4837 —התענינות בכפר חב"ד, ור' מאיר רימון מצא: ניצול גם הקליפה, כבעל הבית בחלקו בעולם

B"H, 14 Cheshvan, 5717

Brooklyn, N.Y.

To the honorable, the veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, who is occupied with communal needs, etc., Rabbi Shmuel, may he live

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Your letter of 14 Tishrei was a pleasant surprise for me, and the pleasantness increased on seeing your interest in Kfar Chabad. This interest surely also leads to activities to help the village, to establish it firmly and to develop it.

I read the proposal in this letter with special attention. It seems from your letter itself, from what is written and also from what is hinted between the lines, that you too recognize the difficulties involved, especially in the Holy Land, where every matter is expounded in seventy different and strange ways^[1], provided the matter is stamped with a party seal. Apparently a rumor about this proposal has already penetrated several circles, and aroused reactions like those whose basis you too wish to reject.

It is understood that, after all this, I am considering the proposal, and I will also be in touch with our Chassidim in the village.

My hope is that in the future too you will continue your practical interest in the affairs of the village, and in the affairs of Chabad in the Holy Land in general. And it goes without saying that, as for what you write at the end of your letter, that you turned to me unasked, etc., there is no place to ask forgiveness for this; on the contrary.

With respect and with blessing.

As for what you write in your letter, the example of Rabbi Meir, who found a pomegranate, ate its inside and threw away its peel^[2]: well known among the Chassidim is the talk of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, that every Jew must be the householder in his portion of the world, which was given him by Divine Providence to refine, to purify and to illuminate. He added in explanation that being a householder means that he uses everything found in his estate for the benefit of the estate.

The above is founded on one of the foundations of the teachings of Chassidus, that in every thing and matter there is a G‑dly spark; therefore the command "In all your ways know Him"^[3] applies to every thing and matter.

In light of the above, I am confident that the peel too will not be thrown away, but will also be put to use, to strengthen light over darkness and spirituality over materiality, the strengthening of form over matter. (It is understood that this does not relate to the usual expression concerning the three kelipos^[4], in which there is no good at all. This is not so with the peel of a pomegranate: although it is not fit to eat, it can be used in several good and beneficial ways. And so too in the analogue.)

Publisher's notes

Rabbi Shmuel (מו"ה שמואל): Rapoport, comptroller of the Jewish Agency.

Notes

[1] Seventy different ways (בשבעים פנים): after the expression "the Torah has seventy faces" (Bamidbar Rabbah 13:15).

[2] Rabbi Meir found a pomegranate (ר' מאיר מצא רימון): Chagigah 15b: "Rabbi Meir found a pomegranate; he ate its inside and threw away its peel." Rabbi Meir learned Torah from Elisha ben Avuyah, taking the inner content and rejecting the outer shell.

[3] In all your ways know Him (בכל דרכיך דעהו): Mishlei 3:6.

[4] The three kelipos (ג' קליפות): the three completely impure kelipos, which contain no good at all (see Tanya, chapter 6), as opposed to kelipas nogah, which contains both good and evil.