חֲסִידוּת חַבַּ"ד פּוֹתַחַת שַׁעֲרֵי הֵיכְלֵי חָכְמָה וּבִינָה, לֵידַע וּלְהַכִּיר אֶת מִי שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם בְּהַשָּׂגָה שִׂכְלִית, מְעוֹרֶרֶת רִגְשֵׁי הַלֵּב לְהִתְפָּעֵל בְּאוֹתָהּ מִדָּה שֶׁבַּלֵב הַמְחוּיֶּבֶת מֵהַשְׂכָּלָה זוּ, וּמוֹרָה דֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לְפוּם שִׁעוּרָא דִילֵיהּ יָכוֹל לָגֶשֶׁת אֶל הַקֹּדֶשׁ לַעֲבוֹד אֶת הֲוָיָ' בְּמוֹחוֹ וְלִבּוֹ.

Chabad Chassidus opens the gates of the halls of Chochmah and Binah, enabling one to know and recognize, with an intellectual grasp, “the One Who spoke, and the world came into being.” It arouses corresponding feelings in the heart that spring from the particular G‑dly concept that one has understood. Moreover, it guides every individual — according to his own level — along the path by which he can draw near to holiness, enabling him to serve G‑d with his mind and heart.1

To Fill In the Background

One critical phrase in the above passage is “according to his own level.” One individual generates a love or awe of G‑d through his own intellectual endeavor, through study and meditation.2 Another merely draws on his inborn reservoir of love and awe.3

The key word of this phrase, here translated from the Aramaic original as “level,” is shiura. Significantly, the root of this word has no fewer than three distinct meanings, each of them relevant to our subject:

(a) according to his own measure (shiur);4

(b) according to his heart’s estimation (hash’arah);5

(c) according to the gate (shaar)6 that he opens in his heart, to allow his intellectual understanding of G‑dliness to pervade his heart and generate within him a love and awe of G‑d.

Common to all these interpretations is the focus on the individual, who is required to open up a private path of spiritual expression. There is no standard formula or uniform pattern for everyone to follow. A person must work to develop the powers of his own soul, tapping his unique potentials.

In this light, the study of Chassidus becomes a key that opens up for every individual an understanding of “Him Who spoke, and the world came into being” — for each according to his capacity for meditation on spiritual concepts, and according to his ability to translate his cerebral perceptions into spiritual emotions.