The Garden

There are people who do many good things, but with pessimism—because to them the world is an inherently bad place. Since their good deeds have no life to them, who knows how long they can keep it up?

We must know that this world is not a dark, sinister jungle, but a garden. And not just any garden, but G‑d’s own pleasure garden, full of beauty, wonderful fruits and fragrances, a place where G‑d desires to be with all His essence.

If the taste to us is bitter, it is only because we must first peel away the outer shell to find the fruit inside.

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From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman. Subscribe and get your dose daily. To order Rabbi Freeman’s latest book, Wisdom to Heal the Earth, click here.

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Rebbe means teacher. Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson is seventh in a prestigious line of chassidic rebbes. Even after his passing, he is known worldwide as simply "The Rebbe"- a Rebbe for any person in the world. This book offers every person a taste of the Rebbe's wisdom, condensed from over 50 years of letters, public talks, private conversations, and written works. Presented in an accessible format.

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Maria Amsterdam January 29, 2026

I still find it difficult to connect the concept of ‘a beautiful garden’ with the Shoah. I’ve been struggling with this my entire life. Reply

Jasmine February 2, 2026

in response to Maria :

You just have to imagine yourself to be in a jungle, where nature is beautiful and among the animals there are predators and there are peaceful animals, that’s how life of human beings is as well and we mustn’t focus on the predators 24/7, even if we are aware of them. Reply

Eleanor Skibo Pennsylvania, USA January 28, 2026

Why do some find nothing in the world, others find beauty in just about everyplace, and then others find only filth and dirt in a grassy path.
Those who are blessed with G D'S, sight take delight even in eying the smallest piece of
our creator's speck of creation. Those are the people beholding G D, inside of their hearts, minds and total beings. They walk and talk with G D, as if it they were speaking with a
loved one or a very good friend. Reply

Brenda Toronto, ON Canada June 13, 2025

Behind the coarseness of the jungle we now perceive in this world is a refined garden filled with fruits and their fragrance.

This potential is realized from our efforts to provide the conditions to ripen the bitter fruits to produce the sweetness of our soul.

On condition we aim our intention to benefit others, we will draw the light to peel away the outer shell of our ego.
The light like a fragrance will fill our whole garden with love. Reply

Chana California May 1, 2025

There are many people, and some of them get elected to run governments, who have their own ideas on how this garden is to be cultivated to benefit ALL humanity. Some of these leaders believe THEY should be the ones in control to make their vision a reality. Communism is one of those visions. Any vision implemented from hatred and destruction opposes the Torah’s wisdom which tells us how to love our fellow human beings and Love G-d above all. That is what makes some of these other visions idolatry. Reply

Silvana January 12, 2022

And within His garden, human love has a new dimension, because it's directly supported by G'ds love, just to be. Reply

David Harold Chester Petach Tikva, Israel January 19, 2021

This garden has been given for us to justly share, yet the land is being exploited and speculated in through a relatively few number of land owners who are able to control where we live and for who and for what we work. Social injustice is the result of land ownership and speculation in its rent and value.

The classical political economists – David Ricardo, John Stuart Mill and Adam Smith – that shaped the birth of modern economics, emphasized that land had unique qualities, distinct from capital and labor, that had important influence on the dynamics of production.
They recognized that land was inherently fixed and scarce. Ricardo’s concept of ‘economic rent’ referred to the gains accruing to landholders from their exclusive ownership of a scarce resource: desirable agricultural land. We need to better share in these opportunities and not speculate in land values. Reply

Tzvi Freeman January 19, 2021

in response to David Harold Chester:

You raise a very valid point. This was the original idea of the commonwealth--in which each citizen was landed.

And indeed, both Jerry Muller in "Capitalism and the Jews" and Eric Nelson in "The Hebrew Republic" demonstrate how this idea arose from the 17th century reading of the Hebrew Bible. Every Jew, by Torah law, was landed. Even the Levites were granted cities.

It seems freedom and ownership of land are strongly interrelated. Reply

Grace January 12, 2022

in response to David Harold Chester:

You speak very plausible & juxtapose close meanings that a mind could reach but fails how to word them or bring real life examples! I want that power - Well done Reply

Sivana January 19, 2022

in response to David Harold Chester:

But unfortunately the evils, like Hobbes, have prevailed and thousands of tonnes of food that could nourish poor people in the world, are wasted for their benefits. That's more then only an expression of unjustice, it's an expression of murder. Reply

David Harold Chester Petach Tikva, Israel January 20, 2022

in response to Tzvi Freeman:

Since the 17th centuary, economists have become interested and involved in how our society might more justly share useful sites of land, and how it would benefit from the opportunities derived from natural resources. This policy is opposed to how landlords today can monopolize their sites for personal speculation in their values and in the rents taken from tenants.

