The Rabbi Steinsaltz
introduction to Brachos: “Tractate Berakhot is the first tractate in the order of “Faith.”
The primary focus of the tractate is the myriad ways in which a Jewish person
expresses faith throughout his life.” He continues later -
Furthermore, faith, despite its broad scope, is not a palpable presence, in one’s daily life. True, faith as Weltenschauung and as a general approach exists, in one form or another in the hearts of all people, at different levels of consciousness and acceptance. However, the difference between that faith and real life is too significant. There is no comparison between accepting the fundamental tenets of faith in one’s heart and fulfilling them in practice, especially at all of those minor, uninspiring opportunities that constitute a majority of one’s life. If the abstract concepts of faith are not manifest in a practical manner in all of the details of a person’s life, faith will loose its substance; consequently all of life’s details will be rendered worthless and pointless. Indeed the fundamental demand of religion is well characterized in the phrase "if you devote your hearts and eyes to Me, I know you are mine."
