2. Authentic Chassidus

Chassidus Chabad:An Adaptation or Innovation?

Having explained Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s focus on the intellectual presentation of Chassidus, one may wonder: Did this create a meaningful difference between the Chassidus of the Baal Shem Tov, often referred to as Chassidus HaKlalis, or general Chassidus, and Chassidus Chabad? Rabbi Shneur Zalman’s new style of delivery surely did broaden the influence of Chassidus. However, did this actually modify its message? Is Chassidus Chabad a distinct entity within the world of Chassidism?

Unpacking a Condensed Torah

A closer look will reveal that Chabad’s adaptation of the Chassidus of the Baal Shem Tov into intellectual presentation actually follows a pattern in the development of Torah in general: The Torah is often presented initially in a condensed form and relies on the students’ effort and investment to discover the embedded nuance, depth, and application by means of their intellectual dissection and scrutiny.41

At Sinai, G‑d granted the Torah as a gift from above, delivering it to the Jewish People. The Torah was of course granted as one cohesive whole, encompassing within it all of the vastness, detail, and richness of G‑d’s infinite wisdom. However, although “delivered,” it was yet to be “unpacked;” the Jewish people were yet to discover the layers of meaning and nuance hidden within the Torah they were gifted.

It was throughout the following generations that those studying the Torah, with much personal investment and effort, uncovered many of the Torah’s secrets, discovering an endless amount of halachos, explanation, and depth within the G‑d-given Torah. Quite paradoxically, these Torah discoveries are referred to by our Sages as chiddushei Torah, or Torah innovations.42

The reason that they are referred to as novel ideas despite them having been merely “unpacked” from within the original G‑d-given Torah is because, at least from the student’s point of view, they are actually innovative and original. Considering the student invested their own energy and effort to deduce and prove this innovative idea from within the Torah, the student is no longer a mere recipient of Torah, but rather a collaborator in the revelation of the Torah as well.43

Ultimately, the significance of this process can be explained as actually integral to the Torah in and of itself.

To explain: The Torah is intended to be integrated within the Jewish People, becoming completely unified with them. It is in this context that the Torah is termed “the life-force of the Jew.”44

Just as a living organism does not just receive life, rather, it is alive itself,45 so too it is insufficient for the Jew to have merely received the Torah from G‑d; rather the Jew must “be” Torah.

The Jew should not only accept the Torah’s truths; rather, they are meant to invest effort into understanding and comprehending the Torah. In doing so, the Torah becomes the student’s “intellectual property,” to the point that they will discover new insights embedded within the Torah. In this manner the Jew is more than a recipient of Torah, they are contributors in the Torah; the Jew is Torah.

Thus, we can understand the significance of the Torah being delivered to the Jewish people in a manner that requires “unpacking” and discovery. By expecting maximum involvement from its students, and by making their study intrinsic to Torah’s application, the Torah was designed to transform its recipients into collaborators.

This pattern of Torah transmission is followed throughout all of Torah’s stages of development. For example, the Mishnah states all of the halachos of the Oral Torah in condensed form, while the discussions in the Talmud and its commentaries are necessary in order to “unpack” and properly extrapolate and apply the Mishnah’s rulings.46

The Parallel Pattern of Chassidus’s Development

This format of presentation is clearly displayed in the development of Chassidus as well. The Chassidus of the Baal Shem Tov and his successor, the Maggid of Mezritch, was delivered in concise form, with their teachings being short, soul-stirring, and fiery. In contrast, Chabad teachings have a more developed intellectual structure, bringing these lofty, esoteric concepts within the grasp of the intellectual mind.

Similar to the Mishnah which is structured as a brief consolidation of many ideas, with the Talmud being where these ideas are properly analyzed, clarified, and often extrapolated, it is in Chassidus Chabad where the condensed teachings of the previous chassidic masters receive detailed treatment and appreciation.47

According to the above parallel, we can appreciate additional virtue in the intellectual presentation of Chassidus Chabad which enables and obligates each individual to understand its soulful teachings within the parameters of the human mind and intellect.

As explained above, Torah in general, although gifted from above, is meant to be discovered and internalized by the student, to the extent that the subject learned can be referred to as the student’s “innovation.” Likewise, although the gift of Chassidus was granted to all by the Baal Shem Tov,48 it is awaiting the student to “unpack” these teachings by internalizing them within their own intellect.

