resulted in an imprisonment. But when denser darkness is conquered, the resultant light that shines forth out of the darkness is ever the brighter.

We see this in the quality of the Mitteler Rebbe’s Chassidic discourses. When one studies a discourse of the Alter Rebbe and then a discourse of his son, the Mitteler Rebbe, the latter’s words offer unprecedented length, breadth and depth to the concepts – enabling the human mind to achieve even greater union with the Divine wisdom.

In Chassidic terminology, this is the difference between “Chochma – Insight” and “Binah – Analysis.” My father-in-law, the Rebbe, wrote that the Alter Rebbe personifies “Insight” and the Mitteler Rebbe personifies “Analysis.” The Mitteler Rebbe’s teachings are the portal through which the Alter Rebbe’s teachings are seen in greatest depth.