Editing Unity of Chassidim (section)

== Unity of Chassidim in Previous Generations ==
Already in the first generation of the establishment of Chabad Chassidus, the Alter Rebbe demanded from his Chassidim, and it was his desire that all Chassidim should be like one family, according to Torah, and with love. He guided them to relate to each other like different limbs of one body, that despite the great differences between the limbs, it is specifically when the limbs work together that the body can exist and live. Indeed, his desire was fulfilled and in that period, the love between Chassidim was greater than the love between brothers, and those who were not counted among the Chassidic community would wish for themselves that brotherly love would be like the love of Chassidim.

This continued in the generation of the Mitteler Rebbe, and he even deepened it further to the extent that our Rebbeim expressed that he gave his soul so that Chassidim would live in true love.

The Frierdiker Rebbe describes that the Chassidic involvement and family feeling was in past generations to such an extent that a Chassid could travel specially from town to town just to inquire about the welfare of his friend and to take interest in the simplest family matters.

Despite what is implied from the writings of our Rebbeim and stories of the Chassidim about the tremendous unity that prevailed among Chassidim in previous generations, the Rebbe expressed that even in these periods, the unity was not complete to the fullest extent.