The Rebbe On Why Moses Broke the Tablets

March 29th, 2015

Tags: exile, midrash, Matan Torah, Torah, courage
Posted in Biblical, Weekly Parsha, Beliefs & Concepts, Personal Life, Love & Marriage, Torah Personalities, Free Choice, Devarim, Moshiach & Redemption, Torah, Vezot Habracha, Moses | No Comments »

There is Always a Purpose

March 29th, 2015

By the Grace of G-d

Rosh Chodesh Nissan, 5742

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Miss [name redacted],

Montreal, Que. H4V2N3

Canada

Blessing and Greeting:

I received your letter in which you ask various questions connected with Torah and Yiddishkeit.

In general, such questions should be discussed with you teacher, or with a Rabbi in your community.

Inasmuch as you have already written to me, I will answer the first of your questions: whether it is a sin not to like everything in the world and must we love everything Hashem created.

The answer that the Torah gives us, which is also a matter of common sense, is that inasmuch as Hashem is the Creator of everything, it is certain that He likes every act of His creation, as the Torah declares, “And G-d saw everything that He had made and behold, it was very good.” (Gen. 1:31).

However, we must bear in mind that everything was created for its specific purpose or purposes, and therefore everything must fulfill its purpose in accordance with the Creator’s design in order to be “good.” For example, while G-d created all things that are necessary to sustain a life on earth, He also created certain poisonous plants that could have the opposite effect. But these things were created not to be eaten, but for other purposes, such as medicine and drugs to relieve pain and to cure illness – when used in the proper restricted doses. Hence, although such plants may be beautiful to see, pleasant to the taste and agreeably fragrant, they must not be indulged in because of their toxic effects, and their external attractiveness is a test of man’s will and determination to control his appetites.

Such plants, incidentally, are often cited as an analogy of the temptations to which a person is exposed in life, to indulge in things or habits which are at first pleasurable, but are really harmful in the end. A classic lesson is to be found, of course, in the first human surrender to temptation by eating of the forbidden fruit, seeing that it was “tasty to eat, and a delight to the eyes, and desirable….”  (Gen. 3:6)

Consequently, it is a matter of common sense that since G-d has endowed a human being with freedom to act either to do good or what is not good, we should certainly like what is good and dislike what is not good, as it is written “Turn away from evil and do good.”

At the same time, there is a certain aspect that we can like even in something which is in itself negative, because it is through the distinction between good and evil that we appreciate the good and reject the evil, even if the evil sometimes appears in the guise of something good and pleasant.

Needless to say, it is impossible to adequately discuss in a letter the above question or any of the other questions that you mentioned in your letter, and if these and similar questions really bother you, you should discuss them with a knowledgeable  person as mentioned above.

Since you became bas mitzvah several years ago, and thus a full-fledged Jewess who is duty bound to observe all the mitzvos which a Jewish girl and woman has to observe, I trust you are observing them with devotion and diligence. If there is anything you missed out in the past, we have the assurance that nothing stands in the way of teshuvo. Any failing in the past can be corrected by being particularly careful in the observance of that mitzvah with hiddur.

Enclosed is a copy of my recent message in connection with Pesach, which has a bearing on the above.

With prayerful wishes for a kosher, joyous and inspiring Pesach and

With blessing,

Tags: creation, purpose
Posted in Good & Evil, Beliefs & Concepts, Torah Personalities, Modern, Torah, Rebbe | No Comments »

The Mysticism Mandate

March 29th, 2015

 By the Grace of G-d

24th of Marcheshvan, 5719

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Mr. [name redacted],

London, E.5

Sholom uBrocho;

After the very long interval, I was pleased to receive your letter, with the good news about G-d’s benevolences to you. I believe I already had occasion to refer to the saying of our Sages (B.B. 12b) to the effect that when one receives G-d’s favors, more are to follow. lt is also well to remember the teaching of our Rabbis and Nesiim, “Think well, and all will be well, ” as explained at length also in the Zohar (II, 184b), introduced by the words To chazi (“Come and see”) note there.

Now to refer to the question of the need to learn Chassidus which you raise in your letter. You do not mention what shiurim you have in chassidus, though I had suggested to you the following courses: Kuntres UMaayan; Iggeres haTeshuvo (part III of Tanya), ShaarhaYichud vehaEmuno (part II of Tanya), followed by Derech Mitzvosecho of the Tzemach Tzedek.

You quote me as having written to you that there are many who have learned and know a great deal of Gemoro, yet lack in knowledge of the practical dinim. To which you remark that you know people ‘who know a great deal of Chassidus and likewise lack knowledge of the dinim. But as I recall, I did not make that statement as an argument in favor of learning Chassidus. I merely pointed out the need of learning the practical dinim apart from other studies. For unfortunately it is a fact that in most yeshlvoth the need of learning dinim is not given sufficient attention. Therefore your attempt to challenge my statement is quite irrelevant.

As for the general necessity of learning Chassidus, this is amply explained in Kuntres Etz haChayim, by the father of my father-in-law of saintly memory, and elsewhere. Above all, it is based on the halocho itself, which sees the proof of a theory in its applicability and in its actual results in practice. Let me give you an illustration, which I trust you will not take amiss, especial]y as you can verify it through other sources. I do not have to tell you under what terrible conditions the Jews have lived in Soviet Russia under the Communist regime, and how it affected Jewish religious life, especially of the younger generation who had no opportunity to anchor themselves firmly in Yiddishkeit. When the Iron Curtain temporarily lifted after the war and many Jews managed to get out of Soviet Russia, it became clear that of the various classes and types of Russian Jews only those who had learned in Chabad Yeshivoth and were brought up in Chassidic homes and in the Chassidic way of life were able to survive those terrible trials and difficulties and remain faithful and practicing Jews, not only themselves but also their sons and daughters with them. This should convince even the most skeptical as to the power and efficacy of Chassidus as a living force and practical means of the preservation of Yiddishkeit even under the utmost difficulties.

But since you question the need of learning Chassidus according to the authority of the Shulchan Aruch, I will answer you, as briefly as possible, on the basis of your own criteria.

As you know, there are various kinds of mitzvoth. There are, for example, compulsory mitzvoth, and there are mitzvoth which become incumbent under certain conditions only, the performance of which become compulsory when the specific conditions prevail; and one is not obligated to create those conditions (e.g. Maake).

Among the so-called compulsory mitzvoth, there are, again, such mitzvoth which depend on the time element, and they may be occasioned once a year, or once a week, or daily, as the case may be.

