5911 —בנין השיכון בכפר חב"ד בממדים רחבים – "כל העוסק בבנין מתמסכן" כהשקעת הכחות הנעלמים

B"H, 10 Kislev, 5718

Brooklyn, N.Y.

The veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and exalted, engaged in communal needs, a man of lofty character, a branch of a tree of distinguished ancestry, etc.^[1], our teacher Rabbi Shneur Zalman, may he live

Shalom u'Vrachah!

The good news has reached me that representatives of Kfar Chabad and representatives of the appropriate government offices met with you^[2], and a meeting was held under your chairmanship concerning the establishment of the housing project in Kfar Chabad. I hope that this meeting will surely bring about something practical soon, in keeping with the great value of the matter.

And merit is brought about on a day of merit^[3]: today is the day of the redemption and victory of the Mitteler Rebbe, successor of his father, the Alter Rebbe^[4], who transmitted – according to a letter of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, printed at the end of the book Kitzurim VeHe'aros LeTanya, end of p. 122 – that "because of this self-sacrifice (of the Alter Rebbe) for the teachings of Chassidus, it was ruled in the Heavenly Court that in every matter of Torah, fear of Heaven and good character traits, the hand of those bound to him and following in his footsteps will be uppermost"^[5]. This strengthens my trust that even if there are some obstacles, they will be overcome, and not only will the matter be carried out, but in the maximum measure and speedily.

And since my hope is strong, in keeping with what I wrote you in my previous letter^[6], that you will take part in the farbrengen in Kfar Chabad on the day of redemption, the festival of festivals, Yud-Tes Kislev, the day of the redemption and victory of the Alter Rebbe, and with him of the teachings of Chassidus and its matters – it is the opportune time to announce the housing project at the farbrengen. Great is a Chassidic farbrengen to break through fences and remove partitions, including the partition between what is desirable and good, and what is possible: that the possibility be full, and that they also carry it out, fulfilling the desirable and good completely.

As people write me, at that meeting they discussed housing on a limited scale. Now, although my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, used to mention the Baal Shem Tov's emphasis in the meaning of the verse, "Your beginning was small (and through this) your end will greatly increase"^[7], one should fulfill "your beginning was small" in speech, but in deed act on a broad scale. And if there is any possibility at all, my heartfelt request is for housing, in the first stage, of at least twenty-four dwellings. And another request: that the houses for the craftsmen be completed too, and those not yet begun be begun and completed. And I want to hope that through your efforts, and according to what was said above about the ruling in the Heavenly Court, all the building and the first stage mentioned will be completed by the day of redemption of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe – 12-13 Tammuz, coming upon us for good^[8].

I will permit myself to make you a messenger for a mitzvah in one more item of the above: I enclose herewith a check from the London appeal for the Village Committee, from what is due from them as their share in building the housing; and a second check – my own private share in building this housing (this too, of course, on account of^[9] the sum the Village Committee undertook to provide). Many thanks for your trouble in delivering the checks for their purpose.

Our Sages said, "Whoever engages in building becomes impoverished"; and on that very page it is understood that whoever has no building is not a man (Yevamos 63a)^[10]. And I have explained the seeming contradiction in this: to establish a building, a true building that includes, encompasses and unites a person with all his possessions, until all of them are elevated to their highest level, the level of "man" (adam), so called after "I will be like (adameh) the Most High"^[11], the revealed possessions, the revealed powers of the soul, are not enough; for not in such a way is a house built as an everlasting edifice^[12]. Only when one becomes "impoverished," that is, invests all the revealed powers and draws further from the hidden powers, the essential powers – with this one lays a foundation, builds the walls up to the roof, roof included; and it becomes "the glory of man (since he has done his work, labored and attained) to dwell in a house"^[13]; as is understood from spiritual matters, and especially according to what is explained in the teachings of Chassidus in the Alter Rebbe's discourse "Mizmor Shir Chanukas HaBayis," printed in Likkutei Torah at the end of Parshas Berachah^[14].

With this approach to this problem, the housing will surely be built on the scale mentioned above (although to my mind this too is in the category of "your beginning was small"); and I hope that in this too it will be fulfilled: one who has a hundred wants two hundred, two hundred – wants four hundred^[15]; and when you and those you influence see the success in building this housing, they will want double and double again (with G‑d's help), and in the end^[16] this wish too will be carried out.

With respect and with blessing for good news in the above, and for a joyous and productive farbrengen.

Publisher's notes

Rabbi Shneur Zalman (מהרש"ז): Shazar. Further letters to him – above, letter 5893, and in the references in the notes there.

Our Sages said (אמרו חכמינו ז"ל): See also above, vol. 15, letter 5703.

