past gilgulim becomes external, and a diversion from inner Bittul (self nullification). To identify one's particular spiritual tasks could introduce a refined level of egotism, while acting purely from dveikus to God would be a higher, essential soulful Jewish worship. The Hasidic figure of the tzadik (Hasidic Rebbe), to which the followers would flock, was believed to know the particular past gilgulim of each person who came to them, through their semi-prophetic abilities, and the future destiny of each person. However, in Hasidic thought, they would not directly reveal this information in private consultation, as for the follower to know the tasks would introduce self-centredness, and Divine "help from Above". Through its Divine Service, Hasidism sought to make Divinity revealed "from Below" to fulfil the Ultimate purpose of Creation. Nonetheless, the Tzadik would give assistance and special advice that would both help the follower to achieve their tasks, yet also preserve the full soulfulness "from Below" of the common person's Divine service. Kabbalistic descent and ascent in history Ascending stages in the history of Jewish mysticism In the history of Jewish mysticism, this Hasidic approach to gilgul corresponds to the third of three successive stages of perception and relation to Divinity. This is based on the three ascending categories of existence taught by the Baal Shem Tov: Worlds ("Olamot"-External spiritual vessel forms), Souls ("Neshamot"-Internal spiritual lights), Divinity ("Elokut"-Essential Godliness). Descent of the Generations in Halachic scholarship Traditional Judaism views latter generations to be spiritually inferior and lower than former generations. This belief, called Yeridat ha-dorot ("Descent of the generations"), shapes the development of traditional Jewish thought. In Talmudic commentary and Halachah it means that latter authorities in the Eras of Rabbinic Judaism generally do not disagree with authorities from a previous era. The basis of this is two-fold. In the historical chain of transmission of Judaism from generation to generation, a latter generation is further removed from the original Revelation of the Torah on Mount Sinai. The Halachic authorities of a subsequent generation would avoid disagreeing with the preceding Halachic authorities, since to reach them, the chain of Torah transmission is longer and more vulnerable to mistaken recollection. This applies until the Oral Torah was written down in the Talmud, where the Amoraim Sages of the Gemara commentary do not disagree with the earlier Tannaim Sages of the Mishna. Accordingly, the Mishnaic Pirkei Avot begins with a historical account of