There are however six mitzvoth which are not merely incumbent  in one way or another, as the other Mitzvoth, but their incumbency (chiyuv) is a constant one, and they are obligatory on all  Jews without exception, or to quote: “Their incumbency is constant, of which no man is free for a moment, all his life.”  They are mentioned in Sefer haChinuch in the Introduction: (1) To believe in G-d, (2) Not to believe in any other deity, (3) To affirm His Unity (4) To love Him, (5) To fear Him and (6) Not to go astray after the temptation of the heart and the vision of the eyes.

The first five of the above obviously demand intellectual preparation. Even the sixth can be properly fulfilled only after the acquisition of certain doctrines and knowledge.

It is clear that to obtain the essential knowledge (without which these six constant mitzvoth could not be fulfilled) by an effort to glean it from different sources, would require an enormous amount of time and effort, and even then one could not be sure whether or not the sources were rightly understood, and the right opinions and belief s were formulated.

On the other hand, Chassidus has done just that. lt has gleaned and collected from various sources the necessary knowledge, and it presents it  in a pure and concise form to all who wish to avail themselves of lt.

Consider those six mitzvoth. What does it mean, to believe in G-d? If we come to define belief in G-d, we will have to admit that a child’s belief in G-d is adequate for him, though he imagines G-d to be a big, strong man, with powerful arms, something like his father, but perhaps more so. But what would we think of a grown up person who has such an idea of G-d? For this is the very contradiction of one of the basic principles of our faith that G-d is neither a body, nor a form in a body, etc.

Or, consider the mitzvah of being constantly aware that there is no reality outside of Him. This involves the principle that “there is no place devoid of Him (as the Zohar states), for if  one would admit that there is a place devoid of Him, one would admit a separate, independent existence, which again would be in direct conflict with our faith, as explained also in the  Rambam, in the beginning of Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah.

Similarly in regard to the commandment always to bear in mind that G-d is one and unchangeable, a belief which must go hand in hand with the belief that G-d created the world 5720 years ago, and that prior to that date our world was non-existent, yet G-d remained the same after Creation as He was before Creation, and that the plurality of things do not imply a plurality in Him, and so on.

Suppose Mr. A. comes to Mr. B. and offers to give him a deeper understanding and insight into these highly abstruse subjects which are so remote from the ordinary mind, yet which have to be borne in mind constantly, and Mr. B. does not wish to be bothered, being quite content to remain with his childish image of G-d, etc. this would not be a case of merely foregoing a hiddur of a mitzvah but of renouncing the entire mitzvah. For having the brain and ability to acquire the necessary knowledge about G-d, yet refusing to make use of them, is tantamount to willful refusal to comply with the mitzvah.

Likewise with regard to the commandments to love and fear Him. Surely it is impossible really to love or fear anything without at least some knowledge of that thing, as is also alluded to in the Rambam, beginning of Hilchos Yesodei Hatorab, Chapter Two. Note there.

Finally, the same is true of, the sixth commandment not to go astray after the heart and eyes. For insofar as a mature person is concerned, the commandment surely does not refer to carnal temptation and crude idolatry, but that one should have a heart and eyes only for that which is true and good, to see in the world what is truly to be seen and to think what are truly good thoughts. However, to cultivate such vision as to see the inner content and reality of the world, and to train the heart to dwell only on the good and the true – this is a very difficult attainment which requires tremendous effort, as explained in Kuntres Etz Chayim.  Nevertheless, everyone is commanded to attain all that he is capable of attaining, each and everyone according to his mental capacity and grasp. And when it is said “each according to his capacity,” it should be remembered that “a rich man who brings a poor man’s offering, has not fulfilled his obligation,” and there is no “riches” and “poverty” except when it refers to the mind, i.e. potential intelligence.

I trust you will take no offence, if I ask you, do you really think that you can fully carry out the mitzvah of “Thou shalt love G-d thy G-d,” a Mitzvah which is to be performed not by uttering a verbal formula, but with heartfelt feeling, if you will know about G-d only from what you have learned in the Gemoro, or Yore Deah, etc.?

Needless to say, all that has been written above at such length is not for the purpose of causing you pain, but in the hope that perhaps it may after all bring you to the realization that it is the yetzer hora that is inventing for you all sorts of  strange and peculiar reasons to discourage you from learning Chasidus, thereby not merely preventing you from knowing what is taking place in the World of Atzilus, as you put it, but preventing you from fulfilling actual mitzvoth, commanded in the Torah, Toras Chaim, to be fulfilled every day. But, of course, the yezter hora does his work faithfully, and he will not come and tell you: Do not observe those six  mitzvoth which one is obliged to fulfill every day; he is too smart for that; instead, he will tell you, What good will it do you to know what is happening in Atzilus!

Incidentally, let me add that the Wilner Gaon (not only the Baal Haanya, mind you) writes that those who do not learn Pnimius haTorah prolong the golus and delay the geulo, and that without knowledge of Pnimlus haTorah it is impossible to know properly   Nigle d’Torah.

May G-d grant that you have good news to report concerning all that has been written above, and may it be soon.

With blessing,

Tags: Chassidus, mysticism, education
Posted in Soul & Mystical, Torah Personalities, Modern, Spiritual, Torah, Rebbe | No Comments »

Disillusionment with the (not so) Pious

March 27th, 2015

By the Grace of G-d

15th of Av, 5736

Brooklyn,  N.Y.

Mr. [name redacted],

New York, N.Y.

Greeting and Blessing,

….With regard to your question, or rather, point of contention as to why some frum individuals seem to be lax in certain areas of their daily conduct, particularly in the area of Torah ethics or other specific mitzvos which, you feel, turns some Jews off Torah and mitzvos altogether and, at any rate has dampened your enthusiasm for Yiddishkeit.

The explanation of this inconsistency or contradiction is to be found in various factors, since the reasons for people’s attitudes vary in different individuals. And while no one, of course, can condone any infraction of the mitzvos, this whole situation is often grossly misunderstood. Without going into specifics, several general points are applicable in all such cases.

First, on the principle that the truth should be accepted for its own sake and on its own merits, one should not be discouraged by the fact that it is compromised by some individuals, or even by more than a few. Similarly, the reason for following in the way of Torahand mitzvos is – because this is G-d’s Will, the Truth, and the real Good. Hence, one should not be affected by the attitude or conduct of other people.

The second point is the following:

Suppose a person passes a Health Clinic or Hospital and observes the people walking out of that health institution. He will see some people coming out apparently in good health; others might come out limping or on crutches, or with an arm in a sling, or bandaged head, and the like. If the observer was not fully aware of the functions of a hospital and not having seen in what state the patient first entered it, he might think that the hospital was responsible for the conditions of the invalids leaving it, and lose faith in the whole institution.

