5940 —ניצול כח י"ט כסלו לקירוב לבבות ישראל, והכנה בלימוד התורה ויראת שמים קודם לימוד שחיטה

B"H, 20 Kislev, 5718
Brooklyn.

The distinguished Rabbi and Gaon, the veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, a man of many deeds and full of energy, engaged in communal affairs, etc., etc., Reb Zev, may he live long^[1]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I was pleased to receive your regards^[2] through the avrechim, may they live long and well. Although they did not give me details, I strongly hope that you are adding from time to time in the holy work of bringing the hearts of Jews closer to our Father in Heaven, for we have been commanded, "one ascends in matters of holiness"^[3].

These days are especially suited for making good resolutions in such matters, for we have just come from the auspicious day of Yud-Tes Kislev, which, in the words of our holy Rebbeim, is the Rosh Hashanah for the study of Chassidus and for the ways of Chassidus. In the words of my father-in-law the Rebbe's father, the Rebbe (Rashab), of blessed memory: on this day the revelation of the light of the inner dimension of our holy Torah is drawn down, in a general drawing-down over the whole year^[4].

And the inner dimension of the Torah is "the Tree of Life", where there is no side of evil, no spirit of impurity, etc., and through it the Jewish people will go out of exile with mercy, as Moshe Rabbeinu, the Faithful Shepherd, said in the Zohar III, 124b, and as the Alter Rebbe explains in Iggeres HaKodesh, ch. 26^[5].

Fortunate is your portion, that Heaven has granted you the merit and appointed you^[6] to influence many Jews. May it be G‑d's will that He, blessed be He^[7], grant you success and the merit to use this influence of yours to the full, and may the merit of the many assist you^[8].

Regarding the above-mentioned avrechim and their study of the craft of shechitah and bedikah^[9]: according to the ruling^[10] that a shochet must be "a fit man whose ways are proper and the fear of G‑d is on his face, and also able to learn and understand Gemara and Rashi on his own, etc., exceedingly G‑d-fearing and trembling at the word of G‑d, not hasty or rash in their minds, etc." (see Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, Yoreh De'ah 1, s.k. 2^[11]; his Responsa, 9; Responsa Tzemach Tzedek, Yoreh De'ah 12; and elsewhere), it has been the practice for many, many years that before studying the subjects of shechitah there must be a period of preparation, so that he acquires the necessary qualities mentioned. The preparation, of course, is through studying our holy Torah without any ulterior motive, even motives of holiness; good conduct in general, and keeping the mitzvos with hiddur in particular; and so on.

I strongly hope that you^[12], in your letters to them, will urge them about this time after time, so that for now^[13] they will not be occupied at all with thoughts about learning the craft of shechitah, etc., but rather "their desire is in the Torah of G‑d, and in His Torah they meditate day and night"^[14], with diligence and with the vitality of "all my bones shall say"^[15]. You will surely find the right words for them, and you will succeed.

With respect and with blessing for good news^[16] in all the above, and for an illuminating Chanukah, following Beis Hillel: ever increasing^[17].

Notes

1. Reb Zev (מו"ה זאב): Publisher's note: "Greenberg, Buenos Aires. Further letters to him: above, vol. 15, letter 5346, and the references in the notes there." R. Zev Greenberg, rav of the community "Shuva Yisrael" in Buenos Aires (see the letter to him and the members of his community, below, vol. 17, letter 6162). In the address: הרה"ג וו"ח אי"א = הרב הגאון ותיק וחסיד איש ירא אלקים; עוסק בצ"צ = עוסק בצרכי ציבור; מו"ה = מורנו הרב.

2. Your regards (הפ"ש): הפרישת שלום.

3. "One ascends in matters of holiness" (מעלין בקדש): The teaching of our Sages (Shabbos 21b): "One ascends in holiness and does not descend" (its source is in Menachos 99a). That is, in matters of holiness one must always add.

