Hayom Yom

Chassidus contains two fundamental principles:

(a) Understanding every halacha (Torah law) on its spiritual plane, in its root and ultimate source, namely in the Sefirot and planes in every World[1] according to that World's character, as explained in Chassidus.

(b) Comprehending the subject of every halacha in avoda; meaning, although the halacha is an expression of G‑dly wisdom and intelligence and is a law in Torah, nevertheless one must discover in it an avoda - concept to guide man's conduct in his life here in This World.

Compiled and arranged by the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, in 5703 (1943) from the talks and letters of the sixth Chabad Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of righteous memory.

Briefly, the Sefirot refer to G‑d's attributes, intellectual and emotive, that are paralleled in man. The term "World" refers to the Four Worlds that are stages in the progression downward from the Infinite to the finite universe. The Sefirot exist on each of these Worlds, progressively more concrete and less abstract, and each World in turn comprises countless strata or planes. Thus in the physical World tefillin are understood in simple material terms, while in higher Worlds the term "tefillin" indicates spiritual parallels, progressively more spiritual, less amenable to man's material understanding. (See Tanya II, Ch. 1, note 3; On Learning Chassidus. Also, Translator's Notes).

חסידות כוללת שני ענינים עקרים: א) הבנת כל הלכה בשרשה ומקורה העצמי ברוחניות, היינו בספירות ומדריגות בכל עולם ועולם לפי ענינו כמבואר בדא"ח [בדברי אלקים חיים]. ב) הבנת ענין כל הלכה בעבודה, היינו שהגם שהיא חכמה ושכל אלקי ודין התורה, מ"מ [מכל מקום] צריך למצוא בזה ענין בעבודה בהנהגת האדם בחיי עולם זה.