מִשִּׂיחוֹת אַאַמוּ"ר: אִין דעֶר עֲבוֹדָה פוּן עֲבוֹדַת ה' עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַחֲסִידוּת, זַיינעֶן פאַראַן אַלעֶ מַדְרֵגוֹת... דִי דַרְגָא פוּן מֵת בּאַדאַרף קֵיין סַךְ הֶסְבֵּר נִיט האָבּעֶן. עֶס אִיז אָבֶּער אוֹיךְ פאַראַן — תּוֹדָה לָאֵ-ל — תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים אִין עֲבוֹדָה רוּחָנִית. אַ מֵת אִיז קאַלט, עֶס אִיז נִיטאָ אַזאַ קאַלטעֶ זאַךְ ווִי שֵׂכֶל הַטִּבְעִי אוּן שֵׂכֶל אֱנוֹשִׁי, אוּן וועֶן דעֶר שֵׂכֶל הַטִּבְעִי פאַרשְׁטעֶהט אַ הֲשָׁגָה אֱלֹקִית אוּן דִי מִדּוֹת שֶׁבַּשֵׂכֶל וועֶרעֶן נִתְפָּעֵל אוּן געֶרִירְט פוּן דעֶם געֶשְׁמאַק שִׂכְלִי, אִיז דאָס דעֶר אֱמֶת'עֶר תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים.

From a sichah of my revered father, the Rebbe [Rashab]:

In avodas HaShem that is practiced according to the teachings of Chassidus, we find all levels…. The level of a “corpse” needs little explanation. There is also, however, a Resurrection of the Dead in one’s Divine service (thank G‑d!).

A corpse is cold. Now, there is nothing colder than the natural, mortal intellect. Yet, when a person’s natural intellect grasps a G‑dly concept and the emotions within it become excited and motivated by that concept’s sweetness — that is truly a Resurrection of the Dead.1

Living as a Chassid

G‑dliness is life and vitality. The Baal Shem Tov lit the fire of the Jewish soul, enabling every individual to tap into the core of Divine vitality within his soul. The Alter Rebbe infused this vitality into the realm of cold intellect, thus making it available to people who lack spiritual refinement, and who would otherwise be unable to draw upon their soul’s innate power.

The Rebbeim of subsequent generations developed this approach further. Thus, the intellectual study of Chassidus and a grasp of its concepts is the initial spark that merely ignites. The core of the issue is the raw power of the Divinity in these concepts, which arouses the G‑dly fire within the soul and allows it to flare forth.