4. In a general drawing-down over the whole year (בהמשכה כללית על כללות השנה): The words of the Rebbe Rashab (מהורש"ב = מורנו הרב רבי שלום דובער) in his letter quoted in Hayom Yom, 19 Kislev: "This day is the Rosh Hashanah of the words of the living G‑d... to draw down the revelation of the light of the inner dimension of our holy Torah, which is drawn down on this day in a general drawing-down over the whole year." זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא, נשמתו בגנזי מרומים, זכותו יגן עלינו; תוה"ק = תורתנו הקדושה.

5. "The Tree of Life"... they will go out of exile with mercy (אילנא דחיי... יפקון בנ"י מן גלותא ברחמים): The words of the Raaya Mehemna (Zohar III, 124b), with which the Alter Rebbe opens Iggeres HaKodesh, ch. 26: "Since the Jewish people are destined to taste of the Tree of Life, which is this Book of the Zohar, through it they will go out of exile with mercy... for there, there is no difficulty from the side of evil and no dispute from the spirit of impurity." The Rebbe cites the words in brief and in a different order: the inner dimension of the Torah is the "Tree of Life", which has no side of evil and no spirit of impurity, and through it the Jewish people will leave exile with mercy. Hence these days, when the light of the inner Torah is drawn down for the whole year, are especially suited to good resolutions.

6. Heaven has granted you the merit and appointed you (דמן שמיא קזכו לי וממני לי'): Aramaic. כו"כ ("many") = כמה וכמה.

7. G‑d, blessed be He (השי"ת): השם יתברך.

8. The merit of the many assist you (זכות הרבים מסייעתו): Along the lines of Avos 5:18: "Whoever brings merit to the many, no sin comes about through him... Moshe was meritorious and brought merit to the many; the merit of the many is attributed to him."

9. Shechitah and bedikah (שו"ב): שוחט ובודק, a ritual slaughterer and examiner.

10. The ruling... must be (הפס"ד... צ"ל): הפסק דין... צריך להיות.

11. Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe, Yoreh De'ah 1, s.k. 2 (שו"ע רבנו הזקן יו"ד ס"א סק"ב): In the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Laws of Shechitah 1, s.k. 2: "Every rav who grants certification to a shochet must inquire and investigate whether he is a fit man whose ways are proper and the fear of G‑d is on his face, and also able to learn and understand Gemara and Rashi on his own, for then he has the heart to be careful." "His Responsa" (שו"ת שלו) are the Alter Rebbe's Responsa; הצ"צ = the Tzemach Tzedek. יר"ש = יראי שמים.

12. You (כת"ר): כבוד תורתו, "his honored Torah eminence", the respectful form of address.

13. For now... but rather (לע"ע... כ"א): לעת עתה... כי אם.

14. "Their desire is in the Torah of G‑d..." (בתורת ה' חפצם ובתורתו יהגו יומם ולילה): After Tehillim 1:2: "But his desire is in the Torah of G‑d, and in His Torah he meditates day and night"; in the letter, in the plural.

15. "All my bones shall say" (כל עצמותי תאמרנה): Tehillim 35:10: "All my bones shall say, G‑d, who is like You." That is, study with the vitality of one's whole being.

16. Good news (בשו"ט): בשורות טובות.

17. Following Beis Hillel: ever increasing (והלכה כבית הלל - מוסיף והולך): Shabbos 21b: "Beis Hillel say: on the first day one lights one; from then on, one keeps adding", and the halachah follows Beis Hillel. That is, a blessing that the light of Chanukah shine with an increase from day to day.

Summary

On Yud-Tes Kislev the light of the inner Torah, the "Tree of Life" through which the Jewish people will leave exile with mercy, is drawn down for the whole year, so these days call for good resolutions to bring Jews closer. Young men who wish to become shochtim must first become men of Torah learning and fear of Heaven, as the halachah demands of a shochet; until then their whole desire should be the Torah of G‑d.