5887 —ההמשך שלאחר ההתוועדות – קליטה וקצירה, והכנסת ילד לחדר

B"H, 2nd of Kislev, 5718
Brooklyn.

The Rav and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs^[1],
our teacher Reb Menachem Zev HaLevi, may he live^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

... It is surprising that, apparently, the compilation of Chabad customs^[3] is being gathered with the very greatest heaviness, etc.

As for what you write about those who were present at the farbrengen: I have already said several times^[4], and to a number of Anash^[5], that in general a farbrengen is plowing and sowing; and it is obvious that afterwards there must be^[6] taking root and reaping. And mostly, between the sowing and the reaping there are many twists and turns^[7]. Therefore the friends who are present at a farbrengen must do something about this, especially regarding those who are present at a farbrengen for the first time, or who need to be guarded from undesirable influence.

And last but most beloved: to your news of your son Avraham Yechiel's entry into cheder — may it be in a good and successful hour. And, as our Sages say, "Let the pure come and engage in pure things"^[8]; so may there be fulfilled in his days and in our days the promise — in the words of the Sefardim, "May a Kohen be seen in Zion" — and particularly since this concerns you especially, as written in the writings of the Arizal, that then the Levi'im will be Kohanim^[9] (Likkutei Torah of the Arizal — quoted in Tanya, chapter 50).

With blessing for good news^[10].

[Publisher's notes: Our teacher Reb Menachem Zev: Greenglass, Montreal. Further letters to him: above, vol. 15, 5415, and the references in the notes there. "The compilation of Chabad customs": see above, vol. 15, letter 5536, and the references in the notes there. See also: below, vol. 18, letter 6572.]

Notes

1. The Rav and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs (הרה"ח אי"א נו"נ עוסק בצ"צ): הרב החסיד, איש ירא אלקים, נעלה ונכבד, עוסק בצרכי ציבור.

2. Reb Menachem Zev HaLevi (מו"ה מנחם זאב שי' הלוי): The Chassid R. Menachem Zev HaLevi Greenglass, a mashpia in Montreal, Canada. Further letters to him: above, vol. 15, letter 5415, 5536; below, vol. 18, letter 6572.

3. The compilation of Chabad customs (הלקוט דמנהגי חב"ד): The collection of Chabad customs on which the recipient was working. Already in Sivan 5717 the Rebbe wondered that he wrote nothing about it, and stressed that the purpose of the compilation is specifically matters of practice, after the Mishnah, "Not study is the main thing, but deed" (above, vol. 15, letter 5536). A year later the Rebbe thanks him for his efforts to obtain further records of Chassidic customs, and guides him to accept them only from reliable authorities, and where there is doubt to record the doubt and its content as well (below, vol. 18, letter 6572).

4. Several times (כ"פ): כמה פעמים.

5. Anash (אנ"ש): אנשי שלומנו, "the men of our fellowship", the Chassidim.

6. There must be (צ"ל): צריך להיות. That is: a farbrengen is like plowing and sowing — it opens the heart and sows the words in it; but for them to bear fruit, the seed must afterwards take root and grow, and finally comes the reaping, when the words are carried out in actual deed.

7. Many twists and turns (כמה עקולי ופשורי): Aramaic: bends and windings, i.e. many delays and obstacles on the way. Therefore one cannot rely on the farbrengen alone; the friends who were present are responsible for looking after the participants afterwards too, especially those who came for the first time.

8. "Let the pure come and engage in pure things" (יבואו טהורים ויתעסקו בטהורים): After the saying of Chazal (Vayikra Rabbah 7:3) on why young children begin their study with Toras Kohanim (the book of Vayikra, which deals mainly with the offerings): the children are pure and the offerings are pure — let the pure come and engage in pure things. From this the Rebbe goes on to the blessing that the promise be fulfilled, with the building of the Beis HaMikdash and the service of the Kohanim in Zion.

9. As the Sephardim say, "May a Kohen be seen in Zion" … then the Levi'im will be Kohanim (וכלשון הספרדים יראה כהן בציון … שאז הלוים יהיו כהנים): "May a Kohen be seen in Zion" is the blessing customary among our Sephardic brethren, as the Rebbe himself called it at the end of the farbrengen of Shabbos Vayakhel-Pekudei 5723; that is, may we merit the Redemption, when the Kohanim will stand at their service in the Beis HaMikdash in Zion. It is told (COLlive) that the recipient, R. Menachem Zev Greenglass, did not understand at the time why the Rebbe wrote "as the Sephardim say" or what "May a Kohen be seen in Zion" had to do with him. Years later, when his daughter became engaged to David Cohen, a Sephardi and a Kohen, he understood, and he found that this letter had been written exactly forty days before his daughter was born. On the Levi'im becoming Kohanim: Tanya, chapter 50: "as the Arizal wrote on 'the Kohanim, the Levi'im' (Yechezkel 44:15), that the Levi'im of now will be Kohanim in the time to come." The recipient is a Levi, so "this concerns you especially".

10. Good news (בשו"ט): בשורות טובות.

Summary

The Rebbe remarks that the compilation of Chabad customs is moving very slowly. A farbrengen is plowing and sowing; there must then be taking root and reaping, and since there are many obstacles in between, the friends present must follow up, especially with first-time participants and those who need protecting from bad influence. He blesses the son's entry into cheder: "let the pure come and engage in pure things", and may we see a Kohen in Zion — which concerns a Levi especially, for the Levi'im will then be Kohanim.