Hayom Yom

The Alter Rebbe once summoned a young disciple of the Maggid and said to him in his customary chant: "I have the mitzva of "teach them to your children." [1] You have the mitzva of sustaining and providing for your family. Let us make an exchange. I will give you what you need to fulfill your mitzva and you will teach my son (who was later the Mitteler Rebbe).

Then the Rebbe explained the method of instruction:

The first thing is to teach the letters, Alef, Beit and so on.

What is an Alef? A dot above, a dot below, and a line between this is an Alef.

A child must know that the Alef of Torah is a Yud [2] above, a Yud below, and a line of faith that joins them.

Another version: A yud above - this is the soul; a yid (Jew) below - this is the body; a line of Yir'at Shamayim (fear of Heaven) in the center.

Notes:

Devarim 11:19.

The letter Yud is basically a dot, a point, undimensioned, indivisible, irreducible. "Above," it refers to G-d in His Essence; "below" it refers to the essence of the soul of every Jew. The "connection" between G-d and soul is faith.

Monday Adar Sheini 8 5703

Chumash: Vayikra, Sheini with Rashi.

Tehillim: 44-48.

Tanya: Clearly, the purpose (p. 163)...out of existence. (p. 165).

My father writes in one of his letters:

"A single act is better than a thousand groans. Our G-d lives, and Torah and mitzvot are eternal; quit the groaning and work hard in actual Avoda, and G-d will be gracious to you.