Jews, since Abraham, saw themselves as servants of a transcendent G‑d. But in a New World, servitude and self-discipline didn’t go over so well.

The Rebbe wrote that he had pondered this problem at length: How can we communicate to children today the dedication and responsibility that comes along with being a Jew?

So the Rebbe created Tzivos Hashem—literally, an army. He gave the children a sense of pride, as they rose in rank in this army, and told them that they were on a special mission to defeat evil, model goodness, and make this world a divine home for its Maker, the Commander-in-Chief.

At public gatherings, the children now crowded around the Rebbe’s chair, even sitting under the table at his feet. At one point, a certain elder attempted to chase them away. The Rebbe admonished him, “You are a civilian and they are officers, and you want to chase them away?!”

That is education. That is wisdom.