6583 —הצלחה בהוראה, תפלה נכונה עם הצבור, ודלוג בפסוקי דזמרה

B"H, 6th of Kislev, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After a very long interruption, your letter of the 28th of Cheshvan was received, in which you write that you have taken a position as a teacher in an educational institution in the purity of holiness.

May it be G‑d's will that you succeed in your teaching of them; and the main thing is that in this teaching the directive of Chazal be fulfilled, "Study is great, for it brings to action"^[1] — in actual practice, in the everyday life of the students — and that through this there be an increase in matters of fear of Heaven also as regards their parents, may they live.

As for what you write about your prayer, that the minyan in which you pray hurries more and more:

The practice in such a case is to begin the prayer with the congregation, and afterwards to pray as best one can, that is^[2],

with kavanah as best one can. And if your prayer takes longer than the congregation's — the main thing in prayer is attention and kavanah; and by beginning together with the congregation, there is in this too something of prayer with the congregation^[3], though, of course, only something of it.

As to your question about skipping in Pesukei D'Zimra: although many permit this^[4] in order that the prayer be with the congregation, apart from there being opinions that it is forbidden, even those who permit do not conceal that skipping is unseemly^[5] — especially according to what is explained in the books of Kabbalah and the books of Chassidus^[6], too many to count. Therefore, as above, do what is in your power: that is, begin your prayer with the congregation, and afterwards pray in order, with the meaning of the words, etc. The greatness of the reward for one who directs his heart to Heaven^[7] is already known; and this is easy to understand^[8].

With blessing for good tidings^[9].

[Publisher's notes: "The practice in such a case": see also above, vol. 10, letter 3055. "Skipping in Pesukei D'Zimra": see also above, vol. 1, letter 127; vol. 7, letter 1998; vol. 9, letter 2898; vol. 15, letter 5482.]

Notes

1. "Study is great, for it brings to action" (גדול תלמוד שמביא לידי מעשה): See Kiddushin 40b: "This question was asked before them: Is study greater or is action greater? ... They all answered and said: Study is greater, for study brings to action." In the letter: that the teaching of the students affect their actual conduct in everyday life.

2. That is (ז.א.): זאת אומרת.

3. Something of prayer with the congregation (מעין תפלה עם הצבור): Although he does not say the Shemoneh Esreh together with the congregation itself, by beginning his prayer with them there is in it something of prayer with the congregation; and this is better than hurrying and snatching the prayer without kavanah.

4. Many permit this (רבו המתירים בזה): See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 52:1, and the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 52:1: "Therefore one who comes to the synagogue and finds the congregation at the end of Pesukei D'Zimra should skip Pesukei D'Zimra in order to pray with the congregation."

5. Skipping is unseemly (שמגונה הדלוג): See the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 52:2: "All this is after the fact, when he transgressed and delayed coming to the synagogue. But in the first place every person must hasten to come to the synagogue so that he will not need to skip anything."

6. The books of Kabbalah and the books of Chassidus (בספרי קבלה ובספרי חסידות): According to the writings of the Arizal and the books of Chassidus, the order of prayer follows the order of the ascent through the worlds, and each part of it (the offerings, Pesukei D'Zimra, the Shema and its blessings, Shemoneh Esreh) is a level of its own in that ascent; skipping therefore damages the order of the ascent, and it is not merely a question of how much is said.

7. One who directs his heart to Heaven (המכוון לבו לשמים): After the saying of Chazal, Menachos 110a: "to tell you: whether one does much or one does little, as long as he directs his heart to Heaven"; and so too Berachos 5b. In the letter: although he cannot manage to say everything with the congregation, the main thing is the kavanah.

8. This is easy to understand (וק"ל): וקל להבין.

9. Good tidings (לבשו"ט): לבשורות טובות.

Summary

To a man who has become a teacher in a Torah school, the Rebbe wishes that his teaching lead to action in the students' daily lives and raise the fear of Heaven in their homes as well. As his minyan hurries, he should begin with the congregation and then pray at his own pace with kavanah. Skipping Pesukei D'Zimra, though many permit it to pray with the congregation, is unseemly even to them, especially per Kabbalah and Chassidus; better to pray in order with understanding.