5900 —ראש המקום ואחריותו לחינוך ילדי ישראל שבמקומו: אין בבריאה דבר לבטלה

B"H, 5 Kislev, 5718

Brooklyn, N.Y.

To Mr. Mordechai Surkis, may he live long^[1]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

It was a pleasure to receive your letter acknowledging receipt of the New Year letter^[2]. May Hashem, blessed be He, fulfill in full all the blessings that our fellow Jews bless one another with.

As for what you write, that you do not know how you merited that I remember you: on the contrary, it would be a wonder if I did not remember you, when you are the head of the place where very many Jewish boys and girls — may they multiply — are found, each one of whom is an entire world^[3]; and Divine Providence has granted me the merit of being able to do something for their education, with your assistance in buildings, support and the like. All the hundreds of children who have been educated until now, and those being educated now, in this school^[4] remind me not only of themselves but also of all who help in their education in the spirit of "Yisrael Saba". I hope that your efforts and assistance will keep increasing, so that not only will any lack of remembering be ruled out, but on the contrary, the closeness will grow, in general and in the matter of the school in particular. And since you have been granted influence in your camp, then according to the well-known saying of our Sages, that nothing in creation is in vain^[5], I strongly hope, and am indeed confident, that you will use your influence fully in the direction mentioned. My warm thanks are given in advance, in addition to the fact that the matter itself says thank you.

Surely, following your good custom of last year and before, you will visit Kfar Chabad this year too, on the auspicious day of the coming Yud-Tes Kislev, days of inspiration and of remembrance of the victory of Chassidus and of its watchword, that love of one's fellow Jew, love of the Torah and love of G‑d are all one...

With respect and with blessing

Publisher's notes

That I remember you (שאזכרהו): see also above, vol. 6, letter 1790, section 7.

Notes

[1] Mr. Mordechai Surkis (מר מרדכי שי' סורקיס): Mordechai Surkis (1908–1995), then head of the Kfar Saba local council (from 1951; later the first mayor of the city of Kfar Saba and a member of the Knesset). Already in 5712, activists of the Oholei Yosef Yitzchak school network visited him about opening a school in his town, and the Rebbe wrote then (Igros Kodesh vol. 6, letter 1790, section 7) that he had listened to the Rebbe's letter respectfully, and asked the activists whether it would be worthwhile for the Rebbe to write to him personally. A later letter to him: Igros Kodesh vol. 26, letter 9842 (Rosh Chodesh Adar I 5730).

[2] The New Year letter (מכתב השנה): The general letter the Rebbe wrote for the new year (5718), which was sent to him as well.

[3] An entire world (עולם מלא): From Sanhedrin 37a: "Whoever sustains a single Jewish soul, Scripture considers it as if he had sustained an entire world."

[4] This school (בי"ס זה): The school in his town, in which hundreds of children were educated with his help (see note 1). "Yisrael Saba" ("Israel the Elder") is Yaakov Avinu: the spirit of the Jewish tradition through the generations.

[5] Nothing in creation is in vain (אין בבריאה דבר אחד לבטלה): Shabbos 77b: "Of all that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world, He did not create a single thing in vain." The influence he was given in his camp, too, was given for a purpose, and he should use it for the children's education.

Summary

This letter answers the head of a local council who wondered why the Rebbe remembers him: how could he not, when he heads a town with many Jewish children, each a whole world, whose schooling he helps support? Since nothing in creation is in vain, he should use his influence fully for their education; and the Rebbe trusts he will again visit Kfar Chabad on Yud-Tes Kislev.