In G-d We Trust: A Handbook of Values for Americans

At one point in our lives, many of us have shared a relationship with a parent, teacher, or employer which deeply affected us. That person had high standards; he stood for something and he invited others to stand with him.

He was demanding; he never gave in and accepted mediocracy. But he also never gave up. Together with the high expectations he communicated was imparted the trust that we could meet them. With vision, he expanded our horizons, inspired us to attain these new vistas, and indeed to reach further.

For a Lubavitcher -- indeed for almost anyone who ever met the Rebbe -- these descriptions of leadership are not platitudes, they are part of the day-to-day experience of living with the Rebbe.

The Rebbe never spoke in terms of mere dreams or wishful ideals. Instead, he confronted every situation in all its particulars, and did so honestly, without vanity, without fear of the personal consequences. When he spoke about a mission or an objective, it was not merely because the mission was desirable, but because it was plainly possible. He did not speak of what we could be -- but were not yet. He spoke of what we are, the potential which we actually possess and how we can express it in our lives.

His vision of America which is communicated in the pages that follow focuses on our past -- the roots of our national heritage -- and our present -- the positive and negative forces operating within our culture. And it allows us to look to the horizon, showing how the end of peace and prosperity to be introduced by Mashiach is within our grasp.