Although there exists no one who is so bold as to say,וְאַף כִּי מִי הוּא זֶה וְאֵיזֶהוּ אֲשֶׁר עָרַב לִבּוֹ לֵאמֹר,
“I will carry out Divine service that resembles that of our forefather Avraham,” the first of the seven tzaddikim whose service led to the Giving of the Torah.אֶעֱבֹד עֲבוֹדַת אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ,
Nevertheless, each and every one of us can – and must1 – perform Divine service which reflects Avraham’s service.מִכָּל מָקוֹם אֶפֶס קָצֵהוּ שַׁיָּךְ לְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד וּמְחֻיָּב בָּזֶה
The power to do so has been granted to us through the conduct of the Alter Rebbe, the first of the Rebbeim – for, as stated previously, the virtue of the seventh generation is that it continues and carries out the service of the first –וְנִתְּנוּ לוֹ הַכֹּחוֹת עַל זֶה עַל יְדֵי הַהַנְהָגָה שֶׁהֶרְאָנוּ הָרִאשׁוֹן
and his successors,וּמִמֶּנּוּ וָאֵילָךְ
up to and including the conduct displayed by my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Rayatz.עַד, וְעַד בִּכְלָל, הַהַנְהָגָה שֶׁהֶרְאָנוּ כ"ק מו"ח אַדְמוֹ"ר,
They have paved the way and granted us the powers necessary to follow in their footsteps.שֶׁהֵם סָלְלוּ אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ וְנָתְנוּ לָנוּ כֹּחוֹת עַל זֶה.
This itself indicates the dearness of the seventh generation:וְזֶהוּ גּוּפָא הַחֲבִיבוּת דְּדוֹר הַשְּׁבִיעִי
that so much power has been granted to us and revealed for our sakes.שֶׁכַּמָּה כֹּחוֹת נִתְּנוּ וְנִתְגַּלּוּ בִּשְׁבִילֵנוּ.
Serving in this fashion will draw down the essence of the Shechinah into this physical and material worldוְעַל יְדֵי הָעֲבוֹדָה בְּאֹפֶן כָּזֶה יֻמְשַׁךְ עִיקַּר שְׁכִינָה לְמַטָּה בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה הַגַּשְׁמִי וְהַחָמְרִי,
to an even greater extent than was revealed prior to the sin of the Tree of Knowledge. For, as explained in sec. 7, the intent of the descent caused by that sin was to draw down a level of G‑dliness higher than that revealed beforehand. This is alluded toוְיִהְיֶה עוֹד בְּמַדְרֵגָה נַעֲלֵית יוֹתֵר גַּם מִקֹּדֶם הַחֵטְא,
in the verse describing Mashiach,2 “And he shall be exalted greatly...,”וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּמָּשִׁיחַ "וְנִשָּׂא... מְאֹד"
reaching an even higher level than Adam, and, indeed, even higher than his level before the sin of the Tree of Knowledge.3יוֹתֵר מֵאָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וַאֲפִלּוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה קֹדֶם הַחֵטְא.
Adam (אדם) and meod (מאד), translated as “greatly” in the above verse, share the same letters. Nevertheless, Adam implies a structure, while meod, the level of Mashiach, points to the transcendence of all structures.
And my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, who “bore our ailments and carried our pains”4וכ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר אֲשֶׁר אֶת חֳלָיֵנוּ הוּא נָשָׂא וּמַכְאֹבֵינוּ סְבָלָם,
and was “anguished by our sins and crushed by our transgressions,”5וְהוּא מְחֹלָל מִפְּשָׁעֵנוּ מְדֻכָּא מֵעֲוֹנֹתֵינוּ,
just as he saw us in our affliction,הֲרֵי כְּשֵׁם שֶׁרָאָה בְּצָרָתֵנוּ,
so will he speedily in our days and hastily in our timeהִנֵּה בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ וּבַעֲגָלָא דִּידַן
redeem his flock from both spiritual and physical exile,יִגְאַל צֹאן מַרְעִיתוֹ מִגָּלוּת הָרוּחָנִי וְגָלוּת הַגַּשְׁמִי גַּם יַחְדָּיו,
enabling us to stand where we will be exposed to a vector of light.וְיַעֲמִידֵנוּ בְּקֶרֶן אוֹרָה.
