Spiritual Reflections

The Philosophy Behind Chabad

Rabbi Shmuel Marcus | Director of Chabad Los Alimitos and the Hebrew High

In a quiet neighborhood of Los Alamitos, a few days before Passover, I pushed the doorbell of total strangers and presented them with a gift Shmurah matzah.

Every year, Chabad rings millions of doorbells around the globe, but what line of thought motivates these activities? What can we learn from them? How did it all come to be?

The answer starts with a true love story of how a small group of Chasidic immigrants (in just 70 years) became one of the largest Jewish global networks in history.

In short, Chabad philosophy teaches that the three big loves (Thy G-d, His Torah, and Thy neighbor) are inseparably one.

In short, Chabad philosophy teaches that the three big loves (Thy G-d, His Torah, and Thy neighbor) are inseparably one. To love G-d, is to love His Torah and His children. So, in 1951 the Rebbe made a statement and call to action as he assumed leadership of the movement: The deepest relationship with G-d necessitates a deep love for His people.

Sure, Jews have always known that we are obligated to love G-d, His Torah, and each other, but the Rebbe was saying that there’s one love that most exhibits the other two. The gateway to the pinnacle in our relationship with G-d and His Torah is primarily through the love of His children.

Philosophically this can be explained in there being a personal limit to prayer and study when done in solitude. It’s specifically when we love, engage, and teach others that we enter into a new vista of Divine relationship with G-d and His Torah. The “otherness” is what allows us to venture beyond our own limits.

“Excuse me, are you Jewish?” a phrase many people may associate with Chabad. The key word here is “you.” Because celebrating alone won’t do it for Chabad. This approach expresses that the gateway to the deepest Divine relationship is specifically through loving thy neighbor. Through making sure he or she has the tools and ability to connect to G-d and their heritage. So, if you’re looking for G-d and transcendence try ringing a neighbor’s bell.

Chabad Los Alamitos and the Hebrew High visit www. MyJewishClub.com