Question: A picture of the Rebbe has increasingly served as a spiritual barometer for my actions. If I am doing well – the Rebbe looks at me with a sense of pride, and if not … What is the source for this, and is it healthy?
Answer: It is always important to remember to serve God with simple sincerity – “Walk simply with God.” This is the most basic foundation of Kabbalah. Do not relate too much significance to this picture. Rather, practice faith, or emunah (אֱמוּנָה), in Hebrew, which is the true inner dimension of “picture,” or temunah (תְּמוּנָה)—faith that God is always with us, as are the souls of the tzaddikim.
