רַבֵּנוּ הַגָּדוֹל — הַזָּקֵן — סִדֵּר לִפְנֵי אַנְשֵׁי שְׁלוֹמֵינוּ הָעֲבוֹדָה בְּמוֹחַ וּלְחַפֵּשׂ אֶת הָאֱמֶת, לְבַקֵּר כָּל תְּנוּעָה, שֶׁתִּהְיֶה רַק כְּפִי הָאֱמֶת וּבָאָה עַל יְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה.

וַעֲבוֹדָה זוֹ אֵינָהּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁטּוֹעִים בְּזֶה טָעוּת גָּמוּר לַחְשׁוֹב שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְפָרֵק הָרִים וּלְשַׁבֵּר סְלָעִים, אִיבּעֶרקעֶרעֶן דִי וועֶלט. הָאֱמֶת הַגָּמוּר הוּא, אֲשֶׁר כָּל עֲבוֹדָה וּפוֹעַל, אֵיזֶה שֶׁיִּהְיוּ, בְּכַוָּנָה אֲמִתִּית דַּי וּמַסְפִּיק: אַ בְּרָכָה בְּכַוָּנָה, דעֶם וואָרט אִין דאַוונעֶן כִּדְבָעִי בַּהֲכָנַת הַלֵּב וּבִידִיעָה לִפְנֵי מִי אַתָּה עוֹמֵד, אַ פָּסוּק חוּמָשׁ בִּידִיעָה שֶׁהוּא דְבַר ה', אַ פָּסוּק תְּהִלִּים, וּמִּדָה טוֹבָה לְקָרֵב לִבּוֹ שֶׁל חֲבֵרוֹ בְּאַהֲבָה וְחִבָּה.

אֱמֶת הַדָּבָר, אֲשֶׁר בִּכְדֵי לְהַגִּיעַ לָזֶה צְרִיכִים יְגִיעָה רַבָּה וַעֲצוּמָה, פָּשׁוּט לעֶרנעֶן אַ רִבּוּי אוּן פאַרשְׁטֵיין — כָּל אֶחָד לְפִי עֶרְכּוֹ — וְאָז ה' בְּעֶזְרוֹ שֶׁיִּהְיֶ' כְּפִי הָאֱמֶת.

The Alter Rebbe provided the members of the chassidic brotherhood with a path in the intellectual service of G‑d and the search for the truth. This entails examining whether every action is dictated only by the truth and is motivated by one’s endeavors in Divine service.1

This path of service does not involve breaking down mountains, shattering boulders and overturning the world, as some utterly mistaken people think. The simple truth is that any activity or endeavor, whatever it may be, if it is carried out with sincere intent, suffices: a blessing recited with concentration; the words of prayer uttered with a prepared heart and with a knowledge of “before Whom one stands”;2 a verse from Chumash with the awareness that it is the Word of G‑d; a verse from Tehillim; or the positive trait of drawing one’s friend close with love and affection.

True, to attain this requires awesome and tremendous exertion. One must study extensively and with understanding, every individual according to his level. G‑d will then help him [so that his efforts] will be genuine.3

Living as a Chassid

There is an old chassidic adage: Chassidus shows us how small the great things are and how great the small things are. Achievements can reflect inner greatness even if they are not impressive; they, too, are treasured Above.

The simple truth and sincerity that inspire such achievements spawned a reverential epithet that appears and reappears throughout the oral and written legacy of Lubavitch — a pnimi.4 This term is not easy to define or translate, but the implication it conveys can be sensed from a remark of the Rebbe Rayatz:5 “A pnimi labors towards spiritual integrity, towards living in harmony with what he perceives to be right.”6

To attain such a degree of integrity is obviously a pivotal challenge in the lifelong avodah of every chassid. Not surprisingly, therefore, this ideal often recurred among the no-nonsense expectations that a masterfarbrenger by the name of R. Zalman Serebryanski — a warm and charismatic mashpia — used to address to himself and to his fellow chassidim over a drop of LeChayim. No one with any degree of intellectual honesty could possibly participate in such a farbrengen without asking himself squarely: “Is my practice on the same page as my principles?”