Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
Courtesy of MeaningfulLife.com
The essence of Judaism is the belief in the One G‑d. Indeed, all monotheistic faiths trace their origin to Abraham, the discoverer (or re-discoverer) of this truth.
The Jewish belief in G‑d is expressed in the first two of the Ten Commandments. The first affirms the truth of His being. The second is the negative complement to the first—the disavowal of idolatry. Idolatry is not necessarily a lack of belief in G‑d; indeed, the Second Commandment begins, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Rather, idolatry also includes any denial of G‑d’s oneness—His absolute singularity, unity and exclusiveness of being. To ascribe any divisions or compartmentalizations to the Divine being, or to believe that G‑d has any partners or intermediaries to His creation and sustenance of the universe, is to transgress the prohibition of idolatry.
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Transform the World or Personal Perfection?
Nice, 1941
(…) At a certain point, however, we realize that there’s more to life than mastering a set of behaviors. We discover an inner self of ideas, feelings, a “personality.” No longer content with just doing things the right way, we strive to better ourselves: to expand our mind, hone our feelings, refine our character.
Finally, there comes a time when this goal, too, pales in significance before a far more ambitious endeavor. Why content ourselves with the perfection of the individual self, when we have been empowered to transform the world? Why relegate our quest for peace to the search for inner harmony, when a conflict-ridden race of six billion cries out for our aid? Why limit our capacity for discovery and growth to the interior of our souls, when an entire universe awaits our exploration and development?
(…)Every morning we thank G‑d for His gift of truth with the words, “Blessed are You G‑d, who gives the Torah”—”gives,” in the present tense, since “every day the words of Torah should be as new in your eyes, as if you received them from Sinai today.”
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Rita Sibbick 