Notes

1. The veteran Chassid... distinguished and exalted (הוו"ח אי"א נו"מ): Titles of honor: הוותיק וחסיד, איש ירא אלקים, נכבד ומרומם; "a branch of a tree of distinguished ancestry" refers to his lineage. מהרש"ז = מורנו הרב ר' שניאור זלמן: Zalman Shazar, then a member of the Jewish Agency Executive, later President of the State of Israel (see the publisher's notes).

2. With you (אצל כ'): כ' = כבודו. Representatives of Kfar Chabad and of the relevant government offices met with the recipient, and he chaired the meeting on establishing the new housing in Kfar Chabad (see also letter 5907, on the candidates for the housing).

3. Merit is brought about on a day of merit (מגלגלין זכות ליום זכאי): The Sages' words (Taanis 29a): "Merit is brought about on a day of merit, and liability on a day of liability." The good news came on a day of merit, 10 Kislev.

4. The day of the redemption... of the Mitteler Rebbe (יום הגאולה והנצחון של אדמו"ר האמצעי): 10 Kislev, the day of the Mitteler Rebbe's release from imprisonment in 5587 (1826).

5. The Heavenly Court (בי"ד של מעלה): בי"ד = בית דין. Just as, in the merit of the Alter Rebbe's self-sacrifice for Chassidus, it was ruled above that his followers would prevail, so too the obstacles to building the housing in Kfar Chabad will be overcome.

6. My previous letter (מכתבי הקודם): Letter 5893 (3 Kislev 5718), where the Rebbe writes that he hopes the recipient will, as is his custom, visit Kfar Chabad on Yud-Tes Kislev, "the Rosh Hashanah of the study of Chassidus and the ways of Chassidus," and that the inspiration there will draw warmth and light into the whole year.

7. "Your beginning was small (and through this)..." (והי' ראשיתך מצער (ועי"ז) ואחריתך ישגה מאד): Iyov 8:7. The Baal Shem Tov's emphasis (the added words "and through this" are his): precisely because the beginning is "small," in smallness and self-nullification, the end will "greatly increase." The Rebbe adds that "your beginning was small" is to be fulfilled in speech, but in deed one must build on a broad scale.

8. 12-13 Tammuz, coming upon us for good (י"ב, י"ג תמוז הבע"ל): The day of the Previous Rebbe's liberation from imprisonment in 5687 (1927). הבע"ל = הבא עלינו לטובה. Also: ע"ד = על דבר; הפס"ד = הפסק דין, "the ruling."

9. On account of (ע"ח): על חשבון. ת"ח = תשואות חן, "many thanks."

10. Whoever has no building is not a man (כל אדם שאין לו בנין אינו אדם): The Gemara there says: "Plaster, but do not build, for whoever engages in building becomes impoverished"; and on the same page: "Whoever has no land is not a man," which Tosafos there explain to mean land on which to build a house. Hence it "is understood" that whoever has no building is not a man (as the Rebbe wrote in vol. 15, letter 5703). The Rebbe goes on to resolve the seeming contradiction: a true building demands investing all the revealed powers and even the hidden ones – that is "becoming impoverished" – and precisely in this way a person becomes a "man."

11. "I will be like the Most High" (אדמה לעליון): After the words of the verse (Yeshayahu 14:14), from which man is called adam (see Shelah, Part I, Toldos Adam).

12. An everlasting edifice (בנין עדי עד): The language of the wedding blessings (the blessing "who formed man in His image"): "and prepared for him from himself an everlasting edifice."

13. "The glory of man to dwell in a house" (תפארת אדם לשבת בית): Yeshayahu 44:13. "Labored and attained" alludes to the Sages' saying, "If you labored and found, believe it" (Megillah 6b).

14. Likkutei Torah, end of Parshas Berachah (לקו"ת סוף פ' ברכה): לקו"ת = לקוטי תורה; ד"ה = דיבור המתחיל, "the discourse beginning."

15. One who has a hundred wants two hundred (מי שיש לו מנה רוצה מאתים): After the Sages (Koheles Rabbah 1:13). The Rebbe adds that one who has two hundred wants four hundred – the desire grows twofold; so too, seeing the success of the housing, they will want double and double again.

16. With G‑d's help... in the end (בעזהשי"ת... סו"ס): בעזרת השם יתברך; סוף סוף.

Summary

This letter welcomes a meeting, chaired by the recipient, on building housing in Kfar Chabad, and draws strength from the day it was received, 10 Kislev, and from the Heavenly ruling that the Alter Rebbe's followers will prevail. It asks him to announce the project at the Yud-Tes Kislev farbrengen and to build broadly, at least twenty-four units in the first stage, finished by 12-13 Tammuz, and encloses checks. It explains that "whoever builds becomes impoverished" yet "whoever has no building is not a man": a true building requires investing all one's revealed and hidden powers, and that makes a person truly "man."