Hayom Yom: 8 Adar I

The Alter Rebbe once summoned a young disciple of the Maggid and said to him in his customary chant: I have the mitzva of "teach them to your children."1 You have the mitzva of sustaining and providing for your family. Let us make an exchange. I will give you what you need to fulfill your mitzva and you will teach my son (who was later the Mitteler Rebbe).

Then the Rebbe explained the method of instruction: The first thing is to teach the letters, alef, beit and so on. What is an alef? A dot above, a dot below, and a line between this is an alef. A child must know that the alef of Torah is a yud2 above, a yud below, and a line of faith that joins them.

Another version: A yud above - this is the soul; a yid (Jew) below - this is the body; a line of yir'at Shamayim (fear of Heaven) in the center.