הַתּוֹרָה וְהַמִּצְוֹת מַקִּיפוֹת אֶת חַיֵּי הָאָדָם מִיּוֹם גִּיחוֹ מִבֶּטֶן אִמּוֹ עַד עֵת פְּקוּדָּתוֹ, וּמַעֲמִידוֹת אוֹתוֹ בְּקֶרֶן אוֹרָה בְּשֵׂכֶל בָּרִיא וּבְקִנְיַן מִדּוֹת נַעֲלוֹת וְהַנְהָגוֹת יְשָׁרוֹת לֹא רַק בֵּין אָדָם לַמָּקוֹם אֶלָּא גַּם בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, כִּי הַמִּתְנַהֵג עַל פִּי הַתּוֹרָה וְהוֹרָאוֹת חַזַ"ל הוּא חַי חַיִּים מְאוּשָּׁרִים בְּגֶשֶׁם וּבְרוּחַ.

The Torah and its mitzvos encompass a person’s life from the day he emerges from his mother’s womb until the day he is summoned [from Above]. The Torah and the mitzvos stand him in a ray of light, with a sound mind, lofty emotions, and upright conduct — not only between man and G‑d, but also between man and man. For a person who acts according to the Torah and the directives of our Sages lives a happy life, both materially and spiritually.1

Living in This World

A doctor who had adopted a Torah life-styleonce confided in a friend: “I observed Torah and mitzvos for two years before I believed in G‑d.”

“But why would you want to observe mitzvos if you didn’t believe in G‑d?” his friend asked him.

“I am trained in scientific analysis,” the doctor explained. “When I married and set up a home, I was looking for a lifestyle that would enrich the atmosphere of the home and encourage communication between my wife and myself, and between us and our children. I saw these qualities in homes that practiced Torah Judaism. That was enough to convince me. Later, after Torah observance became part of my life, I developed a belief in G‑d. At the outset, however, my involvement in Judaism was solely a result of my desire for the benefits it would bring me and my family.”

As the Rebbe Rayatz taught, Torah observance provides a healthy base for life, enabling a person to relate to others — and to G‑d — with wholesome buoyancy.