5832 —ביסוס בית הספר לסופרי סת"ם בתומכי תמימים ומעלת מלאכת הקודש

B"H, 7 Marcheshvan, 5718

Brooklyn, N.Y.

The Rabbi and Gaon, the Rabbi and Chassid, veteran Chassid, G‑d-fearing man, etc., our teacher Rabbi Nissan, may he live

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I was pleased to receive your letter some time ago about the arrival of the new class of young married students from Morocco. May it be His will that G‑d, blessed be He, increase their bounds, both in quality and in quantity, that is, in the number of students and in their knowledge and the excellence of their conduct.

Since more benches have been added in the study hall (an echo of אתוספו כמה ספסלי "many benches were added" to the study hall, Berachos 28a), it is imperative that the state of the school for scribes finally be strengthened and placed on a firm footing as it should be, or at least approximately as hoped. And as I discussed here with the Rabbi and Chassid, etc., Rabbi Tzvi Leib HaLevi, may he live, it is understood that the students of the school for scribes are also students of Tomchei Temimim. That is, they must study fixed lessons in nigleh and in Chassidus, etc., etc., and also occupy themselves with the avodah of prayer; only for part of the day, when the other students are learning in the yeshivah, do these learn the sacred craft, namely the writing of STaM (Torah scrolls, tefillin and mezuzos). But before those hours and after them, the full responsibility of Tomchei Temimim students rests upon them. It follows that there is no cause in this for any of them to lose heart, G‑d forbid.

On the other hand, they must receive direction regarding their studies in nigleh and Chassidus from the roshei mesivta and roshei yeshivah of Tomchei Temimim, except for those hours devoted to learning the writing of STaM and studying its laws, in which they receive direction from the Rabbi and Chassid, etc., Rabbi Tzvi Leib HaLevi, may he live.

In order that the study accord with the directive of our Mishnah, בדבוק חברים "through cleaving to friends" (Avos 6:6, among the ways in which Torah is acquired), it is necessary that, in addition to the two who have already completed their training and, as they have written to me, have already begun writing parshiyos and making batim, there be at least five students learning the craft of the scribe; and how good it would be if there were six or more, and if possible without cancelling a class of Tomchei Temimim.

In light of the above, I am confident that the administration of Tomchei Temimim will choose students suited to this, that is, that after testing them in the craft they will see that they are capable of it. And so that there be no complaints and loss of time afterwards, it is understood that it is better to hold the testing and the selection as close as possible to the start of the term. I await good news soon.

Please be so kind as to tell the students who will be chosen that fortunate is their portion, that they will be engaged in this sacred work. For although the responsibility of a scribe of STaM is great, as is explained in a number of places (see Eruvin 13a: הוי זהיר במלאכתך שמלאכתך מלאכת שמים היא "be careful in your work, for your work is the work of Heaven"), the very fact that others determine that they are fit to learn this sacred craft shows that they have been given from Above the strength to bear this responsibility and fulfil it. At all times, and all the more so now, their reward for bringing merit to the many with kosher tefillin and kosher mezuzos is beyond description; especially since הוקשה כל התורה כולה לתפלין "the whole Torah is likened to tefillin" (Kiddushin 35a), and in Chassidus a teaching is cited that the mezuzah is equal to all the mitzvos.

And this is understood according to nigleh too, from the intention cited in the Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 25:5; Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, Orach Chayim 25:11) as the halachic ruling: that tefillin are the subjugation of the heart and the mind, that is, of the person as a whole; and the mezuzah is the seal of the King, the King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, upon all the possessions and all the matters in that house.

I await good news in all of the above, and because the matter is urgent this letter is being sent express, with blessing for success in your holy work.

M. Schneerson

Publisher's notes

Our teacher Rabbi Nissan (מוהרנ"ן): Rabbi Nissan Nemanov, mashpia of the Tomchei Temimim yeshivah in France.

The school for scribes (ביה"ס לסופרים): See above, letter 4961.

Rabbi Tzvi Leib (הרצ"ל): Rabbi Tzvi Levin.

In Chassidus (ובדא"ח): Siddur [im Dach], p. 275a.

Summary

This letter sets the terms of the school for scribes at Tomchei Temimim: its students remain full yeshivah students, guided in their studies by the yeshivah and in their craft by its instructor, and at least five suitable students should be chosen early in the term. It encourages them that providing kosher tefillin and mezuzos is a sacred task of immeasurable merit.