5873 —תיקון ההנהגה כתלמיד תומכי תמימים שענינו להיות נר להאיר, ונסיון חגורה לפני טיפול נוסף

B"H, 26 Marcheshvan, 5718

Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of 24 Marcheshvan, in which you write of the differences of opinion among the doctors you visited.

Your letter does not make it entirely clear whether the opinions of the doctors differ because they saw you at different times, in which case it may be said that your condition changed in the interim, or whether even those who saw you at the same time are not of one view. In any event, you should first of all try wearing a belt and see its effect; it may well be that this will suffice, and no further treatment will be needed.

I take this opportunity to remark on the surprising and puzzling fact that during the times you were here there were several irregularities, and consequently undesirable ones: once you traveled here without permission from the administration of Tomchei Temimim in . . . ; once you did not come to the examination at all, neither in Nigleh nor in Nistar, Chassidus (the examination conducted by the administration of Tomchei Temimim here at my request); and once you took the examination and it did not go well, etc. It is understood that all of the above is altogether undesirable, especially in our generation, and particularly for a student of Tomchei Temimim, whose purpose is to be a lamp to illuminate, that is, to influence others; and this influence comes chiefly through conducting oneself as one should. ומכלל הן אתה שומע לאו "from the positive you can infer the negative", and this is easily understood.

May it be G‑d's will that at least from now on everything be corrected in every detail, and in the manner explained in the letter of the Alter Rebbe, Igeres HaTeshuvah, end of chapter 9: הי' רגיל לקרות דף אחד יקרא שני דפים "if he was accustomed to read one page, let him read two pages," etc. (in the name of Tanna d'Vei Eliyahu).

With blessing for good news in all of the above,

In the name of the Rebbe, may he live long and good days,

Secretary

Summary

This letter advises trying a belt before any further treatment, and then takes the recipient to task for a series of irregularities: a Tomchei Temimim student is meant to be a lamp that lights up others, chiefly through his own proper conduct, so he must now set everything right and, as Igeres HaTeshuvah teaches, make up for the past by doing twice as much.