בְּלִי שׁוּם צֵל סָפֵק וּסְפֵק סְפֵיקָא, הִנֵּה בְּכָל מָקוֹם מִדְרַךְ כַּף רַגְלֵינוּ, הַכֹּל הוּא לְזַכּוֹת וּלְטַהֵר אֶת הָאָרֶץ בְּאוֹתִיּוֹת הַתּוֹרָה וְהַתְּפִלָּה, וַאֲנַחְנוּ כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁלוּחֵי דְרַחֲמָנָא אָנוּ, אִישׁ אִישׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר גָזְרָה עָלָיו הַשְׁגָּחָה הָעֶלְיוֹנָה, אֵין חָפְשִׁי מֵעֲבוֹדַת הַקֹּדֶשׁ, אֲשֶׁר הוּעַמְסָה עַל שִׁכְמֵנוּ.

Beyond the slightest shadow of a doubt, wherever our feet tread, the sole reason is that we refine and purify the earth by uttering words1 of the Torah and of prayer. We — all of Israel — are agents of the Compassionate One, each of us according to the charge that supernal Providence has decreed upon him.2 No one is free from the holy task that has been placed on our shoulders.3

A Pearl to Cherish

The Baal Shem Tov teaches4 that if a person loses his way and wanders about, this is never accidental: an inner Divine intent caused him to err. Similarly,the Rebbe Rashab explains5 that a person’s desire to go to a specific place reflects G‑d’s own desire that he travel there.

In either case, it is not G‑d’s intent that the person should merely pass through the given place, but that he should elevate it by studying Torah there and performing mitzvos.