5893 —גם עניני הגוף קשורים בנפש, ו"ראש השנה לחסידות" ממשיך חיות לכל השנה

B"H, 3rd of Kislev, 5718
Brooklyn, N.Y.

The veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and exalted, engaged in communal needs, possessed of lofty character traits, a branch of a tree of forebears, etc.^[1],
R. Shneur Zalman^[2], may he live

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I was informed that you^[3], may you live, are undergoing medical tests; and although I have no details about this, my hope is that all is well and in order.

And to move from one subject to another: it is a fact that among our people, the treasured people, and especially in the Holy Tongue, even matters that would seem to be matters of the body are connected with the soul. As is known, our Sages use the expression "he examined his soul"^[4]; and is there anything more physical than eating? Yet here too the wording is, "The righteous man eats to satisfy his soul"^[5].

It is surely superfluous to write to you that my hope is strong that this year too, as is your good way and custom, you will visit Kfar Chabad on the auspicious day of Yud-Tes Kislev, which is, in the expression of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, "the Rosh Hashanah of the study of Chassidus and the ways of Chassidus"^[6]. And the explanation of the Alter Rebbe^[7] of the precise wording "head" (rosh) and not "beginning" is known: the head comprises the life of all the limbs; so it is with regard to the cycle of the year and the month; and in the same way, the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus draws Chassidic vitality into all the days of the year. May it be G‑d's will that the inspiration of this Rosh Hashanah^[8] in Kfar Chabad draw forth an awakening of warmth and light throughout the entire year.

I asked some of the guests who were here from the Holy Land^[9] and have gone back up to convey to you my greetings^[10] by word of mouth; and it is presumed that an agent carries out his mission^[11].

I will await good tidings in all the above^[12].

With respect and with blessing, and with many thanks^[13] for your most precious gift, the manuscript of the Siddur of the Arizal, which has reached me^[14] — and as the Alter Rebbe explains about this (Likkutei Torah, beginning of Parshas Shemini): "touching"^[15].

[Publisher's notes: Part of it was printed in Likkutei Sichos vol. 10, p. 224, and completed from the secretariat's copy. R. Shneur Zalman: Shazar. Further letters to him: above, vol. 15, 5375, and the references in the notes there; below, 5911, 6011, 6025. "The Siddur of the Arizal": see also above, vol. 15, letter 5767.]

[See below, letter 5911 (10 Kislev), to Shazar, on the meeting about the housing project in Kfar Chabad and his being invited to announce it at the Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengen.]

Notes

1. The veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and exalted (הוו"ח אי"א נו"מ): הוותיק וחסיד, איש ירא אלקים, נכבד ומרומם. "A branch of a tree of forebears" — i.e. a scion of a distinguished family.

2. R. Shneur Zalman (מהרש"ז): מוהר"ר שניאור זלמן: Mr. Zalman Shazar, a member of the Executive of the Jewish Agency, and later the third President of the State of Israel (5723–5733, 1963–1973). Born to a family of Chabad Chassidim, he was close to the Rebbe and used to visit Kfar Chabad on Yud-Tes Kislev. Further letters to him: above, vol. 15, letter 5375, 5767; below, letter 5911, 6011, 6025.

3. You (כ'): כבודו, "his honor".

4. "He examined his soul" (בדק נפשו): That is: even an examination of the body is called, in the language of Chazal, "examining one's soul" — so the body is bound up with the soul. Apparently a reference to Nedarim 50b: "Shmuel would examine himself (בדיק נפשיה) with a stalk", a physical examination of his intestines, yet expressed with the word nafshei.

5. "The righteous man eats to satisfy his soul" (צדיק אוכל לשובע נפשו): The words of the verse, Mishlei 13:25: "The righteous man eats to satisfy his soul, but the stomach of the wicked shall want." That is: even eating, the most physical of matters, is called "satisfying his soul".

6. "The Rosh Hashanah of the study of Chassidus and the ways of Chassidus" (ראש השנה ללימוד החסידות ודרכי החסידות): The words of the Previous Rebbe about Yud-Tes Kislev (Hayom Yom, 19 Kislev).

7. The Alter Rebbe (כ"ק אדהז"ק): כבוד קדושת אדמו"ר הזקן. In Likkutei Torah, Tavo, the maamar HaYom HaZeh Hashem Metzavcha: "That is why it is called 'Rosh Hashanah' (the head of the year) and not 'the beginning of the year' — for just as the soul has a level of head, which is head and intellect relative to the body, so the year has a level of head, and that is Rosh Hashanah." So too with "the Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus": just as the head draws life to all the limbs, Yud-Tes Kislev draws Chassidic vitality into all the days of the year.

8. This Rosh Hashanah (דרה"ש): דראש השנה.

9. From the Holy Land (מאה"ק ת"ו): מארץ הקודש תבנה ותכונן, "from the Holy Land, may it be built and established".

10. My greetings (פ"ש): פרישת שלום.

11. It is presumed that an agent carries out his mission (חזקה על שליח שעושה שליחותו): After the rule "an agent is presumed to carry out his mission" (Eruvin 31b and elsewhere).

12. In all the above (בכהנ"ל): בכל הנ"ל.

13. Many thanks (ת"ח ת"ח): תשואות חן, תשואות חן.

14. The manuscript of the Siddur of the Arizal, which has reached me (כת"י סידור האריז"ל שהגיעני): כת"י — כתב יד, manuscript. Already in Elul 5717 the Rebbe thanked him for this gift, writing that he had not yet had time to study it properly and compare it with the printed manuscripts, but that it appeared to be the Siddur of the Arizal (above, vol. 15, letter 5767).

15. "Touching" (אנרירן): Yiddish: to touch. That is, "which reached me" (שהגיעני), in the Alter Rebbe's explanation of hagaah as touching: the gift did not only reach the Rebbe, it touched him inwardly. See Likkutei Torah, beginning of Parshas Shemini (the maamar Livyasan Zeh Yatzarta Lesachek Bo); the Rebbe refers to this explanation in Likkutei Torah, beginning of Shemini, "(touching)", also below, vol. 19, letter 7032.

Summary

Hearing that Zalman Shazar is undergoing medical tests, the Rebbe hopes all is well, and notes that in the Holy Tongue even bodily matters are linked to the soul — "he examined his soul", "the righteous man eats to satisfy his soul". He hopes Shazar will again visit Kfar Chabad on Yud-Tes Kislev, the "Rosh Hashanah of Chassidus": as the head gives life to all the limbs, it draws Chassidic vitality into the whole year. He sends greetings through returning guests and thanks him for the manuscript Siddur of the Arizal.