Chapter One

We all know that man has a soul which distinguishes him from all other animals and which marks him as the choice of the entire Creation. This soul, which is a part of G-d, descends to earth by the will of G-d to vitalize the human being, enabling him to fulfill the purpose for which he is created.

The purpose of the soul's descent is to enable man to serve the Creator, for man's own benefit, as well as for the benefit of the surrounding world. A Jew can fulfill this purpose only by accepting the Divine Rule and fulfilling the commandments and precepts that G-d gave us on Mount Sinai.

Thus the religion of Israel is a Divine gift, and as such it is, in many aspects, far beyond the grasp of such terrestrial beings as humans. However, the fact that we cannot fully understand all aspects of our religion does not affect the bond that exists between us and our G-d. For every Jew possesses an innate feeling which places his relationship to G-d on the level of that which exists between child and father. Indeed, it is written: 1You are children unto G-d your G-d!

Just as a child, who does not know at all how and why that particular man is its father, and that particular woman is its mother, is still drawn to them by an inner feeling of love and devotion, so are the Jewish people G-d's children, imbued with an instinctive awareness that G-d is our strength and our life.

This inner feeling is expressed in the words: 2

Hear, O Israel, G-d is our G-d, G-d is One. A Jew feels (Hear, O Israel) that G-d is our strength, He Who is the One and Only Creator (G-d is One). 3

This Divine instinctive feeling is alive in every Jew, from the greatest of the great to the most ignorant in Torah knowledge.

This is one of the fundamental principles expounded at length by the founder of Chabad Chasidus, the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi. 4