Three are bound together: Israel, Torah, and G‑d, all on different planes, one higher than the other, partly concealed and partly revealed. 1 In all three-Israel, Torah, and G‑d-there are both hidden and revealed dimensions. The revealed dimension of Torah, mitzvot [religious obligations], and G‑dliness, is expounded in the Talmud, the codes and the early and later commentaries. The esoteric dimension of Torah, mitzvot, and G‑d is discussed in Midrashic literature, Zohar and Kabbalah, religious philosophy, and Musar [ethical works].
The Almighty uncovered His holy arm2 and enlightened us through the Baal Shem Tov and his disciples, our holy forebears, the exponents of Chasidus. Chasidus merges the concealed and revealed into one whole. To a certain degree, through its various interpretations Chasidus reveals the inner dimension of the Torah and its commandments, and stimulates a G‑dly feeling in the living heart of the Jew.
Chabad Chasidus, especially, is a Divine philosophy that opens the gateways of wisdom and understanding to knowledge and intellectual recognition of He Who spoke and the world came into being. 3 It shows every individual, each according to his capabilities, how to draw near to Holiness, and how to serve G‑d with his heart and mind.
Though a profound and exacting doctrine, Chabad Chasidus fully explains the most subtle concepts with examples and illustrations that are easily grasped, making such concepts accessible and understandable even to the ordinary intellect. Like all disciplines, Chasidus progresses from the simple to the difficult, leading the student, rung by rung, up the ladder of wisdom and knowledge.
The true value and uniqueness of Chasidus, however, lie in its power to arouse in the heart the emotions consonant with the subjects studied.