While all of Chassidus’s teachings in general are indeed transformative, there is a key difference between Chassidus as it is gifted, and Chassidus as it is intellectually appreciated, namely Chabad:

The Chassidus of the Baal Shem Tov places much emphasis on the concept of emunah, belief: While true belief is certainly with conviction, it is often not self-attained; rather it can be passed down through tradition or can even be hereditary.49 Thus, emunah, and by extension the Chassidus that reveals this emunah, can remain akin to a gift from above, with the believer being a recipient.

The alternative is when one studies the inner dimension of the Torah and understands it independently in a Chabad manner. Then the understanding and application of this Divine knowledge is something that has been generated by the person themself and is therefore more vivid, meaningful, and integrated. They are not just a recipient of Chassidus, rather they “are” Chassidus.

Thus, a primary contribution of Chassidus Chabad is the transformative opportunity. Beyond enabling greater access to Chassidus, it allows the recipient to be a “contributor,” in the sense that their grasp of the subject stems from their own effort and contribution.50

Self-Achieved Divine Service

The distinction explained above between the general Chassidus as revealed by the Baal Shem Tov, and Chassidus Chabad as revealed by the Alter Rebbe, was articulated in a short aphorism by Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak, the sixth Chabad Rebbe:

“The Baal Shem Tov showed how we should serve G‑d and the Alter Rebbe showed how we can serve G‑d.”51

Surely the intention of this saying is not to imply that the Baal Shem Tov only taught about the service of G‑d and not necessarily how to actually achieve it. In fact, the Baal Shem Tov was known as a master guide in Divine service, having succeeded in guiding a large number of students from all backgrounds, teaching them how to serve G‑d.52

Rather, the aforementioned aphorism is intended to describe the two models of Chassidus explained above, the Chassidus granted from above, versus the self-attained Chassidus: The term “how we should serve G‑d” is not to describe the instruction as being only theoretical, but to emphasize that it is in some way superimposed from above, whereas “how we can serve G‑d” emphasizes how this is achieved on our own.53

This distinction is also reflected in Chabad being more detail-oriented, while Chassidus HaKlalis is more peripheral. General Chassidus infuses new vitality, permeating a chassid’s entire life (one’s learning, prayer, mitzvah performance, and mundane activity); however, since this new energy is superimposed from “above,” the emphasis is the principle rather than the particular. In contrast, the Alter Rebbe innovated methods by which one can independently cultivate enthusiasm for Divine service through the study and appreciation of Chassidus.54 This enthusiasm stems specifically from understanding the inner content of each particular Divine service. Thus, every area of life is specifically invigorated,55 as it has been reframed by the Chassidus that one internalized.56

« Previous

1. The Intellectual Approach

3. In Preperation for Mashiach

Footnotes

41.

See Toras Menachem, Sefer HaMaamarim Melukat, Vol. 3, p. 326.

42.

See Megillah 19b, as well as Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 19, p. 252, fn. 21, for a comprehensive analysis, tracing the origin of this term.

43.

Thus, the term chiddushei Torah is meant more on a personal, transformational level, rather than from an objective perspective. See also Shaloh, 25a-b; Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 30, p. 13, and fn. 45*. For another approach in explaining how Torah innovations are in fact genuinely new from all angles, see Sefer HaSichos 5752, Vol. 2, pp. 508-9.

44.

“Ki heim chayeinu v’orech yameinu,” Ahavas Olam preceding the evening Shema prayer. See Brachos 61b.

45.

Unlike an electronic device, for example, which merely receives electrical current that powers the device. The electricity remains a distinct entity from the device, as it merely flows through it. In contrast, the physical body is more than impacted by the life-force, it itself is alive. See Sefer HaMaamarim 5686, pp. 94-95.

46.

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 19, pp. 252-255.

47.

