5954 —י"ט כסלו "ראש" ולא "תחלה" לכל השנה, והוראת פך השמן: לעשות המוטל עליו בלי להתרשם ממיעוט האמצעים

B"H, 26 Kislev, 5718
Brooklyn.

The Rabbi and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, whose work is the work of Heaven, Reb Yaakov, may he live long^[1]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your contribution. May it be G‑d's will that, since we have just come from the auspicious day of Yud-Tes Kislev, the Rosh Hashanah for the study of Chassidus and the ways of Chassidus (and the precision of the Alter Rebbe and his son the Mitteler Rebbe is known, in the word "head" and not "beginning"^[2], for it is like the head, which includes and draws life into all the limbs, that is to say^[3], into all the days of the year), and we are now in the days of Chanukah, whose message is adding more and more, and specifically at the entrance of one's house, outside, even though the sun has set^[4]: each one of us, within the whole of the Jewish people, will fulfill the inner content of the above in activities in his surroundings, to light them up with "the lamp of a mitzvah, the Torah light" and the light within the Torah, which is the teaching of Chassidus, which brings back to the good^[5].

And this too is a lesson of the days of Chanukah: one should not be impressed if the quantity of oil (which spreads through the whole, Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 105:5^[6]) seemingly suffices for only one day^[7]. For a person must do all that is incumbent upon him, and G‑d will do what is good in His eyes^[8]; and if one does it wholeheartedly^[9], the oil suffices until new oil is prepared; and this is easy to understand^[10].

With blessing for good news^[11].

Publisher's notes

Letter 5954: Printed in Likkutei Sichos, vol. 4, p. 1257, and completed from the copy in the Rebbe's secretariat.

Reb Yaakov (מו"ה יעקב שי'): Zilberman, Montreal. A further letter to him: above, vol. 8, letter 2382.

Notes

1. Whose work is the work of Heaven, Reb Yaakov (מלאכתו מלאכת שמים מו"ה יעקב שי'): R. Yaakov Zilberman of Montreal. "Whose work is the work of Heaven" is a title for a scribe of Torah scrolls, tefillin and mezuzos, after Sotah 20a, where R. Yishmael told R. Meir the scribe: "My son, be careful, for your work is the work of Heaven." To him the Rebbe wrote letter 2382 (3 Shevat 5714), on the forms of the letters according to the Alter Rebbe.

2. "Head" and not "beginning" (ראש ולא תחלה): Yud-Tes Kislev is called the "Rosh Hashanah", the "head of the year", of Chassidus, not its "beginning". A beginning is only the first point, after which the other days stand on their own; a head includes all the limbs and gives them life. So Yud-Tes Kislev includes and draws life into the study and ways of Chassidus throughout the year. The Rebbe wrote similarly a few days later, letter 5958.

3. That is to say (ז.א.): זאת אומרת.

4. At the entrance of one's house, outside, even though the sun has set (על פתח ביתו מבחוץ, אף כי שקעה החמה): Shabbos 21b: "It is a mitzvah to place the Chanukah light at the entrance of one's house, outside"; "its mitzvah is from sunset"; and "from then on he adds more and more."

5. The light within the Torah... which brings back to the good (ומאור שבתורה... שמחזיר למוטב): After Mishlei 6:23, "For a mitzvah is a lamp, and the Torah is light", and the saying of our Sages (Eichah Rabbah, Pesichta 2; Yerushalmi Chagigah 1:7): "the light within it brings them back to the good." The Rebbe explains: "the light within the Torah" is the teaching of Chassidus.

6. Which spreads through the whole (שמפעפע בכולו): Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 105:5, in the laws of mixtures: a fatty substance "spreads through the whole" piece. It is the nature of oil to spread and penetrate everything, so that even a small amount accomplishes much.

7. Suffices for only one day (רק ליום אחד תספיק): After Shabbos 21b: "they found only one cruse of oil... and it had only enough to light for one day; a miracle was done with it and they lit from it for eight days."

8. G‑d will do what is good in His eyes (וה' הטוב בעיניו יעשה): The words of the verse, II Shmuel 10:12: "Be strong, and let us be strong for our people... and G‑d will do what is good in His eyes."

9. Wholeheartedly (אליבא דנפשי'): With one's whole soul. That is, when a person does what is incumbent on him with all his heart and soul, he need not worry whether the means will suffice; G‑d will do the rest.

10. This is easy to understand (וק"ל): וקל להבין. In spreading Chassidus too, one must not be deterred because the strength and means seem few; when one does one's part, they suffice until new strength arrives.

11. Good news (בשו"ט): בשורות טובות.

Summary

The Rebbe explains that Yud-Tes Kislev is the "head," not merely the "beginning," of the year of Chassidus, for like the head it gives life to every day. Chanukah teaches each Jew to light up his surroundings with the inner light of the Torah, and not to be daunted if the "oil" seems enough for only one day: one does one's part, and G‑d makes it suffice until new oil comes.