An officer in the Israel Defense Force once shared his view of the Jewish people with me. To him, all of Israel are soldiers. Some are on active duty while others are held captive by our foes. In his analogy, Chabad emissaries are a select group of special forces led by the Rebbe, a brilliant general commissioned to liberate our indispensable comrades.

To be sure, some Jews may appear to be out of uniform, held captive by forces alien to their rank. However, they remain enlisted forever in the army of G-d. Their retrieval is restorative as these troops recover their true selves.

My companion and I have traveled 8000 miles to seek out our fellow Jews in countries across Asia. There are only two of us charged with searching the masses and amassing our brothers and sisters. Hundreds of our colleagues are taking on massive territories around the world. We paired duos are helping fellow Jews identify a singularity within duality. For us to be successful in these far-flung places seems far-fetched. However, the officer's metaphor has helped me view our mission as I never have before.

Numbers can count for nothing while simultaneously being everything. It takes one Jew to ensure that we count no losses and maintain strong numbers. When Moses dispatched a force against Midian, he sent twelve legions comprised of one thousand men from each tribe. They were a small contingent, seemingly certain to provide contingencies. Yet Moses knew the worth and ability of the souls he was ordering to war.

Upon their return from battle, Moses received a refreshing report. He lost not a single man. They all had returned. Going to war their numbers did not matter, but upon their return, they meant everything.

For four weeks, the two of us will visit four countries and meet hundreds of worlds. We will be armed with an arsenal of paraphernalia and, above all, the Rebbe's training of genuine love for our fellow. We are not on a conquest, just a quest to find our own and bring them home.

 Rabbi Getzy Markowitz studied for his ordination at the Institute for Talmudic Study and Scholarship in Midtown Manhattan. His writings have appeared in the Jewish Press and are features on Shmais news service, Kabbalah Cast, and JewCrew.org. He has served Jews, and lectured to audiences, on five continents. The Rabbi heads the Solomon Institute for Jewish Wisdom and may be reached at getzym@gmail.com