Chassidut is part of Torah. It is the “hidden” element of Torah as compared to the “revealed” aspects of Torah, such as the Chumash and Talmud. It is also known, as mentioned earlier, as the “soul of Torah” as compared to the “body of Torah.”

The study and ways of Chassidut are crucial. Just as you can’t separate the soul from the body – without experiencing terrible results – similarly you can’t separate Chassidut from Torah.

No one will say, “I was fine during the summer without turning on the heater, so obviously, now, too, I’ll manage without.”

As explained above, chassidut gives life and meaning into Judaism. It imbues passion, warmth, and light to Jews and Judaism.

Now, in the summer you don’t turn the heat on, and during daylight hours you don’t need to turn on a light. However, when winter arrives and it gets cold, or when night comes and it becomes dark, then one turns on the heat and the light. Obviously, no one will say, “I was fine during the summer without turning on the heater, so obviously, now, too, I’ll manage without.”

In days of old, the closer we were to the revelation at Sinai and the Holy Temple Era, Judaism was in a state of summer and daylight. As we traveled further from those glorious moments and eras, as our enemies made life more difficult and bitter, Judaism fell into a state of a deep darkness and cold winter night. It is thus crucial at this point in time to introduce the warmth, life, and light that chassidut reveals in Judaism.