Chapter 33

In this chapter, the Alter Rebbe continues what he began explaining in chapter 31, about the true joy of the Jewish people. Because there are times when we find we need a little push to feel happier…

The advice the Alter Rebbe gives is to think about how Hashem It is truly one, unique, and it is the only thing there is; to think how everything around us is insignificant compared to it. Hashem (He is nullified), even less than a letter in our brain compared to the soul's capacity to think and in the face of its "Tools", as already explained in chapters 20 and 21.

The Alter Rebbe calls this thought “faith,” because all Jews are believers, children of believers, and we have within us this unwavering faith in the oneness of Hashem.

Thinking about this for a long time must bring enormous joy, knowing that we are really very close to Hashem. He is everywhere. He is only hidden, and that is the purpose of the creation of the entire universe, the earth, and the Jewish people: to make this place a dwelling place for Hashem, a house for Him, where He is revealed.

Even when we're only thinking about Hashem By using the soul's "garment" of thought, we are fulfilling the purpose for which the entire world was created, because Hashem It is revealed in our thinking.

To understand why this faith should bring us immense joy, the Alter Rebbe gives an example: imagine how happy a simple, humble, and poor man would be if the king of his country decided to come and live in his very house, in his very room, right next to him. How much more so would we, who with this faith are making... Hashem, The King of all kings, living within each of us, our joy should be truly enormous.

Just as we would be overjoyed to learn that there is a huge inheritance, a great deal of money, left to us by our ancestors, and that despite having made no effort to obtain it, it belongs to us simply by virtue of being their descendants, in the same way our ancestors, from Abraham onward, bequeathed to us this faith in the oneness of God. Hashem and that He lives with us.

Our wise men¹ they say that Hashem He gave us six hundred and thirteen Mitzvot on Mount Sinai. Many years later, the prophet Javakuk said² that there is only one Mitzvah with which the Righteous One lives and is enthusiastic: faith in Hashem. Apparently, there are many Mitzvot in which we should have desire and enthusiasm, not just one. Why does Javakuk say “The Righteous live by faith”?

The idea is that through this faith in the oneness of Hashem, We will automatically be so happy and joyful to be Jewish and to be close to Hashem, that any impediment and difficulty in fulfilling the Mitzvot It will seem silly to us, nothing will stop us, neither our own problems nor the problems of others.

That is why Javakuk said that “The Righteous One lives by faith,” as if one only had to concern oneself with this faith, in order to draw from it much desire and enthusiasm in the observance of the rest of the Mitzvot.

At the end of the chapter, the Alter Rebbe gives another reason to be joyful: we shouldn't only rejoice because we are living with Hashem with this faith, but we should rejoice because Hashem He's happy with us.

When we think a lot about this faith in the oneness of Hashem, He is very happy and takes great pleasure in this, because we are making this world, full of impurities and spiritual darkness, a pure and illuminated place with the light of Hashem. And that is why every Jew should rejoice in the joy of Hashem by making this world a home for Him through this faith.