". . . all the terrible things that we do to ourselves — the addictions, the foolishness, the anger, and the negative self-image — all of these besmirch the divine image stamped on our being. When that image is obscured, according to the Maggid, we are very much like an animal. Thus he quotes the Zohar, 'When a wild animal attacks a human being, it is because it seems to the animal that the human being is a beast.'
"This also reminds me of an important little story of the Kotzker Rebbe . . .
" 'Once, Reb Menachem Mendel of Kotzk was walking with his friends when they were confronted by two vicious German Shepherds running toward them. The owner of the dogs had trained them to attack Jews and had let them loose when he saw Reb Menachem Mendel and his friends coming down the street. As soon as they saw the dogs, they turned and started to run as fast as they could; all of them, that is, except Reb Menachem Mendel. He stayed right where he was and stared at the dogs until they stopped and began to cower.
" 'Later his friends asked him in amazement, "How did you do that?"
" 'Reb Menachem Mendel answered, "When I saw the dogs coming toward me, I asked myself, 'Have I taken the dog-ness in me and put it in the service of God?' So I made an effort to do so, and when my inner 'dog' began to serve God, these dogs could no longer attack me. But if your own 'dog' is not in the service of God, then you have to be afraid of dogs." '
"In doing this, he became human, and the true human being reflects the Divine."
