הפטורה: וְעַמִי - תַּלְמֵי שָׂדַי. וַיִּבְרַח יַעֲקֹב - וּבְאִשָּׁה שָׁמָר. וּבְנָבִיא הֶעֱלָה - וּבְנָבִיא נִשְׁמָר.

The haftarah begins with Ve’ami until talmei sadai, and continues [with the following two verses] until uvenavi nishmar (Hoshea 11:7-12:14).1

שָׁלֹשׁ חָכְמוֹת הֵן: חָכְמַת בִּטּוּל הַחוֹמֶר, עַל יְדֵי הוֹרָאַת שִׁקּוּץ וְתִעוּב כָּל עִנְיָנִים הַגּוּפְנִיִּים וְהַחוּמְרִיִּים — חָכְמַת הַמּוּסָר. חָכְמַת הֲכָּרַת מַעֲלַת הַצּוּרָה וְהָרוּחָנִי בְּמִדּוֹת וּבְמוּשְׂכָּלוֹת וְהוֹרָאַת אוֹפַנֵּי הַקֵּרוּב אֲלֵיהֶם — חָכְמַת הַחֲקִירָה.

חָכְמַת הַגְבָּרַת הַצּוּרָה עַל הַחוֹמֶר, הוֹרָאָה בְּמַעֲלַת חוֹמֶר מְזוּכָּךְ וּבְמַעֲלַת הַצּוּרָה כְּשֶׁנִּקְבְּעָה בְּהַחוּמְרִי, וְהִתְכַּלְלוּתָם יַחַד מִבְּלִי אֲשֶׁר יִמָצֵא רֹאשׁ וְסוֹף, לִהְיוֹת כִּי נָעוּץ תְּחִלָּתָן בְּסוֹפָן וְסוֹפָן בְּתְּחִלָּתָן, אֵל אֶחָד בְּרָאָם, וּלְכַּוָנָה אַחַת לְגַלּוֹת אוֹר קְדוּשַׁת חֶבְיוֹן עוּזּוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ נִבְרְאוּ, וּשְׁנֵיהֶם כְּאֶחָד דַּוְקָא מַשְׁלִימִים אוֹתָהּ הַשְּׁלֵמוּת, אֲשֶׁר עָלָה בִּרְצוֹנוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ — חָכְמַת תּוֹרַת הַחֲסִידוּת.

There are three schools of thought:2

(a) The school of thought that negates [preoccupation with] materiality by pointing out the disgusting and abhorrent nature of all bodily and material things.3 This is the approach of Mussar.4

(b) The school of thought that recognizes the greatness of the spiritual essence of the emotions and the intellect and indicates how one can draw close to [this kind of awareness]. This is the approach of Chakirah.5

(c) The school of thought that makes Form dominate Matter,6 demonstrating (i) the unique quality of Matter when it is refined and the unique quality of Form when it is integrated within Matter, and (ii) how the two are combined together to the extent that beginning or end are indistinguishable,7 for “the beginning is rooted in the end and the end is rooted in the beginning.”8 The one G‑d created them, with a single intent — to reveal the light of the holiness of His hidden power.9 Together they produce that consummate perfection that arose in His will. This is the approach of Chassidus.10

Delving Deeply

Many thinkers agree that fulfillment in life, and a realization of G‑d’s intent in creating the universe, come from uniting body and soul, with the former subservient to the latter. There is less of a concensus regarding the paths leading to this subservience. Realizing that human beings are created for a loftier goal than physical satiation and hence must transcend their base desires, some spiritual people turn their backs on materiality. In a sense, this is the message of Mussar.

Chakirah goes further. Not only does it teach man how to avoid evil: it grants him an understanding of the good and an appreciation of the spiritual. Nevertheless, the spiritual is conceived of in the abstract, rather than in relation to material existence.11 Indeed, the goal is to transcend physicality and relate to the spiritual in its pure, unadulterated form.

Chassidus understands that G‑d is infinite and cannot be categorized within concepts such as spiritual or material. Hence, true union with G‑d requires that both the spiritual and the material be used in a way that unites them with the intent of revealing G‑d’s ultimate Oneness. Then, both the spiritual and the material transcend their natural limitations. This is the contribution of the teachings of Chassidus.