The truth of the matter is, of course, that the people he observes coming out of the hospital were in a far worse situation when they had entered it, and that the hospital had done wonders for them; had cured  some of them completely, and others nearly so and setting others well on the way to recovery. Had the observer known this, he would not be critical but rather enthusiastic.

Applying the analogy to the matter under consideration, it should be remembered that, as our Sages say, “the Torah has been given as a cure for the world.” It is also called Toras Chayim, because it is the Jew’s true guide in the daily life, and the source of life. It ought to be self evident that if a certain individual is not careful in regard to some aspects of the Torah and consequently his conduct is inconsistent with the Torah, it is certainly not the fault of the Torah and mitzvos. Nor is the reason for his laxity in a certain area of mitzvos due to the fact that he strictly observes other mitzvos. On the contrary, were it not for his general adherence to Torah and mitzvos, his whole conduct would have been reprehensible under the sway of his natural tendencies and proclivities. The Torah has thus done much to raise him to a higher level in most aspects of the daily life. And in addition to the fact that each and every mitzvah observed is a gain in itself and is in fulfillment of the Divine Will, there is also the assurance that “one mitzvah leads to another,” and it is to be expected that step by step he will advance in the observance of all the mitzvos.

The third point is addressed to the question why a person is careful in the observance of certain mitzvos, while neglecting certain others. The answer is to be found in the above analogy too. It is possible that the physicians concentrated their attention on a particular organ of the body, where they expected the best results; or, while the treatment was quite comprehensive, the patient responded better in one area than another. Similarly in regard toTorah chinuch one has received, or in the personal response of an individual to mitzvoswhich can be carried out quite easily, and some which require greater concentration and effort which an individual has not yet been able to master, and so forth.

Much more can be said on this topic, but it is hoped that the above will suffice. And if you will reflect further on the matter, you will no doubt find clues also to other details relating to the subject matter.

With blessing,

Tags: religion, disappointment
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Tipping the Scales with a Single Thought

March 27th, 2015

By the Grace of G-d

10th of Menachem  Av, 5741

Brooklyn, N.Y.

L.G.

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Blessing Greeting:

I am in receipt of your letter in which you write many complaints against Hashem.

Considering that your letter was written in the midst of the Nine Days, just three days before Tisha B’Av, it is surprising that there is no mention of the biggest complaint, that it is almost 2,000 years since the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed and our Jewish people was exiled and, yet we have not been redeemed, and are still in golus, etc.

At the conclusion of your letter you stated that you need an answer to your questions. But surely you know that such questions as “Why must an innocent person suffer?” and the like, have been asked and also answered a long time ago and indeed, there is a whole book, the Book of Iyov (Job) that deals with all such questions and in greater depth. If you will study that book, especially with the commentary, you will find the answers, and in a much better way than can be given in a letter.

Inasmuch as everything is by Divine Providence and you have written to me in a matter you could more easily discuss with any knowledgeable Jew, and certainly with a Rabbi in your vicinity, I want to make use of this opportunity to call your attention to a matter which should also be self evident, but because of its importance and timeliness, deserves to be mentioned here. Now that we are coming from the period of the Three Weeks and the Nine Days, connected with the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash and the golus, every Jew is expected to make a special effort in matters of Torah and mitzvos. In order to rectify the cause of the present golus which is, as we say in our prayers, “Because of our sins we have been exiled from our land.” And when everyone will do his and her share in the direction of removing the cause, as mentioned above, the Divine Promise of the ge’ulo will be immediately fulfilled and the present days of sadness will be transformed into days of gladness and rejoicing.

If anyone should ask himself or herself what can I personally do to contribute toward this end, and how can an action of mine be of any significance, etc., one need only remember the teaching of our Sages, which the Rambam, the Guide to the Perplexed in his time and in all subsequent generations, incorporated in his Code as a point of halachah  to the effect: A person should consider himself and the whole world, as equi-balanced. Therefore, by doing one more mitzvah or good deed, one tips the scale in favor of the positive, both for himself as well as for the world at large. (Hil. Teshuvo 3:4). Thus it is clear that when a person has the opportunity to say a good word, think a good thought and do a good deed, it should not be treated lightly, for it might change the whole complex of the individual, the community and our whole Jewish people.

I trust you will be able to convey the above thought to the young people whom you and your organization are working with, to bring them closer to Torah Yiddishkeit in the everyday life and experience.

With blessing,

Tags: Beis Hamikdash, change, Holy Temple, thought, balance, good deeds, nine days, action, ninth of av, speech
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The Beilis Blood Libel

March 26th, 2015

By the Grace of G-d

Tebeth 7, 5603/Dec.15, 1942

To the Arrangement  Committee

For the Memorial of the Great Advocate,

Oscar Ossipovitch Grusenberg,

Worthy Chairman and Committee,

I have heard that those who cherish the name, and remember the great achievement of, that outstanding man, the giant among lawyers, the late Oscar Ossipovitch Grusenberg, may his memory be blessed, are about to honor his memory. Our sages say that people of merit should be honored, and especially those who do a mitzvoh for the Jewish people with utter self denial. It is our duty to pay tribute to them and cherish their memory and such a memorial  is a satisfaction to the soul of the departed.

Having personally visited the late Mr. Grusenberg in connection with the case of Mendel Beils, being sent to him in the company of my late friend, a well known communal worker and chassid , Rabbi Samuel, the son of Schneur Zalman Gurary of Krementchug, may his soul rest in peace,  I wish to associate myself with those who cherish his name and good memory, and to relate two interesting episodes of those terrible days, which will illustrate the purity of heart of that great Jew, the late Osher, the son of Joseph, may he rest in peace.

When we arrived to see Mr. Grusenberg, he received us with his usual cheerful courtesy, but as soon as we told him of the business of our visit, as a delegation of my saintly father the Lubavitcher Rabbi, in connection with the libel of Mendel Beilis, his face assumed a sad expression, the brightness of his clear eyes vanished and he sighed very deeply.

After a few moments of silence, Mr. Grusenberg said: “My heart grieves very much and I do not wish to depress you by telling you of the bad winds that are blowing among the members of the Senate with regard to our Jewish brethren, and discriminatory decrees which the Minister of Justice Scheglovitov presses the members of the Senate to decree against the Jews.

“I,” he continued, “though not living in the atmosphere of the very pious believers in miracles, who tell of G-d’s wonders or His people, I have come to the conclusion with absolute faith that only G-d alone watches over His people Israel.

