דעֶם מעֶנשׁעֶנס לעֶבּעֶן אִיז תָּלוּי אִין דעֶם אֲוִיר וואוּ עֶר געֶפִינט זִיך. אָהן אֲוִיר קעֶן מעֶן נִיט לעֶבּעֶן, אוּן אִין וואָס פאַר אַ אֲוִיר מעֶן לעֶבּט אַזאַ לעֶבּעֶן אִיז דאָס. וועֶן מעֶן לעֶבּט אִין אַ תּוֹרָה וּמִצְוֹת אֲוִיר, אִיז דעֶר לעֶבּעֶן אַ געֶזוּנטעֶר. וועֶן מעֶן לעֶבּט אִין כְּפִירָה-אֲוִיר, אִיז דאָס אַ קראַנקעֶר לעֶבּעֶן, אוּן מעֶן אִיז כְּסֵדֶר אִין געֶפאַהר קראַנק צוּ וועֶרעֶן מִיט אָנשׁטעֶקעֶנדעֶ מַחֲלוֹת. דִי עֶרשׁטעֶ אַלגעֶמֵיינעֶ רְפוּאָה אִיז צוּ מאַכעֶן רֵיין דִי לוּפט. דִי אַרבּעֶט פוּן טַהֲרַת הָאֲוִיר לִיגט אוֹיף דִי יוֹדְעֵי סֵפֶר אוּן יוֹדְעֵי תּוֹרָה. טַהֲרַת הָאֲוִיר אִיז דוּרְךְ אוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה. וועֶן מ'שׁטעֶהט אִין סְטאָר, אָדעֶר וועֶן מעֶן געֶהט אִין גאַס, אָדעֶר וועֶן מ'פאָהרט אִין סאָבְּוֵויי אוּן מעֶן זאָגט אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, מאַכט מעֶן מִיט דעֶם רֵיין דעֶם אֲוִיר. יעֶדעֶר אֵיינעֶר פוּן דִי יוֹדְעֵי סֵפֶר אוּן יוֹדְעֵי תּוֹרָה מוּז האָבּעֶן עֶפּעֶס אוֹיסגעֶלעֶרנט בְּעַל-פֶּה: חוּמָשׁ, תְּהִלִּים, מִשְׁנָיוֹת, תַּנְיָא, אַזוֹי אַז צוּ יעֶדעֶר צַייט אוּן אִין יעֶדעֶן אָרט, זאָל עֶר קעֶנעֶן טראַכטעֶן אוּן זאָגעֶן דִי הֵיילִיגֶע אוֹתִיּוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה.

A person’s life depends upon the air around him: without air one cannot live. Moreover, the kind of air in which one lives determines the quality of one’s life. When a person lives in an atmosphere of Torah and mitzvos, his life is healthy. When he lives in an atmosphere that denies G‑d, his life is sickly and he is under constant risk of contagion.

The first, comprehensive remedy is to purify the air, and this is the responsibility of those who are educated in Torah studies. It is the letters of Torah that purify the air. When a person verbalizes words of the Torah1 while standing in the store, walking down the street, or riding the subway, he purifies the air. Whoever is familiar with Torah learning must have something on call that he has learned by heart, be it Chumash, Tehillim, Mishnayos, or Tanya. This will enable him to review the holy words of the Torah — mentally and verbally — at any time and in every place.2

To Fill In the Background

The Rebbe Rayatz made this statement, and others like it, upon arriving in America in 5700 (1940). Now, this was not the first time he had been to America; he had previously visited in 5689 (1929), on behalf of Russian Jewry. This time, by contrast, the Rebbe Rayatz settled there and declared that his mission was to transform America into a Torah center. That involved radical changes on all levels. Some changes were internal, and were accomplished by teaching people and transforming their thought processes. Others were of a more comprehensive nature, and involved changing the spiritual environment as a whole. The mission of purifying the air was part of the second type of endeavor.

In the same sichah, the Rebbe Rayatz also states:3 “Every Jewish man and woman must appreciate the earnest nature of this present time. The Creator is breaking down the walls of exile, and the light of the complete Redemption will soon shine forth.... The cold Jewish environment and the dark Jewish homes must become warm and luminous through Torah and mitzvos performed with fiery feeling…. We cannot delay. A fool procrastinates; the wise act immediately.”