5869 —כסלו חדש הגאולה, ויום כפור קטן כהכנה לראש חודש

B"H, 24 Marcheshvan, 5718

Brooklyn.

To the Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and esteemed, etc., Reb David Meir, may he live

Greetings and blessing!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter with the pidyon nefesh of 23 Marcheshvan. Without making a vow, when I am at the holy resting place of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly memory, whose soul rests in the hidden heights of heaven, may his merit shield us, at the close of this week, I will mention you and your wife, may she live, for what you need, in keeping with the contents of your letter.

And that will be Yom Kippur Katan before Rosh Chodesh Kislev, which is the month of redemption, and the redemption of all those who have merited to taste of the teachings and ways of Chassidus. As is known, the saying of our holy Rebbeim is that Yud-Tes Kislev is the Rosh Hashanah for the study of Chassidus and the ways of Chassidus (Hayom Yom, 19 Kislev). One of the ways of Chassidus is עזב תעזוב עמו "you shall surely help along with him" (Shemos 23:5), as the Baal Shem Tov explains it: with the body, and not through self-mortification and fasting (Hayom Yom, 28 Shevat). And as for Rosh Chodesh: the Alter Rebbe and his son, the Mitteler Rebbe, explained the precise wording "Rosh" (head), and not "beginning": just as the head holds the vitality of all the limbs of the body, so Rosh Chodesh includes within it all the days of the month (Likkutei Torah, Tavo, "Hayom Hazeh"; Ateres Rosh, Shaar Rosh Hashanah, at the beginning). From this it follows that on Shabbos Mevarchim these matters begin, and on Yom Kippur Katan, which is the preparation, the preparation begins for that on which the flow of blessing depends. And as our Sages, of blessed memory, made known: even an opening the size of the eye of a needle opens the entrance of the Ulam (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:2; Likkutei Torah, Shir HaShirim, "Ani Yesheinah"), of the Ulam specifically, for besides its size it is always open, since it has no doors to close it, G‑d forbid (Mishnah Middos 2:3).

With blessing for good news in all of the above, and, in the words of the Rav (Rebbe), my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe: צו געזונטען ווינטער "to a healthy winter."

Publisher's notes

Reb David Meir (מו"ה דוד מאיר): Shulman, Brooklyn.

Summary

This letter promises to mention the recipient and his wife at the Previous Rebbe's resting place, and presents Kislev as the month of redemption for all who have tasted Chassidus: its way is to help the body rather than break it, and Rosh Chodesh, the "head" of the month, is prepared for on Yom Kippur Katan, when even the smallest opening is answered with a gate that never closes.