A fundamental principle in Chasidut is contemplation of how God "in His goodness renews daily, perpetually, the work of creation," bringing reality into existence ex nihilo at every moment. An even deeper innovation of Chasidut is the recognition of God's individual providence over every detail in our world.
The constant creation is a unilateral action – God consistently brings the world into being, "for He desires kindness," regardless of the actions of those below and therefore without an inner connection to them. In contrast, individual providence is a dialogue with reality, a response to our actions and a reference to our situation. The creation is the secret of "the work of creation," while in individual providence dwells the complexity of an encounter and connection between two, the secret of "the work of the chariot," which is infinitely deeper. Creation forms reality, but individual providence is the way to realize the purpose of creation – "a dwelling place for God in the lower realms."
The simple understanding of individual providence, in the revealed part of the Torah, is the conduct of "measure for measure" – providence of judgment, where each individual creation is judged according to its actions. This providence is essentially conducted according to the 'rules of the game' by which God planned-programmed the world, when "it arose in thought to create the world with the attribute of judgment."
The Baal Shem Tov revealed a deeper individual providence, whose essence is concern for the benefit of those being watched over, in particular and in general, physically and spiritually. The creation of the world has a purpose, and every created being is important and necessary for its realization, as everything that happens to it in minute detail relates to fulfilling the purpose of creation's intent. This is individual providence of kindness, seeing how each detail fits into the whole of creation, fulfilling its destiny as it contributes its necessary contribution to its purpose, and is entitled to all divine good. This providence expresses the depth of the goodness and kindness of God, Who created the world to benefit His creatures.
But providence has an even deeper and more penetrating dimension: God loves every Jew with infinite love, the closest analogy to which in our world is parents' love for their only child born to them in their old age. When the child is in distress, the father has absolute, unconditional compassion for him. He doesn't look at him as an important part of the family whole, he doesn't think about his future missions and his destiny in the world. He simply has compassion on him in the present moment, and devotes himself absolutely to helping him. At that moment, there is nothing before the father's eyes except the child, in whom his entire world is concentrated. Similarly, in the depth of God's individual providence, there is infinite and unconditional compassion for the individual. In the Divine gaze upon him in his time of trouble, the entire collective is included within him – he is the entirety of everything and there is nothing else.
These intrinsic mercies of the "Unique One of the world," which involve complete identification with the individual, are the true meaning of individual providence – providence stemming from God's very essence, from the place where truly "there is nothing else besides Him," extending into our world and meeting the individual as he is in the present, and fully realizing the "dwelling place for God in the lower realms."
