6594 —קשיי דיבור, עצה רפואית, וחיזוק הבטחון בה'

B"H, 9th of Kislev, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of 11/18, in which you write about the difficulties you have in your speech.

In general this comes from the state of the nerves; therefore it is worthwhile to ask the opinion of an expert physician on it, and to carry out his instructions. And from the above it is understood that the more you strengthen your trust in the Creator and Ruler of the world, Who watches over each one with individual Providence^[1] — so that there is no room for worry and agitation, etc., for "G‑d stands over him"^[2] and guards him, and G‑d is the essence of good, and it is the nature of the good to do good^[3] — the agitation and fear will lessen, and through this^[4] your manner of speech will also improve.

Likewise, among the technical pieces of advice for this: if you feel that a word you are about to say is hard for you to pronounce, do not try to force yourself to pronounce it specifically now; rather begin from the word or two before it, or speak of another subject; and when one is released from the tension, an improvement comes of itself.

Since for every matter one needs help from Heaven^[5], keep the takanah of saying the monthly portion of Tehillim — as the Tehillim is divided for the days of the month — every day after the morning prayer; and every weekday before the morning prayer set aside some coins for tzedakah^[6]; and have your tefillin checked, that they are kosher according to the law^[7].

With blessing for good tidings^[8] in all the above,

In the name of the Rebbe^[9] shlita,

Secretary

P.S.

In my secretariat French is not written, and so the reply comes in the Holy Tongue; but you may also write in French, since I read that language.

Notes

1. Individual Providence (השגחה פרטית): Not only a general Providence over the species, but Providence over each and every detail of each and every person's affairs; so when a person contemplates this and strengthens his trust, worry and fear are removed from him.

2. "G‑d stands over him" (ה' נצב עליו): After the words of the pasuk, Bereishis 28:13: "And behold, G‑d stood over him"; Rashi there: "to guard him."

3. The nature of the good is to do good (שמטבע הטוב להטיב): A saying famous in the books of Kabbalah and Chassidus. See Tanya, Shaar HaYichud VehaEmunah, chapter 4: "to worlds and creatures without end, for it is the nature of the good to do good."

4. Through this (עי"ז): על ידי זה.

5. Help from Heaven (סייעתא דשמיא): (Aramaic) assistance from Heaven.

6. Set aside some coins for tzedakah (יפריש איזה פרוטות לצדקה): Compare Bava Basra 10a: "Rabbi Elazar would give a coin to a poor man and then pray."

7. Have your tefillin checked (יבדקו את התפילין שלו): As is the Rebbe's way in his replies, to direct that the tefillin (and sometimes also the mezuzos) be checked, as a means to help from Heaven in every matter.

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

9. The Rebbe (כ"ק אדמו"ר): כבוד קדושת אדוננו מורנו ורבנו. The letter was written by the secretary in the Rebbe's name.

Summary

To a French-speaking correspondent with difficulty in speaking, the Rebbe's secretary writes that this generally stems from the nerves: he should consult an expert physician and follow his instructions, and strengthen his trust in G‑d's individual Providence, which lessens agitation and so improves speech. A practical tip: do not force a hard word; begin a word or two earlier or change the subject. For help from Heaven, he should say the daily Tehillim, give tzedakah before Shacharis on weekdays, and have his tefillin checked.