5897 —הוספת שם, והתוועדות י"ט כסלו: הדבור עצמו חשיב מעשה

B"H, 4 Kislev, 5718

Brooklyn.

The rav and gaon, the veteran Chassid, a God-fearing man, distinguished and honored, whose work is the work of Heaven, engaged in communal affairs, etc., Reb Yehudah Zev HaLevi, may he live long^[1]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter of Monday.

At an auspicious time I will mention all those about whom you write at the holy resting place of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly memory, each one for what he needs, in keeping with the content of your letter.

As to what you write about the request of a certain person regarding the addition of a name^[2]: since this is his wish, his request should be fulfilled, and may it be G‑d's will that the change bring about good, in good that is visible and revealed, materially and spiritually.

Surely in your holy community, too, they will hold a farbrengen on the auspicious day of Yud-Tes Kislev, coming upon us for good, the day of the redemption and victory of the Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch. May it be G‑d's will that the words of inspiration and the words of Torah have their effect, in keeping with the teaching of our Sages, "great is study, for it leads to action"^[3]; this in addition to the point that speech itself counts as an action — at least a minor action, through the movement of one's lips (see Chiddushei HaRashba, Shevuos 21)^[4]. This is especially so when the speech is about those of whom it is written, "and your people are all righteous" (Yeshayahu 60:21), and of whom our Sages said, "the righteous resemble their Creator"^[5] — and the speech of the Holy One, blessed be He, counts as action, and does not even need the movement of lips; a light letter suffices (Rif, Sanhedrin, end of ch. 7)^[6]. And all the more so when the speech afterwards leads to a bechein (a practical outcome, actual deed), which is like the prohibition of driving an animal [with one's voice], which is considered to involve an action, and a voice without letters also suffices (see Tosafos and Shitah Mekubetzes, Bava Metzia 90b^[7]; Responsa Noda BiYehudah, Mahadura Tinyana, Orach Chaim 76; and see Tanya, beginning of ch. 37^[8]; Likkutei Torah on the Three Parshiyos, end of the maamar Mayim Rabim, 54d)^[9].

With blessing for good news in all of the above, and with greetings to all who take part in the farbrengen mentioned.

Publisher's notes

Reb Yehudah Zev (מו"ה יהודא זאב): Segal, Manchester. Further letters to him: above, vol. 12, letter 4266, and the sources noted there.

See Chiddushei HaRashba (ראה חי' הרשב"א): see also below, letter 6012.

Notes

[1] Reb Yehudah Zev HaLevi (מו"ה יהודא זאב שי' הלוי): Rabbi Yehudah Zev HaLevi Segal, Rosh Yeshivah of the Manchester Yeshivah in England (see the publisher's notes). An earlier letter to him: Igros Kodesh vol. 12, letter 4266 (29 Nissan 5716), on educating the yeshivah students in fear and love of G‑d.

[2] The addition of a name (הוספת שם): Adding a name, as is customary for one who is ill and the like, based on the teaching of our Sages (Rosh Hashanah 16b): ארבעה דברים מקרעין גזר דינו של אדם... צדקה, צעקה, שינוי השם ושינוי מעשה, "Four things tear up a person's decree: charity, crying out [in prayer], a change of name and a change of conduct." Hence the Rebbe's blessing "that the change bring about good."

[3] Great is study, for it leads to action (גדול תלמוד שמביא לידי מעשה): Kiddushin 40b: נענו כולם ואמרו: תלמוד גדול, שהתלמוד מביא לידי מעשה, "They all answered and said: study is greater, for study leads to action." The Rebbe cites it in the usual form. The purpose of the words of inspiration at a farbrengen is that they lead to actual deeds.

[4] Chiddushei HaRashba, Shevuos 21 (חי' הרשב"א שבועות כא): See Shevuos 21a. The Rebbe returned to this point about two months later, in his letter to the editor of the Talmudic Encyclopedia (Igros Kodesh vol. 16, letter 6012, 25 Teves 5718): at the Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengen he had discussed that "speech counts as action", and he remarked that the entry on it did not mention the distinction made in Chiddushei HaRashba on Shevuos 21 in the name of the Ri Migash; he also pointed to Likkutei Torah on the Three Parshiyos, Noach, end of the maamar Mayim Rabim (54d).

[5] And your people are all righteous... the righteous resemble their Creator (ועמך כולם צדיקים... צדיקים דומים לבוראם): Yeshayahu 60:21: "And your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever." Bereishis Rabbah 67:8 (and Yalkut Shimoni, Bereishis 61): "But the righteous — their heart is in their control... they resemble their Creator," as it says, "And Hashem said to His heart." The Rebbe draws the conclusion: since all Jews are righteous, and the righteous resemble their Creator, their speech too is like the speech of the Holy One, blessed be He, which is action.

[6] A light letter suffices (ודי באתא קלילא): The speech of the Holy One, blessed be He, counts as action, as it says (Tehillim 33:6): "By the word of Hashem the heavens were made." It does not even need the movement of lips; אתא קלילא (Aramaic) is "a light letter". The Rif is Rabbeinu Yitzchak Alfasi, on Tractate Sanhedrin, end of chapter 7.

[7] Bava Metzia 90b (ב"מ צ, ב): The Gemara there: "If he muzzled it with his voice or drove it with his voice — R. Yochanan said he is liable, for the movement of his mouth is an action; Reish Lakish said he is exempt, for a voice is not an action." The prohibition of driving (לאו דמחמר) is leading an animal of mixed species (or on Shabbos) with one's voice, through which the animal moves and an action results.

[8] Tanya, beginning of ch. 37 (תניא רפל"ז): There: "Also in the mitzvos of Torah study, the recital of the Shema, prayer and the like... we hold that thought is not like speech... and we hold that the movement of the lips is an action."

[9] The point of the passage: The words of inspiration and of Torah at the Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengen are not mere words. First, their purpose is to lead to action. Further, speech itself counts as an action, at least a minor one. All the more so when speaking about Jews, who are all righteous and resemble their Creator, whose speech is action itself; and all the more so when the speech afterwards brings about the deed, as with the prohibition of driving an animal by voice.

Summary

This letter acknowledges a letter from a rosh yeshivah, agrees to a request to add a name, and expresses confidence that his community will hold a Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengen. Its words should lead to action; and speech itself counts as action, all the more when it concerns Jews, who are all righteous and resemble their Creator, whose speech is action.