“Our position, the position of the Jews living in this land, reminds me of a curious incident which happened when I was a boy of five: My parents with the entire family went to the country, near Poltava, my native town. There had lived for many years a Jewish storekeeper, a quiet honest man with a large family and a house full of boys and girls, big ones and small ones. His name was Berel Naphtoli’s and all the country people loved and respected him. There was, however, one anti-Semitic family who hated him, and one winter night they poured kerosene on the door of his house and set it on fire, with the intention of burning Berel and his family alive. Inside the house they were fast asleep, but suddenly, as if a heavenly hand nudged him, Berl Naphtoli’s woke up and saved his family from certain death. My parents then said, “Berel Naphtoli’s and his family were asleep, but the Guardian of Israel slumbers not, nor sleeps.”

“Similarly I say now, the enemies of Israel are pouring kerosene upon the House of Israel and their sole desire is to set it ablaze and destroy the Jewish people by false accusations and libels, but I firmly believe like any one of the pious believers in G-d’s wonders, that the Guardian of Israel slumbers not, nor sleeps.”

Mr. Gurary and I handed Mr. Grusenberg the letter of my saintly father, the Lubavitcher Rabbi, containing the following message:

“We all know that G-d is the Supreme Judge, nevertheless our Sages, the authors of the Talmud,   teach us that in every legal case, and needless to say in a matter of libel, we must choose the foremost and most gifted lawyer to defend the accused and save him.

“Every Jew, as a Jew, must do all he can for the benefit of his brethren, and more so one who has been gifted by the Almighty with outstanding capabilities.

“Our Jewish brethren are in trouble – the shameless blood libel, which our enemies have accused Mr. Mendel Beilis. All the world knows that it is not Mendel Beilis alone, nor the Russian Jews alone, that are accused of this charge of murder and blood thirst.

“This is not the first time that our enemies and haters have summoned our faith and our people to the court of law with the intention of exterminating us and our faith, but every time the good G-d provides us with a unique figure and great hero, who is willing to offer his life in defense of our Torah, our faith and our people, and G-d’s help crowns him with success.

“Now therefore you are G-d’s blessed messenger, the giant among lawyers, the lot has fallen upon you to be the representative of all the Jews in the world to ward off the terrible accusation of which we have been accused by our mortal enemies.

“You, our Jewish brother, Osher the son of Joseph, Grusenberg, have been chosen by the Lord our G-d to save His people. You with your great and clear intellect, with your eloquence and your heart which is conscious of the plight of your persecuted brethren, you will tear down the black mask which our enemies and the enemies of our Torah and faith seek to put on us. You have been chosen by the good G-d to make the truth triumph once more.   

“Now please select the shining stars of the family of lawyers and arrange the defense in every respect. In the name of the Torah and my saintly ancestors, and in behalf of all our Jewish brethren and their Torah leaders, and in my own name, I send you our blessings, that the angels of life and peace, blessing and success welcome you wherever you turn in behalf of your brethren, the Jewish people.”

The letter made a profound impression upon Mr. Grusenberg. With obvious agitation he rose and paced the floor of his study, engrossed in deep thought. After some fifteen minutes he returned to his place and said quietly:

“The affairs of Kiev and the arrest of Beilis is like a desirable gem in the hands of our enemies. The Minister of Justice Stcheglovitov and his companion Suvarin, are already engaged in the selection of the prosecuting council, and although my Jewish heart tells me that it is my duty to take part in the defense, my sound and cold intellect tells me that my being a member of the defense council might endanger the situation, since the Minister of Justice may select also a jury among the enemies of Israel.”

My friend Gurary and I told him of the despair among our Jewish brethren in Russia and their great fear of the poisonous agitation carried on by the “Novoye Vromia” paper against the Jews, and that the news of his acceptance of the defense would restore their confidence and bring cheer to them all. After weighing the matter for some thirty minutes, Grusenberg finally agreed to take over the defense and arranging all matters connected with it.

Mr. Oscar Grusenberg divided the defense efforts into three parts:

1)      Council for the defense, selecting the outstanding lawyers of his age, Karabtschevsky, Maklakov and Zarodny.

2)      A committee of Rabbis and scholars with the great Gaon Rabbi Menachem Mendel Chein and the great Jewish scholar, Jacob Mase, crown rabbi.

3)      A committee of specialists in oriental languages and art and Jewish philosophy, Prof. Kakavtzov and Prof. Troytzky.

The greatest Torah leaders of Israel issued a call that Jews throughout Russia should say the Psalms in all the congregations during the days of the trial, and especially in the last day of it.

The last public hearing in the trial was held in one of the greatest halls of Kiev, in the presence of thousands of men and women and members of the highest spheres of government,

Mr. Grusenberg’s turn came, and with masterly legal erudition proceeded to break up the wall that the prosecution has built up, and concluded fervently:

“When I was approached to take over the defense, I declared that the prosecution would place its choicest lawyers, and especially from among the circles hostile to the Jewish people and its Torah, but the Jewish people are one and every Jew considers it his duty to sacrifice himself for his honest brethren. The G-d of Israel, the supreme G-d, demands justice and righteousness, I, Oscar Ossipovitch Grusenberg, am a Jew and from the bottom of my aching heart for the fate of our Torah  and our brethren, I call upon you, this court, to look through the window of truth which the members of council for the defense have opened in the wall of deceit that the enemies of the Jewish people have built up, accusing a guiltless man. From one end of the world to the other may my oath resound that we all Israel and Mendel Beilis are innocent of the hideous blood libel. Hear O Israel, G-d our G-d, G-d is One!”

The whole court room seemed to re-echo the mighty and clear voice of Grusenberg that shook with emotion, and hysterical weeping burst forth from many of those present.

The jury retired for deliberation. After the interval, amid solemn silence, the presiding judge announced the verdict: “The court has found the Jew Mendel Beilis innocent, Mendel Beilis is discharged.”

The hall was filled with applause and exclamations: long live Oscar Ossipovitch! Long live the righteous court! Long live the defense!

Half an hour after midnight, when hundreds of the students of the Yeshivah Tomchei Tmimim and in all the synagogues of Lubavitch, the following Psalms were recited, the happy news came by wire.

“Rabbi Schneersohn, Lubavitch:  Rabbi, mazal tov to you and all our Jewish brethren. The court found Mendel Beilis innocent. Mendel Beilis is discharged.

Yours,

O.O. Grusenberg.”

