3060 —התיישבות אנ"ש ליד כפר חב"ד, כתבי יד הרביים, ושחרור המחונך מכפיה חיצונית ופנימית

B"H, 28 MarCheshvan, 5715.

Brooklyn, N.Y.

To the honorable veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs, of noble character, a branch of a tree of forefathers, etc., R. Shneur Zalman

Abundant greetings and blessing!

...As regards the development of the settlement of Anash in the Holy Land, may it be built and established: as I wrote in my previous letter, it is desirable for many essential reasons that their settlement be close to the existing Kfar Chabad, but not actually within it. However, as I believe I noted on this also in my previous letter, if in no way is it possible otherwise, it will be necessary to agree on a second site at some distance from the village. But in addition to this, every possible effort should be made that the area adjacent to Kfar Chabad (1400 dunams) be joined to Kfar Chabad, for I strongly hope that settlers in this village will increase, provided that the conditions are suitable. I am certain that no urging from me is needed, since your honor conceived the idea of the village and took an active part in its nurture and growth from the day of its founding; and "by My son and the work of My hands you will be distinguished" (in wonder).

As to what you write about the manuscripts of our holy Nesi'im: the manuscript itself in Toras Shmuel is typical of the handwriting of the Rebbe Maharash. Werfel's Sefer HaChassidus is not with me, so I do not know which manuscripts he printed in his book. But I fear that the handwriting of the Mitteler Rebbe he surely took from what was printed in "HaTamim" (on the proposal to found settlements), and in my opinion it is not so typical of the Mitteler Rebbe's handwriting; enclosed herewith is a photograph of one of his letters.

The manuscripts of the Alter Rebbe, of which I have seen photographs in various books and places, show almost no difference between them, so one may use the one found also in the above's book, especially as it is almost certainly a photograph of the Alter Rebbe's letter to R. Moshe Meisels, which my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, sent as a gift to Chassidim and Anash in connection with my wedding.

The handwriting of the Tzemach Tzedek and of the Rebbe, the father of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, is found in the responsa of the Tzemach Tzedek, part 1, and in Kuntres Etz Chaim, which I have asked Anash to provide to your honor.

Surely, as is your good custom, you will try to obtain a gift for the village for the Festival of Redemption, 19 Kislev, as you did at the time in the matter of electricity. This year too I hope you will surprise them with such a gift, especially as they wrote me that you visited the village at length, and they also presented you with a memorandum of several sections, as I saw in the copy they sent me.

I do not know whether what follows was also your honor's intent when you gave me your gift, the collection of blessings and prayers "Me'ah Berachos," but surely there is Divine Providence in this too. For it is a kind of siddur printed for the Marranos, or perhaps also by them, after they came to a place of rest where they could conduct themselves according to their true will in daily life and openly; and they added some prayers evidently found only in such collections. From time to time, when I look at this collection and the memory is renewed that it was brought to me by a man whose main occupation is in the field of education, the thought naturally arises each time that in truth each and every one, to a certain measure, and perhaps to an important measure, is a Marrano, doing some things because of the coercion of the environment, directly or indirectly, or at any rate, in the language of the Great Teacher (Rambam, Hilchos Gerushin, end of ch. 2): "coerced by his evil inclination, and in truth he wants to be of Israel, and wants to do all the mitzvos and keep far from sins." And it is the task of every educator to free the one he educates and influences from every outer coercion, and how much more so from inner coercion, and to unite his inside and outside. Only then will the child (a child in years, or a child in knowledge) grow and live a happy life, without rifts and constant wars between one inclination and the other, or in the language of Chassidus, between the G‑dly soul and the animal soul. And the measure of the Holy One, blessed be He, is measure for measure, so through this action the educator too will more easily win his own war.

Enclosed herewith is the booklet of the index to the Alter Rebbe's book "Torah Or," which they brought from the bindery only recently.

The photographs and the booklet have been sent separately.

With respect, esteem and blessing, awaiting good news.

Publisher's notes

R. Shneur Zalman (מהרש"ז): Shazar. Further letters to him: above, vol. 9, 2651, and the references in the notes there; below, 3161.