In particular Henry George (in his classic book "Progress and Poverty"), proposed a better way for how the introduction of taxation on land values (LVT), through the collection of ground-rent, and the elimination of other taxes on the production process. He shows how this would greatly help national progress and cause the greed of the land owners to cease and for a more ethical way for communities to live.

George was well aware of the Torah commandments about the use and sharing of land. Since then a group of interested persons including myself, have subscribed to an international society for promoting this ethical idea Reply

Chen Staten Island January 19, 2021

A man went to great lengths to aid his estranged brother. He held such righteousness that even a Donkey would submit like a horse upon hearing his Shema prayer. He loved that Donkey very much that even if it wasn't seen during the exodus you could definitely feel it. As the man concealed so did the Donkey become concealed with divine providence. Reply

Eleanor Skibo Pennsylvania, USA July 2, 2019

Did you know there’s a mystical garden right around the corner from your home? It’s a garden G d created on this earth for each of us to enjoy. Why don’t you take the key from inside of your heart and open up the gate to the most fabulous garden you’ll ever visit in your life. The trees bow and even curtesy, the flowers blow kisses up to the clouds in the sky and the grass even sways and dances to the delightful songs of all of the birds perched high in the trees. Please take a seat on the bench or just lay back upon the green green grass then take in a deep breath of the sweet fragrance of every type of flower you can imagine. Then gaze up to the blue sky and dream of a beautiful figure of a man gazing down upon your face just watching you in sheer delight soaking up his picturesque creation of one of many of his sheer delights. Reply

Jim Dallas July 2, 2019

I had to do a double take here, to find some firm position.
The shell, is the problem of the ability to perceive correctly the hidden beauty, discard the shell and have a perfect what? A partial paradise? Pleasure drowning out pain? Love dominating hate? same old same old?
At present the place is preserved with vast layers of mind-bending lies, half truths, brainwashings of 12 to 20 years to reach 'maturity' and moulded freedoms and more and all this under the god-gaze and iron rod of humanoids claiming the highest honors, wealth and power and position?
i have excellent and timely reasons to know HaShem G-d does not agree with such as a homestead, even for a human. Reply

carmela az April 22, 2015

Brilliant.absolutely brilliant Reply

Becky Pittsburgh, PA October 19, 2012

Earth really is a garden Every day when I'm at work, watching people walking around, talking to others, talking to themselves, bending over to tie a shoe, behaving erratically or even violently, I'm reminded of a kindergarten classroom. We really are just boys and girls bouncing around from activity to activity and talking all the while as we go.

I imagine to myself as I observe the world-at-large that The One Above made this awesome world for us to enjoy and tend, just like Genesis says... And, yes, beware the snakes and thorns. They exist and they will hurt or even kill you.

Even more beware the snakes and thorns within yourself.

I love reading the Daily Dose and Freeman Files because Rabbi Tzvi's teachings inspire understanding and self-compassion. Reply

Brenda Toronto, Canada October 17, 2012

How to enter the Garden - change your program How can we enter 'G_d's pleasure garden?

Change receiving pleasure for yourself into receiving pleasure for yourself by giving pleasure to others!

The answer boils down to: Only a change in human nature. Change the program within. Reply

Eugina Herrera New York City, New York July 20, 2012

Optimism Optimistic is to be very positive with the energy of our spirituality with One G-d. In other words, to do good deeds with optimism is to do with the act of kindness and to to the act of kindness is to do good deeds with Optimism. Reply

Paul Castro Miami, Florida February 4, 2012

The Garden Man, as G-d said is good, but not all of his inclinations. If everyone would turn to Torah and obey it, things would be different.
Man may have to peel off many non Torah beliefs in order to see the garden. Reply

Linda USA June 13, 2025

in response to Paul Castro:

To Paul, Or misconceptions of what Torah means or is interpreted or misinterpreted as truth.
that's where the rubber meets the road. Reply

David Dallas, Texas May 30, 2010

The Garden To read this on Memorial Day it is hard to believe. We have thousands of young men some even Jewish dying fighting the Islamic hords. We have watched men and women jump from the World Trade Center, and lets not forget Hitler. Maybe in an insular community all you see is a garden but turn on CNN, or go to Yad Vashem and yes this world is a sinister place with death and suffering all around, the roses from the garden are too many times put on the graves of the young. Reply

roland P. Young April 25, 2007

Hidden Aspects Sometimes the peel is very thiick and sometimes it is paper thin or non-existant but the garden is there nonetheless. Reply

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