כְּתִיב מַתַּן אָדָם יַרְחִיב לוֹ וְלִפְנֵי גְדוֹלִים יַנְחֶנּוּ. יֵשׁ לְךָ אֲנָשִׁים שֶׁהֵם גְּדוֹלֵי הַשֵּׁם בְּחָכְמָתָם אוֹ בְּעָשְׁרָם, אֲבָל מַתַּן אָדָם, כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם נוֹתֵן אֶת הָאָדָם שֶׁלּוֹ בְּאֵיזֶה הִתְעַסְּקוּת בְּהַחְזָקַת הַדָּת, הִנֵה לֹא זוּ בִּלְבַד כִּי יַרְחִיב לוֹ, אֶלָּא עוֹד זֹאת כִּי לִפְנֵי גְדוֹלִים יַנְחֶנּוּ.

It is written:1 “A man’s gift grants him amplitude, and leads him before great men.” Some people are renowned for their wisdom or their wealth. However, “a man’s gift” — his giving of himself2 to an activity that strengthens the practice of Yiddishkeit — not only elicits ample blessings, but also “leads him before3 great men.”4

Probing Beneath the Surface

A distinctive characteristic of the chassidic brotherhood is that its local lay leaders are not always scholarly or wealthy. Rather, they are the people who care deeply about others, giving freely of themselves and dedicating themselves to a higher purpose. They inspire others to work with them; thus, they create a culture of self-sacrifice and lift their entire community to a higher rung. By rising above themselves and showing genuine commitment, they arouse a similar ability in others. In so doing, they naturally ascend to positions of leadership.

At the same time it should be noted that the Rebbe unequivocally positioned every community’s duly-ordained rabbis at the pinnacle of its pyramid of authority.5