Power of One

One individual had brought the world
to the brink of destruction,
but for the mercies
of the Master of the Universe,
who ordained that
“the earth shall stand firm and not fall.”

Such is the power
of a single human being to do evil.

A thousand times over
is the power of each one of us to do good.

From a letter dated In the Days of Selichoth 5724

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11 Comments

max June 26, 2023

to do good (g-d) i must be good. and i can only be good by the power and wisdom, understanding, of the spirit of g-d. who is my life. my reason, being. my all in all. Reply

Tzvi Freeman July 12, 2016

For Hananalah in Houston Yes, the Rebbe could only have been speaking about that person. As I noted, the year was 1958. Reply

Hanalah Houston, Tx July 11, 2016

To Rabbi Tzvi Are you speaking of the man who started WWII?

Or if not, give us a hint who you mean. Reply

inge reisinger zwickau July 11, 2016

so good to read these words and comments thank you Reply

Rebecca Hirsh Georgia July 11, 2016

I think this last week we have seen society Fall. May G-D watch over us. Reply

Shlmel West Palm Beach FL July 11, 2016

Power of One #Vote Reply

valerie j becker akron October 30, 2014

'power of one' well,powerless as i am, my goal is to be part of the 'thousand times over' ones who (try to) do good - even in the very smallest way. Reply

Mark R. New York October 30, 2014

power of one there is no blindness. no oneness. everyone is interconnected via the demographics one identifies with or is tragically (?) swept away with automatic bonding. There is no free will; we're not connected to the outside only, there is neurochemistry, hormones, et alia. We're HaShem's tentacles drunk on information and chemical reactions. we're made in HS's image in terms of a form of contemplation on info and a rather minute version of it at that. the only power there is is the neutron(s) revolving around the nucleus faster than the speed of light; atoms shape reality, things happen as HS is in constant fluidity. that means there is no "real" reality. Reply

zak San Diego October 30, 2014

Ten ways of success He gave us the past which was the beginning.
He gave us the future which was the ending
For in the middle he gave us a present….life.
This is where potential of purpose is formed. Reply

Elaine Smothers Buffalo, New York April 1, 2009

power of one good and evil are are the conditioned paradigms that has been placed upon the physical extension of God in which we all are. These identification that we are good or bad has suppressed our true identity. Know not that you are God. Made in the image of God and yet we've been informed that we are a this and that, a concept of who we are not. The physical is the extension of the unseen. The knowing of God, in which we are. The Will of God in the flesh. What a wondrous Being that we are. Reply

marianne juliette wilson houston, tx April 1, 2009

power of one if the reference is to a. hitler, then i'm thinking that one person, alone, cannot bring the world to disaster...it is his ability to convince others to follow his agenda, blindly, & to do his bidding to effect the distruction. conversely, if there is a person who has the agenda to SAVE the world, & can go among the people to collect followers to bring about order in the world, & they in turn, can do the same, then the evil will be neutralized & good is upon the earth. this is my understanding of your pose, rabbi. thank you for your good work. Reply

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