May the soul of Osher the son of Joseph rest in everlasting life with G-d, together with the souls of the good and righteous who offered their lives for the Jewish people. His memory, his faith in G-d and his devotion to the Torah and Torah-true Jews, may they be an inspiration to all his Jewish friends, the lawyer-community alive with us this day.

With blessing,

Joseph Isaac

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When it’s About Survival, Prioritizing is a Must

March 26th, 2015

By the Grace of G-d

8th of Tammuz, 5725

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Miss [name redacted],

Gateshead-on-Tyne, S. England

Blessing and Greeting:

I am in receipt of your letter.

It seems to me that you are devoting too much attention to the matter of argumentation concerning the policy of Lubavitch. Moreover, as I see from your writing, some of the critics of Lubavitch judging from their arguments, do not seem to look for the truth, but rather are trying to justify their own conduct, which deep in their hearts, they feel is not as it should be.

It is not easy to adequately clarify in a letter the problem which you pose in your letter, namely, the relative importance of self advancement in Torah vis-a vis efforts to bring Jews closer to Yiddishkeit. Actually there is no need for me to do this, inasmuch as you can discuss the matter with Anash in London when the opportunity presents itself, for it is, of course, easier to discuss such a matter personally, back and forth if necessary. However, I will attempt to clarify this matter for you briefly by means of the well known story of Hillel the Elder (Shabbos 34a), where he formulated the essential gist of the whole Torah in the words, “what is hateful unto you do not do unto others.” Accordingly, suppose we ask the student of the kolel, who claims that it is right for him to sit and study the Torah, disregarding the plight of his fellow Jew who is in need of help to be brought closer to Yiddishkeit, on the basis that he will help him later: how would you feel if the situation were reversed? This is to say, suppose you were born in a non-religious family and under the influence of the circumstances you are not only unaware of a kolel but even of a Yeshivah ketano; yet you have reached a stage where you feel that you want to identify yourself with the Torah andmitzvos and Jewish way of life; no one is taking an interest in you, but there is a boy who is sitting in kolel, desiring to advance his own knowledge of the Torah ; you appeal to him to help you but he says, “Sorry, I still wish to advance my own knowledge of the Torah; I will see what I can do for you a couple of years from now.”

Now, if the kolel boy, not of the illustration, but the real one, will justify the attitude of his counterpart in the illustration, then he will be truthful to the principle of Hillel the Elder. If however, when “the shoe presses his own foot” he would cry out in pain, but is prepared to ignore the plight of his fellow Jew, then he ought to do a great deal of serious introspection.

I am aware of the argument that no such policy existed some fifty or a hundred years ago, when there was no doubt that the primary duty of a Jewish boy was to sit and learn Torah. But we must not forget that the situation was quite different two or three generations ago. In those days the Jewish home was a kosher Jewish home, the street was also Jewish and there was no immediate danger of assimilation, intermarriage, etc. Under such circumstances the important thing was to make a Torah scholar out of the ignoramus and a greater lamdan out of a smaller lamdan. In our days unfortunately it is not a question of raising the level of Torah knowledge among Jews. It is rather a question of pikuach nefesh, actually saving Jews that they should remain Jews in the very plain sense of the word. Obviously pikuach nefesh takes precedence over everything else.

Sometimes when one hasn’t got the time to study a particular movement or shita, it is possible to get an insight into the meaning and significance of the shita by its founder. The Lubavitcher shita to help a fellow Jew, even at self sacrifice, began with the Alter Rebbe,author of the Shulchan Aruch which has been accepted by all Jews, not because he was the Rebbe of Chabad, but because he was one of the most outstanding Torah scholars of his day. The shita has been continued from generation to generation, down to my father-in-law of saintly memory, who received smicha at the age of seventeen and who was also a great Torah scholar, though he never boasted about it. He too would have preferred, under other circumstances, to sit and learn Torah day and night. Yet when a terrible crisis arose in Russia and a new regime took over power, a ruthless regime which openly declared war against religion in general and the Jewish religion in particular and when almost everybody else fled for his life, leaving Jewish communities without spiritual guidance and support, it was my father-in-law of saintly memory who rose single-handedly to the defense and preservation of Torah and mitzvos in Soviet Russia and was the only one who supported yeshivos, regardless of whether they were Chasidic or non-chasidic and who provided facilities to teach even a child of a communist parent in some remote place. And if at this time there are thousands upon thousands of Jews shomrei Torah and mitzvos in Soviet Russia, it is only due to the real self-sacrificing efforts of my father-in-law of saintly memory and his disciples, who actually suffered persecution and torture and even more.

As a matter of fact you can also cite your own father as a living example of this shita. For he too had a choice of sitting in a kolel and advancing his own knowledge, or go out and do what he is now doing to help save scores of Jewish families that they should remain with the Jewish fold. And, with G-d’s help, many boys of those families are now sitting in kolelim and are learning Torah.

Finally, one simple test as to the sincerity of the critics of the Lubavitcher shita is this: are they indeed dedicating 100% of their time to the study of Torah or are they taking time out to carry on debates and argumentations, to read newspapers and to do other things which, though innocent in themselves, are time consuming and this time could be applied to helping other Jews in need of help? I venture to say that the argument that they do not wish to join in any such activities as Lubavitch is engaged in, by reason of their devotion and dedication to the study of Torah, is rather questionable.

With blessing,

Tags: survival, Outreach, self-sacrifice, selflessness
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Where Many Become One

March 26th, 2015

By the Grace of G-d

Brooklyn, N.Y.

[name redacted],

London, England

Greeting and Blessing:

I believe I have already acknowledged your correspondence, but having entered the period of the Nine Days, which forcefully reminds us about the vital need of the meeting of Jewish hearts in mutual love and harmony, the following lines will surely be in order.

You surely know of the saying of our Sages that because of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza Jerusalem was destroyed. This seems to be rather strange for surely, it took more than a single dispute between two unfriendly Jews to cause the destruction, as we say in our prayers, “Because of our sins we have been exiled from our land.”

One of the explanations is given by way of illustration from the reflection of the sun in a drop of water as in the wide ocean. The episode with Kamtza and Bar Kamtza reflects a situation which was then most prevalent among the multitudes of the people. It is this kind of general disunity and animosity – based on unfortunate misunderstanding and misconception – that brought about the Destruction of Jerusalem.  And knowing the cause, we know the cure, which is the complete opposite – mutual affection and unity.

The problem is obvious: how is it possible to unite individuals who differ so much in their minds, dispositions and interests, no less than their physical appearance?

