From One, Many - Part 1

The Zohar teaches that the world was created through the Hebrew letters, with the Torah as its blueprint. In turn, the entire Torah is encapsulated in the Ten Commandments, whose kernel is the first Commandment, and this in turn is distilled in its first word: Anochi - "I am the L-rd your G-d." The power of this word is further concentrated in its initial letter, which is also the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet: Alef. This letter alludes to the Creator, Who is one and unique. Through this one solitary letter, G-d constantly creates the multifarious universe with all its myriad components.

This pattern is repeated universally, throughout the plant, animal and human realms. A mere seed yields fruit trees with countless seeds; one animal or man can produce multitudes of offspring. But every individual human being was created with an additional, even more powerful, role: to impact the lives of others. Whoever seeks to fulfill this G-d-given role for the benefit of all the human race, must first align his own life with upright principles. He must begin by first educating and changing himself.