4843 —משפט המחיצה בבית הכנסת והפצת החסידות לכל ישראל

B"H, 17 Marcheshvan, 5717

Brooklyn.

The veteran Chassid, G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs, our teacher Rabbi Baruch, may he live

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In answer to your letter of Wednesday of [the week of] Vayeira^[1]; surely in the meantime you have received my answer to your previous letter.

I am surprised at your writing that no one is in contact with you, at a time when — as I wrote you in my previous letter — negotiations are being held here with the rabbinical association^[2], and Rabbi Hollander is in contact, and they will also participate with money, although they do not say how much. Also, in my conversation with Rabbi Hollander he spoke about traveling [there] as an expert, etc. Surely you know all this from the primary source.

My intention in having Rabbi Hecht, may he live, spoken to so that he should telephone you^[3] was as an addition to the above: since he is an outstanding speaker in English and makes a strong impression on various circles — and here, as in other places, the impression on the judge and on those present plays a great role regarding the verdict — I reckoned that this must be kept in mind and one should be ready, and when it comes time to decide, [consider] whether to make use of it.

In the meantime I have received a report here that there are certain circles among the Conservatives who want to make the matter go away, having thought about how it may turn out. I do not know how well founded the rumor is or what its basis is; and it is understood that if the judge remains in a good frame of mind, one must not let slip the opportunity to obtain a ruling that will also serve as a precedent for other places.

As for what you write about apologizing for your writing — it is self-understood that there is nothing to apologize for, and I hope that for many long years you will write, and may Hashem, blessed be He, help that it be with joyful content regarding both communal matters and private matters; and that the communal matters include not only work for Judaism in general but also conduct in the way of Chassidus — as in the saying of the Alter Rebbe, the founder of Chabad Chassidus, who said that Chassidus is not a thing for Chabad alone or for part of the Jewish people, but a thing for all Jews. And the saying is well known, that a good thing that can be done today is not put off until tomorrow.

Unfortunately, some still need someone to explain to them that the matter is good, and I hope that the one who will lead the mission in the area of Mount Clemens will be R. Baruch Litvin, may he live. And since you write that the great Torah figures do not agree with you in any case, you will surely not be taken aback if there will be some who consider themselves great Torah figures and will not agree with your propaganda for Chassidus — ולפום צערא אגרא, "and according to the effort is the reward"^[4].

With blessing for good news.

Publisher's notes

Our teacher Rabbi Baruch: Litvin, Mt. Clemens. Further letters to him — above, vol. 13, 4476, and the references noted there; below, 5238, 5262.

In contact (פארבינדונג): in connection with the court case over the mechitzah in the shul, mentioned above there.

The saying (דער ווארט): see also above, 4769, and the references noted there.

Notes

[1] Wednesday of Vayeira (יום ד' וירא): Wednesday of the week of Parshas Vayeira.

[2] The rabbinical association (הסתדרות הרבנים): this concerns the lawsuit the recipient brought against the shul in his town (Mount Clemens, Michigan), where the mechitzah between men and women had been removed (see the publisher's notes here and the letters cited there). The Rebbe tells him that negotiations are under way for the rabbinical association to take part, including financially, and that its head, Rabbi Hollander, spoke with the Rebbe about traveling there to testify as an expert.

[3] Rabbi Hecht (הרב העכט שי'): the Rebbe explains why he had Rabbi Hecht asked to telephone him: he is an outstanding speaker in English, and in such a case the impression made on the judge and on those present greatly affects the verdict, so the possibility should be kept in mind and used when the time comes.

[4] According to the effort is the reward (לפום צערא אגרא): the Mishnah (Avos 5:23): "Ben Hei Hei says: according to the effort is the reward." The opposition and difficulties he meets in spreading Chassidus only increase his reward.