4811 —להמשיך בחינוך הבנות אף שחלק מהחניכות נסחפות – נפש אחת מישראל עולם מלא

B"H, 5 Marcheshvan, 5717

Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of 23 Tishrei, in which you write about your work in the field of girls' education in absolute holiness, and about the bitter situation that there is no continuation for the education of these students of your institution, so that some of them are swept away by the current, etc. This raised in you the question whether you are permitted to continue working as an educator in such education, since you take responsibility for the students.

It is surprising that you give room even for a doubt in this, since by your own estimate a large number of the students remain in the camp of those who tremble at the word of Hashem — and even one Jewish soul is an entire world^[1]. All the more so since there is no doubt at all that even in those few who go out to a foreign camp there remains a deep impression of the years of traditional education they received, an impression that acts not only on thought but also on deed, as is seen plainly. At the same time it is obvious that it is essential to seek ways to place the grown-up students in an observant environment, and the importance of this cannot be overstated — especially since the chances of saving these students are great, since for several years they were in a traditional environment. I have no doubt that you have already thought much about this problem and how to solve it; I would be interested to know your conclusions, at least some of which can surely be put into practice. The saying of our Sages is known, "Do not dismiss anything"^[2]; we have seen in our times a number of events that there was no room in reason that they would ever come about, and the period of unusual conduct and events beyond what can be foreseen has not ended at all — as is seen even in everyday life. And we have been promised that the measure of good is greater than the measure of punishment^[3].

Fortunate is your lot, and the lot of all who work in education in absolute holiness, who in this period stand in the breach to save Jewish souls from unusual winds and raging waters — a rescue not only for the life of the World to Come but also for the life of this world.

Surely in the program of the institution you direct, an important place is given to learning the Jewish outlook on the world, and above all to learning the laws needed in everyday life. As we saw in the trials in Russia, the study of Chassidus and its matters fortifies the learner and his home very greatly, even in circumstances where the study of mussar and the like did not hold firm. And although we must be strong in trust that there will not, G‑d forbid, be persecutions of that kind again, even in that country and all the more so in other countries — the trial of wealth, freedom and the absence of a yoke is sometimes much harder to withstand than the trial of poverty and persecution.

With blessing for success in your holy work, and for good news in all the above.

Notes

[1] An entire world (עולם מלא): based on the Mishnah, Sanhedrin 4:5: whoever sustains one Jewish soul, Scripture considers it as if he sustained an entire world.

[2] Do not dismiss anything (אל תהי מפליג לכל דבר): Avos 4:3: "Do not dismiss anything, for there is no person who does not have his hour and no thing that does not have its place" — do not reject anything as impossible.

[3] The measure of good is greater (מרובה מדה טובה): based on Sotah 11a; Yoma 76a.

Summary

This letter answers a girls' educator who doubted whether to continue, since some graduates drift away for lack of further Torah schooling. Many remain observant, one soul is a whole world, and even those who leave keep a deep impression. Seek ways to place graduates in an observant setting, and teach practical halachah and Chassidus.