The answer is obvious: They can be united in a single area which is common to all and is essentially and truly one – wherein all other differences may eventually be surmounted. Such true unity is found only in G-d Who is One not only in heaven but also on earth, where all the particular and different creatures were created and are sustained by the Word of G-d, which constitutes their soul and very existence. Hence, their extraneous differences cannot affect their essential unity in the One G-d.

This is particularly true in the case of the Jewish people, and it is succinctly expressed in the verse, “You are standing this day all of you before G-d your G-d: your heads, your tribes, your elders,” etc., down to the “hewer of wood and drawer of water.” Jews of all walks of life, if they stand before G-d, your G-d, stand all together, united despite all external diversities.

Needless to say, the above is not intended as a homily, but to reinforce our partnership in the business of spreading Toras Emes, particularly in the projects which have been the subject of our correspondence and conversation at length.

The present days are especially auspicious for this activity and indeed, demand most energetic action. This is also one of the reasons why I appealed for additional efforts in the five mitzvah campaigns, while making it clear and emphatic that it is not a matter of reducing G-d forbid, the Taryag (613) mitzvos or minimizing the importance of other mitzvos, but that the said five mitzvos have a quality shared by all of them, namely to encourage and induce the observance of all the mitzvos in the greatest possible measure.

I trust that all is well with you and your family and that together with your wife, you are enjoying true nachas, which is Yiddish Nachas, from all your near and dear ones.

May G-d grant the speedy fulfillment of the prophecy that the present days will be transformed into days of joy and gladness.

With blessing,

Tags: individuality, disagreement, transcendence, soul, body and soul, unity, love your neighbor
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Free Choice

March 26th, 2015

See, I have set before you this day life and goodness, and death and evil; in that I command you this day to love G-d, to walk in His ways and to keep His commandments…

Life and death I have set before you, the blessing and the curse. And you shall choose life…

Deuteronomy 30:15-19

With these verses, the Torah establishes what Maimonides calls “a fundamental principle [of the Jewish faith] and a pillar of the Torah and its commandments” ¹—the concept that man possesses the capacity to freely choose his path through life.

However, the concept of “free choice” seems to contradict another fundamental principle of the Jewish faith—the belief in the ultimate triumph of good. ² Indeed, this apparent contradiction can be discerned in the very verses which establish the concept of free choice. After stating, “I have set before you life and goodness, and death and evil,” and “Life and death I have set before you, the blessing and the curse,” the Torah proclaims: “And you shall choose life.” What is meant by these concluding words? Are they a commandment? A promise? A statement of fact? In any case, the Torah has no doubts about the ultimate outcome of man’s choice between good and evil. “In the end of days,” prophesies Moses, “you will return to the L-rd your G-d and you will obey His voice.” ³ No matter to what moral and spiritual depths we may fall, no matter how far we may stray from the fulfillment of our purpose, “G-d … devises means that the forsaken one be not forsaken.” ⁴ Ultimately, we will all rectify our wrongs and restore the innate perfection of our souls. How is this to be reconciled with the “fundamental principle” of free choice?

The same question could be asked on the cosmic level. The purpose of creation is that man should bring to light the innate goodness and perfection that has been invested within his own soul and in all of existence by the Creator. The ultimate realization of this purpose is the era of Moshiach, described by the prophets as a world free of evil and strife—a world in which man has overcome ignorance, jealousy and hatred to bring about the harmonious world that G-d envisioned at creation and outlined in the Torah.

A basic principle of the Jewish faith ⁵ is the belief in Moshiach as an absolute eventuality—the belief that man not only can, but actually will, attain this goal (indeed, can the possibility exist that G-d’s purpose in creation will not be realized?). But if man has been granted freedom of choice, how can we be certain of his eventual election of good? Does not “free choice” mean that it can go either way?

Choice in Three Dimensions

Since a choice, by definition, is not coerced, it would seem that the word “free” in the phrase “free choice” is superfluous. But there are various degrees of freedom that a chooser may possess in making his choice.

All told, there are three levels of choice: compelled choice, random choice, and quintessential choice.

a) Compelled choice

The first level of choice relates to the conventional, everyday usage of the term. We each make countless “choices” every day: Will you have coffee or tea? Should you paint the fence white or green? Should you take the job in New York City or the one in Missoula, Montana?

As long as no one is forcing your decision, yours can be said to be a “free” choice. But are you truly choosing freely? Each of the options confronting you is “armed” with an entire array of qualities to sway your choice. The taste of coffee draws you to it, while your sense of decorum dictates tea, which everyone else is having. White will liven up your gloomy backyard but will also show the dirt sooner than the green. The pay in New York is higher but so is the crime rate.

You will weigh all the factors and make your decision. But have you chosen? Or have the chosen thing’s qualities, together with elements of your upbringing, personality and past experiences, conspired to compel your choice? Ultimately, you chose what you did because there is something about the thing you chose that made you need it or want it. Even if the reasons for both options were equally compelling, the thing that you did choose was chosen because of its particular qualities. You made a choice as to which set of influences to succumb to—hardly the epitome of freedom.

b) Random choice

But suppose that you are above it all. Suppose that nothing about either of the choices has the power to hold you or sway you. That, to you, the taste of coffee and social amenities are equally irrelevant, and white and green are simply two cans of paint. That you are utterly immune to salary figures and the threats of a violent city.

Since the advantages and shortcomings of both options are of no significance to you, you are in a position to make a “free” (i.e., non-influenced) choice: to select one of two options for no reason other than that’s the one you’ve chosen.

Nevertheless, this is still not the ultimate in choice and freedom. True, you are free of the attractions and rationalizations which ordinarily influence the choices people make. But how did you choose? By a mental throw of dice? By some totally arbitrary surge of will? The choice could have gone either way—so where were you in all this? In what way have you exercised your freedom to choose? You have merely surrendered to something that is beyond your comprehension and control.

c) Quintessential choice

We seem to be in a catch-22 situation. Is there ever a free choice between A and B? If you choose A for a reason—if there is something about it that attracts you—then it is not really you who is doing the choosing; your “choice” has been determined by its qualities and by your own biases and behavior patterns. And if you choose it for no reason, again you are not choosing, only serving as a pawn to the capricious turns of fate.

But what if your choice is determined by the very essence of what you are? What about the choice to live, the choice to be free, the choice to have a child? Certainly, these choices are motivated by a reason. But theirs is not an external reason, nor is it a reason that is related to your “external” self (i.e., your mind-set, your emotional make-up, your personality). The “reason” for these choices is you. For what is “life” but the desire to be? And what is “freedom” if not the opportunity to express your most deep-seated potentials? And what are children if not the continuity of self? The quintessence of your being is what dictates that you choose life, choose freedom and choose parenthood.

