Man Is a Broken Vessel

According to Reb Usher, man is a "broken vessel," a term taken, among other sources, from the teachings of the Arizal. A chassidic group united under the leadership of a tzaddik can help to repair a person, simply by his being part of the group. As a prerequisite to following the ways of the Torah, a person should humble himself, a value developed by the Baal Shem Tov, whose successors called it bittul, the abolition of the self.