Question:
I have been to Chabad several times. When I have gone to my Chabad rabbi's home, I noticed several pictures of the Rebbe decorating the walls. His eyes follow you all over the place... Why the pictures?
Answer:
A man once posed this very question to a Chabad rabbi. The rabbi responded, in good Jewish fashion, by asking him a question.
"Do you have mirrors in your home?" asked the rabbi.
"Of course I do," answered the man.
"How many mirrors do you have?"
"Well, I have a big one in the entrance hall, I've got two in my bedroom, in each bathroom there's at least one mirror, the living room has one, and the den's got one too."
"Why do you need so many mirrors?" asked the rabbi.
"What do you mean?" replied the man. "I need to see how I look; I want to make sure I'm presentable."
"If you can relate to the need to see how you look presently," the rabbi responded, "why can't you relate to a person's need to see how s/he can and should look in the future?"
People who interacted with the Rebbe during his lifetime walked away feeling empowered to reach their fullest potential; not to be satisfied with past accomplishments or to be lured into mediocrity. By virtue of his holiness and sensitivity, the Rebbe was able to activate the inner spark in people he met, and inspire them to have an eternal flame burning in their hearts, to grow and grow, then grow some more.
When a Chabad family hangs a picture – or several pictures – of the Rebbe in their home, they are making an effort to invigorate themselves with the Rebbe's message, and instead of seeing how they appear currently and superficially, they want to see their soul's potential and strengthen their resolve to actualize it all.
See also Why the Big Picture of the Rebbe in your Home?
Click here for more about the Rebbe.
Rabbi Moshe Goldman for Chabad.org
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