The comparison of general Chassidus to Mishnah, and Chassidus Chabad to Talmud explains a point in halachah:

The Talmud in Kiddushin 30a states that a person should divide the time he has to study Torah into three. A third of his time should be set aside for studying Scripture, a third for Mishnah, and a third for Talmud. (This is ruled as halachah in Mishneh Torah, HaMada, Hilchos Talmud Torah, 1:11-12; Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah, 246:4.) The Alter Rebbe in his Shulchan Aruch, Hilchos Talmud Torah, 2:1, rules that Kabbalah is to be included in the third dedicated for Talmud. However, in Likkutei Torah, Vayikra, 5c, the Alter Rebbe explains that Zohar and the writings of the Arizal are to be studied in the time allocated for Scripture. The provided explanation for this is that the Midrash of the Zohar is based on Scripture, and furthermore the study of mystical concepts is actually quite similar to reading Scripture, which is simply an expression of the Divine and in which one does not fully grasp what is hidden within them. This seems to be a contradiction in the writings of the Alter Rebbe.

However, according to the above similarities drawn between general Chassidus and its comparison to Mishnah, and Chassidus Chabad and its comparison to Talmud, the difference is clear: When one learns pnimiyus haTorah in nugget form it is included in the third of Scripture. However, when learning Chassidus in depth (in a Talmudic style), this is included in the third of Talmud because one is learning the reasons behind the subject matter.

See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 30, pp. 172-4, Igros Kodesh, Vol. 14, p. 406.

48.

The description of Chassidus as a gift from “above,” relates to the nature of a tzaddik as a figure who towers above the masses, as emphasized by our Sages’ statement (Rus Rabbah, 4:3): “Tzaddikim are akin to their Creator.”

49.

As the Jewish people are referred to as “maaminim bnei maaminim,” “believers, the children of believers,” implying that an integral element of faith is received as an inheritance. Shabbos, 97a. This idea will be discussed at length in Volume Four of this series.

50.

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 19, pp. 255-256.

51.

HaTamim, Vol. II, p. 58; Sefer HaMaamarim 5708, p. 292.

52.

Additionally, the Baal Shem Tov is seen as a guide in the service of G‑d for subsequent generations, as there are large numbers of chassidim who follow the general path of Chassidus without the study of Chassidus Chabad. Surely it was not only the Alter Rebbe who showed the way of Divine service. See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 19, p. 251.

53.

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 19, p. 256.

54.

This is illustrated by a story regarding a chassid of the Alter Rebbe. There was a great Rebbe named Reb Chaim Chaikel from Amdur who, prior to coming under the tutelage of the Maggid of Mezritch, was a disciple of the Gaon of Vilna. Reb Chaim Chaikel was a passionate, fiery tzaddik whose intensity burned within his disciples. It happened once that a Chabad chassid davened in the vicinity of an Amdur chassid and was jealous of his religious fervor. After days of looking on in awe and being unable to light his own fire, he visited his Rebbe, the Alter Rebbe, praising the intensity of this chassid and lamenting his own comparatively dull religious experience. The Alter Rebbe, in his singsong style of speaking, answered his chassid as follows: “The Amdur chassid did not light his fire; the fire of his Rebbe, Reb Chaim Chaikel, is burning within him. And I want you to generate your own fire.” (I.e., you should be inspired by means of your own avodah — service of G‑d).

55.

In the lexicon of Chassidus, this is the quality of chayus pratis, or the specific, individually tailored life-force that enlivens a particular organ or limb, versus chayus klalis, the general and all-encompassing life force that causes the body to be alive. See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 19, pp. 248, 256.

56.

Likkutei Sichos, Vol. 19, p. 256. See Toras Menachem 5742, Vol. 4, pp. 2192, 2202, where the Rebbe examines the opening teachings of Tzavaas HaRivash and of Tanya, primary works of the Baal Shem Tov and Alter Rebbe, respectively.

Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov, a rabbinic scholar, lecturer and author, is director of Chabad Lubavitch in Wimbledon, UK.

Rabbi Naftoli Hertz Pewzner is an instructor of Chassidic thought and practice at Rabbinical College of America in Morristown, NJ

2. Authentic Chassidus

Chassidus Chabad:An Adaptation or Innovation?

Unpacking a Condensed Torah

The Parallel Pattern of Chassidus’s Development

Self-Achieved Divine Service

More in this section

Start a Discussion

Chassidus Chabad:An Adaptation or Innovation?

Unpacking a Condensed Torah

The Parallel Pattern of Chassidus’s Development

Self-Achieved Divine Service

More in this section

You may also be interested in...

Start a Discussion