The following is attributed to the Besht:

Man is not alone. G-d makes us remember the past so as to break our solitude. Our forefathers stand behind us, some of them tested or chosen by G-d. Whatever they did, they did for us. Whatever we do, we do for them. Long ago, in Egypt, every one of us strove for the preservation of the holy tongue, the names of our ancestors and their descendants, and the memory of the covenant. Every one of us sat at the prophet's feet to recieve their teachings. Every one of us marched through the desert, to Sinai and from Sinai. Every one of us watched the splendor and desolation of Jerusalem. We all followed Reb Yohanan Ben Zakkai into exile, we all shared his anguish and pride. And that is why we must stay together.