The fact that the outcome of these choices is determined makes them no less free. On the contrary, this is the ultimate proof of their freedom. Because when a choice is truly free, when the quintessence of self asserts itself, then the other, anti-self option (death, enslavement, childlessness) is obviously rejected. In other words, we usually see the existence of more than one option as the hallmark of “choice”—choice, in the conventional definition of the term, means the ability to choose between A and B. But when it comes to the ultimate definition of choice, the very opposite is true. When your choice is free of all constraints and inhibitions, external or internal, there is no “other” option—any more than there is another you.

To summarize: On the first and lowest level of choice, our choices are determined by external factors—the qualities of the chosen thing and the mental and emotional baggage we lug through life. The only thing that makes this any sort of choice at all is the existence of more than one option: we can resist one set of influences to succumb to another.

A second, higher level of choice is one that is free of compulsion—at least, there are no identifiable factors, conscious or otherwise, that influence our decision. Again, there are two or more options (if there weren’t, it wouldn’t be a choice). But the very fact that the choice can go either way indicates that, ultimately, it is not the person himself—that is, his singular essence—who is doing the choosing.

On the third, highest level of choice, there is only one option: the course that represents the uninhibited choice of one’s deepest self. The ultimate criterion of “free choice” is not “Is it determined?” but “What determines it?” Every choice is determined by something, be it a rational motive or an intuitive flash of no traceable origin. True choice is when one’s course of action is determined by, and only by, the very quintessence of self.

Layers

These three degrees of choice are actually three aspects of the same phenomenon. Often, we experience only the most external layer of our power to choose. But there are also points in our life in which this outer layer is peeled away and we are in touch with a deeper—and freer—dimension of our choice. Finally, there are those rare moments when our most deeply rooted drives assert themselves, effecting a decision that is the very core and quintessence of choice.

Let us take the example of a choice we make countless times and in countless different ways every day: the choice to live. No matter how difficult and tiresome the effort may become, we continue to elect life and survival.

As we generally experience it (if and when we think about it at all), this is firstly a “choice” in the most commonplace sense of the term. We are faced with two options: to live, or not to live (G-d forbid). On the one hand we have the reasons for life: its joys and rewards, our commitments to our loved ones, and so on. On the other hand we have its burdens and heartaches. But in the end, we decide that it’s worth the effort. We have been swayed by the many compulsions for life.

But then there are those circumstances under which all the conventional “reasons” to live no longer apply, when life and death, stripped bare of their advantages and faults, are seen as equally significant (or non-significant). Yet something inside us says “Live!” Why? There is no why, only the simple fact that a choice has been made—a choice free of all the motives which compel it in its lower, lesser incarnation.

On this level, we experience choice as a completely arbitrary throw of dice, which could just as easily have fallen on the other, negative side. The chooser can offer no reason, no explanation for his choice. “This is what I chose,” is all he can say. “This is what I have drawn from the lottery of choice.”

In truth, these two experiences of choice are two perspectives on one reality. Also one who chooses life because of its positive qualities is, on a deeper level of self (a level of self to which life’s “benefits” are irrelevant), really making a “blind” supra-rational choice. His “compelled” choice is but an expression, on a more external level of consciousness and experience, of the “arbitrary” choice which transcends the external reasons for life.

Ultimately, however, both these dimensions of a person’s choice are outgrowths of a third, even deeper dimension which lies at their core: choice as the uninhibited assertion of his quintessential self. A person experiences choice on this level when he recognizes that, ultimately, his desire for life is not caused by its particular benefits, nor is it the lot he has drawn from the blue yonder of arbitrary impulse. Rather, it is an expression of his very “I”—an expression of a definitive, unequivocal choice to project his being and potentials into the arena of physical existence.

So when we choose life in many “little” and “ordinary” ways every day, we are actually making this choice on three different levels. On the rational and emotional level, we choose life because of its rewards. On a deeper level of self, where such mundane considerations are irrelevant, it is a “blind” supra-rational choice. Simultaneously, the very core of our being is choosing life, and it is this very choice that is being reiterated by the more external layers of our self.

The Choice(s) of the Jew

In light of the above, we can understand that there is no contradiction between the freedom of choice granted to man and the Torah’s certainty that man will indeed choose “life and goodness.”

As we said, choice is a three-tiered affair, consisting of three dimensions or experiences of the same act of choice. The same applies to our choice to pursue good and reject evil by following the commandments of the Torah.

On the most elementary, everyday level, we choose the path of Torah as the most beneficial course of life. We see how Torah refines a person’s character, establishes a harmonious social order, and imbues our lives with meaning and purpose. After all, G-d is the designer and creator of life; it stands to reason that His instructions on to how to live it are the surest path toward spiritual and material fulfillment. Not that a selfish and hedonistic life, unencumbered by morals and responsibilities, doesn’t have its enticements. Indeed, this is what makes our choice between good and evil a choice: we are faced with two options, each with its own attractions and compulsions. Our choice of good is because of its virtues: because we understand that “I have set before you life and goodness, and death and evil”— that good is synonymous with life while evil ultimately spells its destruction.

But not always are the advantages of good perceivable. There are times when “darkness covers the earth and a fog envelops the nations”⁶—when a world gone amok eclipses the vitality of good and the goodness of life. When “the way of the wicked prospers” ⁷ while the righteous suffer. When our sensitivity to the spiritual rewards of fulfilling the divine will is deadened. Such conditions serve to elevate our choice of good to a higher, freer level: no longer is our commitment to G-d advantageous in any perceivable way; no longer is it compelled by our reason and by our perception of reality. When we choose good under such conditions, it is a pure choice: beyond motive, beyond rationale, beyond anything save our “blind” faith in G-d and the fact that we have cast our lot with the fulfillment of His will.

What both these levels of choice have in common is that they share the “conventional” definition of choice: the existence of two options (good and evil). On both these levels, we could have conceivably chosen otherwise—we could have opted for the “advantages” of evil, or we could have failed to make the “leap of faith” that the second level of choice demands.

But on the highest level of choice there is no other option. Our quintessential identity as G-d’s chosen people breaks through all our secondary and superimposed personas, and freely translates into the unequivocal commitment to the fulfillment of the divine will in our daily lives.

