Identity And Chassidus

MyLife Essay Contest

One of the great issues plaguing our generation is the lack of cultivation of identity – having a proper understanding of ourselves and our relationship to our surroundings. In fact, it would seem most of the generation’s hallmark “crises” – divorce, depression, and so on – stem not from a lack of motivation, but rather from the difficulty one experiences primarily in relating to himself, and then consequentially to others. Chassidus, in its novel approach to both the sophisticated make-up of individuals, as well as its systemized approach to the integration and harmonization of identity, enables on to reframe his self-image. This, in turn, creates not only a more balanced individual, but one with a healthy relationship with success, happiness, relationships, as well as his G-d given mission and purpose in this world.

By nature, being a thoughtful being, man has always grappled with his role and purpose in this world. Such sentiments seemingly came to their respective zeniths with the rise of the Existentialist movement, rendering life and every experience within it arbitrary and meaningless. These notions, now somewhat passé, are still very much alive within our collective subconscious they have reshaped our views on the essential definitions of growth and success; ideas which, in their proper form, are paramount not only to individual growth, but to societal growth as a whole.

In recent times, these issues have only become more exacerbated. Identity has become not something for oneself, but rather a proof to others: a means by which one can contrast his success against his fellow. There is no focus on self-development, rather only career development¹. We are taught in schools that we must be “successful”, but that only ever translates into financial success. A successful individual is one who is rich, society teaches. We are taught we must present ourselves in the most desirable of lights – to “put on a face” – ignoring out struggles or think about our mission or purpose².

Yet while classical rabbinic teaches us in Pirkei Avot, “who is rich? One who is happy with his lot³,” the sentiment falls on deaf ears, for collectively we are unable to internalize such a notion without properly understanding the greater issue at hand: our true identity – what we are at our core. But with that understanding, Chassidus can teach us how to prioritize growth and wealth, as the Rebbe writes in Hayom Yom:

In material matters one should always look at he whose situation is lower than one’s own, and thank the good G-d for His kindness to him. In spiritual matters one must always look at he who is higher than oneself, and plead with G-d to grant him the intelligence to learn from the other, and the ability and strength to rise higher.⁴

Without grasping the true nature of our existence, these ideas remain relegated to the realm of intellect, as we lack the essential tools of incorporation and implementation.

The root of these issues, according to Chassidus, is an improperly balanced view of self. To paraphrase Chassidic thought: we see ourselves as bodies, rather than souls. Living in a physical, disparate world, we are not only inclined, but taught to adopt the mindset of “my ability and my strength gathered for me this wealth⁵,” a mindset rebuked by Moses himself in Deuteronomy. In the continuation of the verse, Moses teaches us the proper view instead: that G-d gave us the ability to garner wealth and success, it is from Him alone. In understanding our true nature, our G-d given abilities, we can then understand how to relate to our surroundings and successes.

The Alter Rebbe begins the Tanya, his magnum opus and the foundation for Chabad Chassidic philosophy, by stating that not only is a Jew comprised of a body and a soul, but in fact, two souls: the animal soul, which resides in the heart and blood and is the life-force of the body, and the G-dly soul, which is an “actual piece of G-d.”⁶ The Tanya’s premise is that it is within every Jew’s ability to refine and elevate himself to the level of the Beinoni, the “average man”, who is in fact anything but average. Tanya teaches that the Beinoni is one who, from an outside, external perspective, has refined himself to such a degree that he appears wholly righteous. Yet internally, unbeknownst to anyone but himself and his Creator, he is under constant duress, due to the combatant nature of the animal soul against the G-dly. The Alter Rebbe not only describes the nature and stature of such an individual, but, being that we are all capable of such refinement, teaches how to integrate oneself, to identify with the soul over the body. In chapter 32, the Alter Rebbe addresses the importance of the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisroel – love for ones fellow Jew: one must place his soul primary and his body secondary. Being that the subject matter is that of love for one’s fellow, one can easily extrapolate that this notion is in fact equally necessary for how one should see himself, as the verse states, “Love your fellow as yourself⁷.” Only with a proper view of ourselves, namely, that our true, primary identity is our soul, can we appreciate others and relate to our surroundings and successes in a balanced, healthy way.

In the world of recovery, there is a popular saying: “Ego stands for ‘Edging G-d Out.⁸” AA proposes, certainly according to Rabbi Taub’s understanding, that what causes the addict to drink or use is the utter pain and agony of existence: feeling separate from G-d, a function of soul neglect. Were we to recognize, rather, that we are expressions of the Divine (the soul being, as expressed earlier, an ‘actual piece of G-d’), to say that feeling disconnected from oneself, and in turn, G-d, can create existential discomfort, and impact one’s success is not exclusive to the realm of addiction. The Alter Rebbe makes clear, rather, that the success of every Jew is in fact dependent on this proper outlook: that we are souls first and foremost, inhabiting bodies in a physical realm.

While this realization and mindset is, I would argue, the ultimate goal of Judaism, it appears to also be the most misunderstood. The Alter Rebbe teaches in the first chapter of Shaar HaYichud ve’HaEmuna (the second section of the Tanya), in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, the founder of the Chassidic movement, that while this world and everything in it may seem disparate and disjointed; it, and everything found within it are in fact various expressions of G-d. Creation was not a one-time event, but it is an ongoing phenomenon: at every moment G-d infuses and vivifies all creations continuously. With this knowledge and perspective, one is able to see himself properly: not as an independent entity, but as a finite expression within the tapestry of G-d’s creation – all unified with the constant flow of g-dliness vivifying them.

We are taught in Chassidus that the word “mitzvah” etymologically comes from the term “tzavsa v’chibur” – connection and relation. Mitzvos is not merely what G-d commanded us to do, but rather pathways enabling us to connect to Him, to internalize this truth. I would argue that the notion of connection applies not only to connecting to that which is beyond us, Hashem, but also that which is inside of us – our own piece of G-d, our soul, or true essence. By doing mitzvos with this outlook, we train ourselves to alter our self image, and begin to identify with the soul, not the body. Furthermore, Chassidus stresses meditation and “soul-accounting.” Meditation requires one to picture in his mind’s eye, not only the greatness of the Creator, but his imminence within the world. Such processes reinforce the notion that we, along with everything in the world are connected, and expressions of the same One G-d. On the flip side, soul accounting, examining our own personal struggles and shortcomings, along with successes, allows us to hone a sharper, clearer picture of our makeup: it allows us to delve into which areas require more integration and harmonization – aspects of ourself which we must invite our soul.

All of these exercises allow us to dive in to our most important question of identity: our purpose and mission in this world. With a proper understanding of our true essence, as well as the “construction” of existence, not as disparate entities but rather containing a unity that is the Divine flow, one begins to grasp his greater sense. By thinking about the people one has met, the experiences he has undergone, as well as taking into account his unique skills and abilities, knowing that they are all from G-d; a picture develops, and one can begin to discover his purpose and mission – the reason why Hashem decided the world can no longer exist without him, and the plan of implementation begins to crystallize.

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