5942 —הסחת הדעת מחשש כשפים ובטחון בהשגחה פרטית, ודרכי התיקון: שידוך, תורה בעל פה ותענית דבור

B"H, 22 Kislev, 5718
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of 15 Kislev, in which you write an outline of what you have gone through, and in which you attribute things to, and mention, matters of sorcerers, witchcraft, etc.

You should put it out of your mind entirely and completely, and strengthen your trust in G‑d, blessed be He, Who watches over each and every one with individual Divine Providence. You should, however, have your tefillin checked, and likewise the mezuzos in your home. Every weekday, before the morning prayer, set aside a few coins for tzedakah; and after the morning prayer, and also on Shabbos Kodesh and Yom Tov, say the monthly Tehillim portion, as Tehillim is divided by the days of the month^[1] —

As for what you write about rectification: first of all, you must energetically pursue a match with a worthy woman; and words of Torah should be engraved in your memory, that is, you should know them by heart, among them some chapters of Mishnayos and at least one chapter of the holy Tanya (in keeping with what the Alter Rebbe writes in Likkutei Torah, end of Parshas Kedoshim)^[2]. Likewise, you should keep fasts of speech and the like; but fasting from food and drink is utterly ruled out, for it is the opposite of the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov, of Chassidus^[3]. What I mean by a fast of speech is as written in the book Toldos Maharash, end of page 72^[4]; but obviously it must be without display or notice, so that those who see you do not notice. And in a suitable way, you should also strive with the greatest energy for the education of Jewish boys and girls in the pure, holy way.

You surely take part in the chassidic farbrengens held from time to time. By taking part I mean, of course, not with regard to the physical side, but with regard to hearing the words of inspiration spoken at the farbrengen, and above all, the change for the better that comes through it. For known is the "note that came down from Heaven"^[5], the words of the Alter Rebbe: what a chassidic farbrengen can accomplish, the angel Michael cannot accomplish.

With blessing,

In the name of the Rebbe shlita^[6]

Secretary

Notes

1. The monthly Tehillim portion (השיעור תהלים חדשי): The division of the book of Tehillim by the days of the month, so that the whole book is completed each month. בש"ק = בשבת קודש.

2. Likkutei Torah, end of Parshas Kedoshim (לקוטי תורה... סוף פרשה קדושים): In Likkutei Torah, end of Kedoshim (the discourse VeHadarta Pnei Zaken): "Every man whose heart moves him and whose soul longs to cleave to Him, blessed be He, constantly... should acquire the Torah in the faculty of memory in his soul; for then, even when he is occupied with the needs of the body, the Torah is in the hidden world of his soul"; and there, that at the very least "he should acquire and engrave the Order of Kodashim, which is called wisdom in the words of our Sages and atones for a person's sins, as the Arizal writes." That is, knowing words of Torah by heart is the way of rectification. עכ"פ = על כל פנים.

3. The opposite of the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov (היפך תורת הבעל שם טוב): As the Alter Rebbe writes in Iggeres HaTeshuvah, ch. 3: "But one whom many fasts harm, who might come to illness or pain, G‑d forbid, as in these generations of ours, is forbidden to fast much."

4. Toldos Maharash, end of page 72 (תולדות מוהר"ש סוף עמוד ע"ב): מוהר"ש = מורנו הרב רבי שמואל, the Rebbe Maharash; ע"ב here is the page number, 72. The Rebbe refers to the same place in letter 5097 (replacing fasting with charity and a speech fast and the like) and in letter 5836 (a speech fast "is a matter in its own right, for certain cases", but does not replace the fasts of Iggeres HaTeshuvah).

5. The "note that came down from Heaven" (פתקא דמשמיא נחית): Aramaic. The Alter Rebbe's words, in Yiddish: "What a chassidic farbrengen can accomplish, the angel Michael cannot accomplish." Publisher's note: "The words of the Alter Rebbe: see also above, letter 5899, and the references in the notes there."

6. In the name of the Rebbe (בשם כ"ק אדמו"ר שליט"א): This letter was written by the Rebbe's secretariat, in his name. כ"ק = כבוד קדושת.

Summary

One who fears sorcery should dismiss the thought entirely and strengthen his trust in G‑d's individual Providence, while checking his tefillin and mezuzos, giving tzedakah daily and saying the monthly Tehillim. The way of rectification is to seek a match, to learn Torah by heart, and to keep discreet speech fasts rather than fasting from food, which is contrary to Chassidus; and to take part in farbrengens so as to change for the better.