pcoz: You are clearly familiar with the yesodos hadat (finally, someone who is) so I think you’re aware of the question “what do our prayers confer upon God?” or couched differently “why do we say baruch ata” or yet differently “what does God want from our korbanos”. The concept of “shechinta b’galusa” has an explanation similar to the sefer charedim’s answer to the prayer question: It is proper for us to relate to God as if He is in Galus and by working towards Geula we kevayachol bring Him back.
Sam2:
much of Chassidish thought is probably Apikorsus according to the Rambam (mostly from Yesodei Hatorah, certainly if you read the Moreh). Which is fine.
Which is not fine. The rebbe of a very large segment of observant Jewry founded his movement on teachings that a rishon considered apikorsus, minus and kefira respectively (hilchos teshuva 3:18). Just so happens that this same rishon is the one who defined the “creed” of what Jews have to believe in, albeit in the middle of nowhere in perush hamishnayos. That creed was accepted universally and if you read the 13 ikkarim, you will find several things apparently contradicted by chassidus. It’s been an elephant in the room for centuries and it is at least as important to “farenfer” as any shverer Rashi in Hamocher es hasfina.