All of this refers to mere revelations of G‑dliness.אֲבָל כָּל זֶה הוּא עֲדַיִן רַק גִּלּוּיִם,
Beyond this, he will bind and unite us with the very Essence and Being of the Ein Sof. As explained in the maamar entitled VeAtah Tetzaveh,6 this is the fundamental purpose of a Jewish leader.וְעוֹד יוֹתֵר – שֶׁיְּקַשֵּׁר וִיאַחֵד אוֹתָנוּ בְּמַהוּת וְעַצְמוּת אֵין סוֹף בָּרוּךְ הוּא.
This is the inner objective of the progressive descent of all the worlds,וְזֶהוּ פְּנִימִיּוּת הַכַּוָּנָה שֶׁל יְרִידַת וְהִשְׁתַּלְשְׁלוּת הָעוֹלָמוֹת
the inner purpose of sin and its rectification,וְעִנְיַן הַחֵטְא וְתִקּוּנוֹ
and the inner purpose of the passing of tzaddikim:וְעִנְיַן סִלּוּקָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים
that through all this, “the glory of G‑d will be revealed” in a manner reflected by the term istalek.שֶׁעַל יְדֵי זֶה יִהְיֶה אִסְתַּלַּק יְקָרָא דְּקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
When he redeems us from exile “with an uplifted hand,”7וּכְשֶׁיּוֹצִיאֵנוּ מֵהַגָּלוּת בְּיָד רָמָה
then, “There will be light for all the Children of Israel in their dwellings,”8וּלְכָל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה אוֹר בְּמוֹשְׁבוֹתָם
and “Then Moshe and the Children of Israel will sing...,”9 and that song will conclude,יִהְיֶה אָז יָשִׁיר מֹשֶׁה וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל גוֹ'
“G‑d will reign forever and ever.”10הֲוָיָ׳ יִמְלֹךְ לְעֹלָם וָעֶד,
(And as we say in our prayers) adding also the interpretation of the verse by Targum Onkelos:11(וּכְמוֹ שֶׁהוּא בְּנֻסַּח הַתְּפִלָּה) וְגַם בִּלְשׁוֹן תַּרְגּוּם
“The sovereignty of G‑d will be established forever and for all eternity.”הֲוָיָ׳ מַלְכוּתֵיהּ קָאֵים לְעָלַם וּלְעָלְמֵי עָלְמַיָּא.
In our prayers, after reciting this song, we conclude with the verse:12 “G‑d will be King..., G‑d will be one and His name one” –וּמְסַיְּמִים וְהָיָה הֲוָיָ׳ לְמֶלֶךְ וְגוֹ' הֲוָיָ׳ אֶחָד וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד,
that there will be no difference between G‑d and His name. As our Sages explain,13 in the Ultimate Future, the inner truth of G‑d’s name Havayah will be openly revealed.שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיֶה חִלּוּק בֵּין הֲוָיָ׳ וּשְׁמוֹ,
All the above is accomplished through the passing of tzaddikim,שֶׁכָּל זֶה נַעֲשֶׂה עַל יְדֵי סִלּוּקָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים,
something that is even more severe than the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash.שֶׁקָּשֶׁה יוֹתֵר גַּם מֵחֻרְבַּן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ.
Since we have already experienced all these things,וְכֵיוָן אַז מְ'אִיז שׁוֹין דִי אַלֶע עִנְיָנִים דוּרְכְגֶעגַאנְגֶען,
everything now depends only on us — the seventh generation.הִנֵּה עַכְשָׁו אֵין הַדָּבָר תָּלוּי אֶלָּא בָּנוּ – דּוֹר הַשְּׁבִיעִי.
May we be privileged to see and meet with14 the Rebbe here in this world, in a physical body, in this earthly domain15וְנִזְכֶּה זֶעהן זִיךְ מִיטְ'ן רֶבִּי'ן דָא לְמַטָּה אִין אַ גּוּף וּלְמַטָּה מֵעֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים,
– and he will redeem us.וְהוּא יִגְאָלֵנוּ.

Summary

The power to carry out the service described previously has been granted to us through the conduct of the Alter Rebbe, the first of the Rebbeim and his successors, up to and including the Rebbe Rayatz. They have paved the way and granted us the powers necessary to follow in their footsteps.
Emulating their Divine service will draw down the essence of the Shechinah into this physical and material world to an even greater extent than was revealed prior to the sin of the Tree of Knowledge.
Everything now depends only on us – the seventh generation. May we be privileged to see and meet with the Rebbe here in this world, in a physical body, in this earthly domain, and he will redeem us.