6613 —המשכת השפעת י"ט כסלו לכל השנה, ברכה לרך הנמול, וסדר קריאת השמות בפרשת וישב

B"H, 21st of Kislev, 5719
Brooklyn.

The veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, etc., our teacher Reb Yehoshua, may he live^[1]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of Isru Chag of the festival of redemption, Yud-Tes Kislev^[2], with its main points^[3] of what took place in connection with this bright day.

May it be G‑d's will that the influence of this day be drawn through the whole year^[4], down to everyday life.

At an auspicious time^[5] your wife and your newly circumcised son Yaakov Dovid — may they live long and happily — will be mentioned for what they need, in keeping with the content of your letter.

With blessing for a happy Chanukah,

In the name of the Rebbe^[6] shlita,

Secretary

As for what you wrote^[7] about the order of giving names — it has already been noted from the parshah in which we are going^[8] (38:3–5)^[9]: "and he called", "and she called", "and she called". And see our masters the Baal HaTurim and the commentary of the Ramban there^[10].

[Publisher's note: Our teacher Reb Yehoshua: Yuzevitch, Jerusalem. A further letter to him: above, vol. 15, letter 5668.]

Notes

1. Reb Yehoshua (מו"ה יהושע שי'): Yuzevitch, of Jerusalem.

2. Isru Chag (אסרו-חג): The day after the festival, after the pasuk (Tehillim 118:27), "bind the festival offering with cords", which is expounded in Sukkah 45b: "Whoever makes an addition to the festival with eating and drinking, Scripture considers him as if he built an altar and offered a sacrifice on it." Here: the day after Yud-Tes Kislev, the festival of the Alter Rebbe's redemption.

3. Main points (ר"פ): ראשי פרקים, i.e. a brief survey of the main things.

4. Be drawn through the whole year (שתומשך השפעת יום זה לכל השנה): See Hayom Yom, 19 Kislev, from a letter of the Rebbe Rashab: "This day is the Rosh Hashanah of the words of the living G‑d... which is drawn down on this day as a general influence over the whole year." Hence the blessing that the day's influence be drawn through the whole year, down to actual everyday life.

5. At an auspicious time (בעת רצון יזכירו): The secretariat's wording in letters written "in the name of the Rebbe": that the Rebbe will mention them for blessing at an auspicious time (and in some places it is stated explicitly: at the holy resting place of the Previous Rebbe). רך הנמול — the infant just circumcised.

6. The Rebbe (כ"ק אדמו"ר): כבוד קדושת אדוננו מורנו ורבנו.

7. As for what you wrote (במש"כ): במה שכתב.

8. The parshah in which we are going (פ' דאזלינן מינה): (Aramaic) the parshah we are in, i.e. the weekly parshah, Parshas Vayeshev.

9. (38:3–5) (לח, ג-ה): Bereishis 38:3–5: "She conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er. She conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan. She bore yet another son, and she called his name Shelah." So the first son was named by the father (Yehudah), and the second and third by the mother.

10. The Baal HaTurim and the Ramban (בעה"ת ופי' הרמב"ן): בעה"ת = בעל הטורים. That is: see the Baal HaTurim and the Ramban's commentary on these pesukim (Bereishis 38:3–5), who discuss the change from "and he called" to "and she called".

Summary

Replying to a report of the Yud-Tes Kislev events, the Rebbe's secretary wishes that the day's influence be drawn through the whole year and into everyday life, and writes that the recipient's wife and newly circumcised son Yaakov Dovid will be mentioned for blessing. On the question of who gives the names, he points to that week's parshah, Bereishis 38:3–5 — "he called", "she called", "she called" — with the Baal HaTurim and Ramban there.