6617 —מעלת כתיבת ספר תורה ונתינתו לישיבת תומכי תמימים במונטריאול, ומצוה גוררת מצוה

B"H, fifth light of Chanukah, 5719
Brooklyn, N.Y.

The veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, etc., our teacher Reb Chaim Yosef, may he live, and his wife Mrs. Itta Rochel, may she live^[1]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I was pleased to receive word through the Rav and Chassid, the veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and exalted, engaged in communal needs, a man of energy, etc., our teacher Rabbi^[2] Aryeh Leib Kramer, may he live, that you have had a new Sefer Torah written and have given it to the yeshivah "Tomchei Temimim" Lubavitch in Montreal.

It is superfluous to underline the importance and holiness of the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah^[3], especially of giving it to a place where they know how to value the holiness of a Sefer Torah, which is the holiest thing Jews have.

That, after all, is the content of the yeshivah Tomchei Temimim^[4]: to raise students who will know how to value the holiness of the Torah, and of the Giver of the Torah, and of the holy people^[5], and to unite within themselves the love of G‑d, the love of the Torah and the love of Israel^[6] in everyday life.

May the merit of this holy mitzvah stand by you, that "one mitzvah draws another"^[7] — that one mitzvah bring you to another in a rising measure — and may this bring you and all yours, may they live, the blessings of the Almighty in a rising measure, as alluded to in the Chanukah lights, which are lit in a manner of steady increase^[8], bringing ever more of the light of Torah and mitzvos^[9] into the Jewish home and into the surroundings around it.

With blessing.

[Publisher's note: Our teacher Reb Chaim Yosef: Schneider.]

Notes

1. Reb Chaim Yosef... and his wife (מו"ה חיים יוסף שי' וזוג'): Schneider.

2. The Rav and Chassid... our teacher Rabbi (הרה"ח וו"ח אי"א נו"מ עוסק בצ"צ... מוה"ר): הרב החסיד ותיק וחסיד איש ירא אלקים נכבד ומרומם; עוסק בצרכי ציבור; מורנו הרב רבי.

3. The mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah (דער מצוה פון שרייבן א ספר-תורה): See Sanhedrin 21b: "Even if a person's ancestors left him a Sefer Torah, it is a mitzvah to write one of his own, as it says, 'And now, write for yourselves this song.'" And Rambam, Laws of Tefillin, Mezuzah and Sefer Torah 7:1: it is a positive commandment upon every Jew to write a Sefer Torah for himself.

4. The yeshivah Tomchei Temimim (דער ישיבה תומכי-תמימים): Founded by the Rebbe Rashab in 5657 in Lubavitch; and its branch in Montreal, to which the Sefer Torah was given.

5. The holy people (דעם עם קדוש): After the pasuk, Devarim 14:2: "For you are a holy people to G‑d your G‑d."

6. The love of G‑d, the love of the Torah and the love of Israel (אהבת השם, אהבת התורה ואהבת ישראל): See Hayom Yom, 26 Adar I: "With three holy vessels — love of G‑d, love of the Torah, love of Israel — young students of Torah must approach working in the vineyard of the L‑rd of Hosts."

7. "One mitzvah draws another" (מצוה גוררת מצוה): Avos 4:2: "for one mitzvah draws another, and one sin draws another."

8. Steady increase (מוסיף והולך): Shabbos 21b: "Beis Hillel say: on the first day one lights one, from then on one steadily adds."

9. The light of Torah and mitzvos (ליכטיקייט פון תורה און מצוות): After the pasuk, Mishlei 6:23: "For a mitzvah is a lamp, and the Torah is light." And just as the Chanukah light is to be placed "at the entrance of one's house, outside" (Shabbos 21b), so the light must shine not only inside the home but also "in the surroundings around it."

Summary

Written in Yiddish on the fifth night of Chanukah, the Rebbe tells a couple he was pleased to hear that they had a new Sefer Torah written and gave it to Tomchei Temimim in Montreal — a place that knows how to value a Sefer Torah, since the yeshivah raises students who value the holiness of the Torah, its Giver and the holy people, and unite in themselves the love of G‑d, Torah and Israel. May one mitzvah draw another and bring rising blessing, like the Chanukah lights, which bring ever more light into the home and its surroundings.