chabad chassidus 101

to understand chassidus you need to change the way you think, feel and act.
though chassidus is a philosophy and can be understood even by a non believer and unrefined person however to grasp its true character which is is g-d liness one must dedicate himself not only to a life of Torah and Mitzvot but as well to a life of "avoda" .


Continuously working on oneself towards improving in all areas of self. meaning beside strenuous effort in trying to understand the concept intellectually the person must improve them selves in general and more specific their , character and behavior, one cannot remain a person who desires to have all things their way and indulge in all desires and hope to understand chasidus at the same time.

secondly being that chasidic philosophy is a g-dly study you need to redefine what it means to understand. meaning in every study in order to understand you need to be ready to redefine terms you have used before that will now be used in a different way.

the same word will mean a different thing, hence in order to understand the new study you need to understand the new definitions of how each world will now be used.

you also need to enjoy intellect...as u enjoy food ...music...etc ...you need to enjoy using the mind...thinking. in addition in chassidus you must be constantly aware of the point the subject is going to...to understand that which is infinite and beyond comprehension. g-d liness. this is very important to insure that not only you learn with bitul.. but it reflects in the intellectual character of the concept itself.. when studying chasiidus to actual understand anything at alll here you need to know that g-d liness is being studied here.
not science, nature or any thing that has been created or part of creation.

source in chassidic writings ( hayom yom 4 Adar I) :

The initial preparations for delving into deep intellectual concepts, especially concepts of G-dliness, are (a) a strenuous effort of the body to be rid of one's delight in worldly matters, and (b) a strenuous effort of the soul to stimulate delight in intellectual pursuit in general, and in G-dly matters in particular.



story:



there is a story of the koznitzer magid zt"l who when near his passing from this physical world said to his son

present there ; " i do not feel my guf- body any more" his son who was holding him said to his father ; " however tatta- father i do feel your body!? to which the father responded : " if you are touching me with your body you will feel body"!



the idea in this story is as explained above; in order to sense a higher understanding you need to raise your self up to that very dimension or at the very least unshackle your self from a contradictory one.



you cannot understand or experience g-d liness if your approach is through the physical sense. the same with the concepts explained in chassidus; the rules and definitions that are used to explain and understand other fields of intellect will not do for chassidus which is divine knowledge.



new definitions and approach are needed for each and every concept explained

Dear Friends,

 

There is a beautiful custom mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch ( Code of Jewish Law) that one should  make a blessing every spring  upon a fruit tree, when it first sprouts and begins to blossom for the year. This event coincides with the Jewish month of Nissan, in which we celebrate the Holiday of Pesach, he Holiday of Redemption.

 

What lesson can we learn from this blessing and its occurrence in the Month of Nissan?

 

Perhaps we can say that the time of galut-exile, that we now find ourselves in is likened to the winter. As in the winter, it is cold and the days are short. So too in exile we have lost our warmth in the service of Hashem. Our  mind too has become darkened by the suffering of our people.

 

Yet we see that when winter does finally end, the warmth increases and the day light stays longer. So too this long exile and all its suffering will very soon end and the warmth in the service of Hashem will return and  forever increase.

 

As  the earth and trees in spring begin to show signs of life even after a dormant winter, so too the Jewish People will once again be renewed. The reason for this is that the earth during the winter is asleep, not dead G-d forbid. the power to grow is still in the earth just not apparent  and in the spring it awakens  once again.

 

During exile we are a sleep it seems we are indifferent to Yiddishkiet and at best though we do the laws it seems mechanical, as if we are sleep walking.

 

 However when redemption shall finally occur, our true nature, which is the true nature of every Jew; to love and fear G-d above all else and the desire to practice His Laws will  awake. Indeed even in exile though it seems we stopped caring, that is only superficial, the truth is that deep inside our soul-neshoma, was always alive and never stopping caring about G-d.

 

Hence we make a yearly blessing on the fruit trees new blossom not only to thank G-d for the renewal of nature and the coming of the summer after a cold winter. But to pray to  G-d to redeem our people as He has done in the past and express our faith that He shall do so very soon.

 

The blessing acts as a reinforcement for and expression of our Trust and Faith in G-d, that all His words are true. Though presently it seems the world has lost direction and the words of the prophets seem to be just a dream, the opposite is the truth, the exile is the dream and the redemption is real.  

 

The blessing for the trees  during spring and the Holiday of Pesach teach us that as certain as spring follows  winter even more so, redemption will and must follow exile. Indeed we are absolutely positive that

G-d will take us out of exile soon. May this be speedily in our times on to all eternity. Amen

 

With the best of blessing for a Happy and Kosher Pesach for all of Israel.

 

Sincerely

 

Y.Winner and Family