He Who makes peace on high, He will make peace upon us and upon all of Israel, amen
Talking about peace on earth in the same breath as peace within oneself may seem like overreach, like biting off more than we can chew. After all, world peace is something that eluded the greatest thinkers and philosophers since the beginning of time. If anything, the world is becoming bloodier and more conflict-ridden by the day. Just in the past century, two world wars wiped out about 5% of the world’s population, and we now have enough weapons of mass destruction to destroy the world many times over. Reducing global conflict is imperative if we are to survive as a people and as a species, but what can we do about it on an individual level?
Chassidic philosophy provides a practical guide for achieving balance, harmony and unity within ourselves and the world. These teachings have been known for hundreds of years, but it’s only in recent years that we have the tools and technology to disseminate them throughout the world in contemporary language.
The same tools that help us find inner peace can also be harnessed to affect families, communities, societies and all of civilization. The choices that we make on an individual level do make a difference, not just in some cosmic, abstract sense but in a very practical, realistic way. Advances in mass communication and technology mean that more than ever, our words and deeds can have global repercussions, for both the positive and the negative. If the world can be destroyed by the actions of a few hateful people, it’s not inconceivable that a few dedicated people motivated by a desire for peace and unity can rebuild it.
This section builds on all the concepts discussed in previous chapters and brings them together to elucidate the end goal towards which we have been working since the dawn of creation. On 28 Nissan, 5751, the Lubavitcher Rebbe announced, “What more can I do to motivate the entire Jewish people to clamor and cry out, and thus actually bring about the coming of Moshiach? … All that I can possibly do is to give the matter over to you. Now, do everything you can to bring Mashiach, here and now, immediately.”
With these words, the Rebbe not only entrusted us but empowered us with the mission of bringing Redemption down to earth. It is within our hands to apply the mystical teachings of Torah to resolve both our internal and external conflicts and thus bring the world to a state of permanent, everlasting peace.