This is the deeper significance of the three separate sentences, quoted above, in which the Torah sets down the principle of “free choice.” Indeed, there is a level of which G-d says, “See, I have set before you life and goodness, and death and evil”—a choice that is based on the fact that we see and sense goodness as beneficial, and evil as detrimental, to life. There is also a higher level of choice, on which “Life and death I have set before you”— when “life” and “death” are simply set before us as equals. But both these choices are merely echoes of the ultimate choice: “You shall choose life.” When you truly choose, that choice will be life.

Also, when you choose life because of its virtues, or when you choose it without apparent cause or reason, the true source of your choice is the fact that you are choosing—and you, the real you, always chooses life. And because this is the choice dictated by your quintessential self, it is the choice that will eventually assert itself in all your decisions. For your true self can only remain suppressed for so long: ultimately, inevitably, it must come to light.

So it is with absolute certainty that the Jew believes that there will come a time when the quintessential truth of every created thing will assert itself and opt for life. This is not in contradiction with the concept of “free choice”—it is its ultimate expression.

Based on the Rebbe’s talks on Shabbat Nitzavim 5725 and Rosh HaShanah 5726 (1965)⁸

Adapted from the teachings of the Rebbe by Yanki Tauber.

Tags: life, true self, free choice, good and evil, free will
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Objective Guidance for a Purposeful Path

March 26th, 2015

By the Grace of G-d
4th of Iyar, 5745
Brooklyn, N.Y.

Mr. [name redacted],

Palm Springs, Ca. 92262

Greeting and Blessing:

This is to acknowledge receipt of your letter.

It seems that there has been some confusion about the issues involved in the matter of establishing a joint communal school in your city. I will attempt to clarify the issues.

1) The problem has nothing to do with personalities, or whether this or that individual has the necessary credentials to take a leading part in chinuch. The problem is the movement with which such person or persons are identified, and ‚which they represent.

2) This being so, one has to consider the situation most carefully ‚ particularly as it concerns chinuch of our young generation, children of school age, during their most sensitive years, that will leave an impact on their whole life, as it is written: חנוך לנער על פי דרכו גם כי יזקין לא יסור ממנה [ed: “Train a child in a way that is individually appropriate; even when he grows old, he will not turn away from it.” —Proverbs 22:6]

Of course, there can be no question of compromise in the area of chinuch, and every precaution has to be taken to ensure that it be consistent with Torah in every respect.

In view of the enormous responsibility, there is only one Jewish approach to such vital questions, namely, to be guided strictly by the Torah itself, which is the Jew’s true guide in life (Toras Chaim and Toras Emes). And we have indeed a clear ruling by the Rambam and other poskim. The halacha declares:  האומר שאין התורה מן השמים אפילו תיבה אחת כו’ וכן הכופר בפירושה והוא תורה שבעל פה כו’ כל אחד משלשה אלו כופר בתורה  —הל’ תשובה ג:ח   [ed: “One who says Torah, even one verse (is not from G-d) . . .  one who denies the Torah’s interpretation, the oral law . . .  each of these three individuals is considered as one who denies the Torah” —Maimonides: Laws of Teshuvah 3:8]

(see it there, also preceding and following halachot).

Needless to say, the halacha absolutely precludes a partnership with a movement that comes under the above category.

3) Nor is it acceptable to rationalize that a concession in the beginning may pay off in the long run. The Torah has not been given to humans to be traded in. Similarly no one has the right to sacrifice one Jewish child now, in the hope of saving another child, or more, next year. Such and similar calculations are simply irrelevant in the face of the clear-cut halacha cited above.

4) At the same time, the Torah is quite clear and definitive on the subject of teshuva – insofar as an individual Jew is concerned, namely,

אין לך דבר העומד בפני התשובה. לא ידח ממנו נידח. [ed: Nothing stands in the way of  repentance —Zohar 2:106a; “he that is banished be not cast from Him.” —Samuel II, 14:14]

This includes, of course, Jewish individuals who identify themselves with, or belong to the said movement. But so long as one has not renounced or rejected the . . . ideology of the movement, not to mention one who is a prominent representative of it, there is no way for a partnership on any religious aspect, least of all chinuch, however well meaning the intentions are.

5) Even if the halacha permitted an exception in a special situation (which it certainly does not), it would have been impossible for Lubavitch to make an exception, because it would not remain an exception long, but rather a precedent that would become the rule in every place where Lubavitch is engaged in chinuch operations. Besides, it is neither the way of the Torah, nor the way of Lubavitch to conceal a directive, or to interpret the halacha differently from city to city, depending on circumstances.

Thus any concession or compromise made in any area of Torah, is bound to be widely interpreted as a (בנין אב) [ed: precedent], and extended into every other area of the religious life, since communal workers, as well as laymen, usually consider themselves free to draw their own conclusions, without bothering to investigate the special extenuating circumstances, or the halachic grounds on which the exception was made.

This is one more reason why in my reply to [name redacted] I reminded him of the well known psak din by the leading Rabbonim and Roshei Yeshivah, one of whom, by the way, is also HaRav Moshe Feinstein shlita, who had for many years prior to coming to the U.S.A. held the position of Rav in a Chasidic community in Russis as a Chasidic Rav. When he came to New York, the members of his community included Chasidim and mitnagdim and a variety of other Jewish groups. When it came to minhagim, he has directed members of a particular group to follow their particular customs. But when it came to matters that touched upon Kiddush Hashem, or the opposite, there could be neither flexibility nor exception, especially in view of the fact that it would be widely interpreted, as mentioned above.

More could be said on the subject at hand, but I am certain there is no need for it in discussing it with you. You can readily understand why my hands are tied by the halacha, precluding any other course than the one I have taken.

To conclude on a highly gratifying topic, I wish to take this opportunity of again expressing my heartfelt appreciation of your consistent support to [name redacted] and his work in your city; and not merely a “supporter” but as a real partner. This is consistent with your participation in the work of Lubavitch in other parts of the U.S.A. and in the Holy Land, as well as other places – always readily responding to a call, whenever the opportunity presented itself.

May Hashem grant that you should continue to go from strength to strength in spreading and strengthening Torah-true Yiddishkeit, and Torah-true chinuch in particular, and thus increase still further the great zechus of what our Sages of the Mishnah extol so much, namely זכה וזיכה את הרבים זכות הרבים תלוי בו. [ed:  “meritorious and caused the community to be meritorious, so the community’s merit is attributed to him” —Ethics 5:18]

And may you do so in consistently good health and with Hashem’s blessings for prosperity in all your affairs, in keeping with the rule of Torah, which is also a (נתינת-כח) [ed: source of strength], namely, מעלין בקודש [ed: we increase in matters of the sacred —Talmud].

With esteem and blessing,

Tags: halacha, Torah, education
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