אות - פה

A man once asked the Rebbe whether he should undertake a particular journey.

The Rebbe answered that if you have a need to travel, you should not remain at home and stubbornly refuse to go. Wherever you travel, there are things you must correct. 122 Likutey Moharan II, 62; Tzaddik #559; Likutey Halakhot , Techumin 2.

You must only be careful not to sin while you are there. If you do not sin, you can correct things wherever you travel.

Even if you are an average person, you will do holy things in each place. You will pray, say a blessing over food, and many similar things. Even the lowliest Jew does holy things wherever he goes.

Each person is destined from on high to be in a particular place at a given time. At that time and place, there is something that he specifically must correct.

When you have occasion to travel, it is for your own good. If you would not make the journey voluntarily, you might be forced to go in chains. The Talmud teaches, “Jacob would have had to come to Egypt in chains, but was saved by his merit” ( Shabbat 89b) .

This is true of every man. If you find it necessary to travel, it is a favor from on high. Otherwise, you might have had to make the journey in chains.

The Rebbe told this to an ordinary person, because even the average person accomplishes great things wherever he may go – as long as he does not sin in any way.

The secret meaning of this is alluded to in the Pri Etz Chaim , Shaar Keriat Shma (chapter 3) , concerning the intentions one must have when recalling the Exodus.