6626 —השתדלות בפרנסה מתוך בטחון ולא מתוך דאגה, וההתעסקות במוסד חב"ד כצינור לפרנסה

B"H, 5 Teves 5719
Brooklyn.

Brachah v'Shalom!

In reply to your letter of the fifth [Chanukah] light^[1].

It is obvious that the content of my letter^[2], to which you reply in your letter mentioned above, was not, G‑d forbid^[3], meant to cause distress to anyone, but to clarify the matter as I see it, on those points that bear on conduct in the present and the future.

It is likewise obvious that I did not mean to instruct anyone that he must live frugally, for this too is not my role at all; especially in light of the well-known saying of our Sages that the world was not worthy of using gold, except^[4] in the merit of its being necessary for building the Beis HaMikdash^[5]. The same applies to every Jewish home, of which it is said, "Let them make Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell in their midst"^[6] – in the midst of each and every Jew^[7]: all the abundance that exists in the world is^[8] in the merit of its being fitting for every Jewish home. Of course, this must^[9] be without pursuing material things and material abundance, but the thing itself should be so; as in the words of the Rambam at the end of the Laws of Teshuvah and at the end of the Laws of Kings, concerning the conduct of the days of Mashiach with regard to material things^[10].

What I did intend was to urge involvement in the Chabad institution in your holy community^[11] – on this my opinion is firm, that this is the channel also for the material livelihood of Anash^[12] there; and on the other hand, the need to lessen the worry about livelihood. Of course there must be effort in this, but not in a manner of worry; on the contrary, out of strong trust in G‑d, Who "nourishes the whole world in His goodness, with grace, with kindness and with mercy"^[13]. Then one's action is more effective and more successful; and not only that, it also adds to the health of the body and its response to the situation around it, and to one's efforts in matters of livelihood in particular – whereas worry about livelihood, and in a manner of, etc.^[14]

May it be G‑d's will that at least^[15] from now on it be in the manner of the lesson of the days of Chanukah, from which we are just coming, of increasing steadily in light^[16]; so may it be also in general matters and in personal matters, and may you share good news, in good that is visible and revealed.

With blessing for good news^[17] in all the above.

Notes

1. The fifth [Chanukah] light (מנר החמישי): The fifth day of Chanukah, when five lights are kindled, i.e. 29 Kislev 5719. This letter was written on 5 Teves, a few days after Chanukah.

2. My letter (מכתבי): The Rebbe's earlier letter to her, which is not before us (this letter is printed without the recipient's name). From this reply it appears that in that letter the Rebbe urged involvement in the Chabad institution in their community and less worry about livelihood, and she understood him as rebuking them or telling them to live frugally; here the Rebbe clarifies what he did and did not mean. For similar content – that working to spread Judaism and Chassidus in one's place is the channel of blessing also for livelihood, and that the Rebbe does not mean to hurt anyone – see above, letter 6576 (1 Kislev 5719).

3. G‑d forbid (ח"ו): ח"ו = חס ושלום.

4. Except (כ"א): כ"א = כי אם.

5. The world was not worthy of using gold (שלא הי' העולם ראוי להשתמש בזהב): The saying of Reish Lakish in Shemos Rabbah 35:1: לא היה העולם ראוי להשתמש בזהב, ולמה נברא, בשביל המשכן ובשביל בית המקדש, "The world was not worthy of using gold; why then was it created? For the Mishkan and for the Beis HaMikdash." The existence of gold in the world, and so its use for human needs, comes in the merit of the Sanctuary; from this the Rebbe shows that wealth and abundance are not in themselves something negative.

6. Let them make Me a Sanctuary (ועשו לי מקדש ושכנתי בתוכם): Shemos 25:8: "Let them make Me a Sanctuary, and I will dwell in their midst."

7. In the midst of each and every Jew (בתוך כאו"א מישראל): כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד. Based on the well-known precision in the verse: בתוכו לא נאמר, אלא בתוכם – בתוך כל אחד ואחד מישראל, "It does not say 'in its midst' but 'in their midst' – in each and every Jew", cited often in Chassidus (its sources are Reishis Chochmah, Shaar HaAhavah ch. 6, and the Shelah, Shaar HaOsiyos, letter Lamed, as the Rebbe wrote in letter 99). The Rebbe adds that just as gold was created for the Sanctuary, so all material abundance in the world comes in the merit of the Sanctuary in every Jewish home, and is therefore fitting for a Jewish home.

8. Is (ה"ז): ה"ז = הרי זה.

9. Must (צ"ל): צ"ל = צריך להיות.

10. The end of the Laws of Teshuvah and… of Kings (סוף הלכות תשובה וסוף הלכות מלכים): Laws of Teshuvah 9:1: "He has promised us in the Torah… that He will bestow upon us all the good things that strengthen our hands to fulfil the Torah, such as plenty, peace and abundance of silver and gold, so that we should not be occupied all our days with the things the body needs, but sit free to study wisdom and fulfil the mitzvah"; and Laws of Kings 12:4-5: "The Sages and the prophets did not long for the days of Mashiach… nor in order to eat, drink and rejoice, but so that they be free for the Torah and its wisdom… In that era… good will flow in abundance and all delicacies will be as common as dust." Material abundance is desirable, provided it is not the goal and is not pursued for its own sake, but serves the service of G‑d with peace of mind.

11. In your holy community (במחנם הט'): במחנם הט' = במחנם הטהור, "in their pure camp", i.e. in their holy community, where they live.

12. Anash (אנ"ש): אנ"ש = אנשי שלומנו, "the members of our fellowship", the Chassidim.

13. Who nourishes the whole world in His goodness (הזן את העולם כולו בטובו בחן ובחסד וברחמים): השי"ת = השם יתברך. The wording of the first blessing of Grace after Meals (Birkas HaZan): "Who nourishes the whole world in His goodness, with grace, with kindness and with mercy." Trust rests on the fact that G‑d feeds the whole world, and them with it.

14. Whereas worry… etc. (משא"כ הדאגה לפרנסה ובאופן וכו'): The Rebbe does not spell it out but hints with "etc.": worry does the opposite of what was said of trust – it weakens one's action and its success, and harms one's health and one's ability to act in matters of livelihood.

15. At least (עכ"פ): עכ"פ = על כל פנים.

16. From which we are just coming, of increasing steadily in light (דאזלינן מנייהו דמוסיף והולך באור): "From which we are coming" – this letter was written on 5 Teves, just after Chanukah. The lesson of Chanukah follows Shabbos 21b: וב"ה אומרים: יום ראשון מדליק אחת, מכאן ואילך מוסיף והולך, "Beis Hillel say: on the first day one lights one; from then on one keeps adding" – so too in one's own affairs there should be a daily increase in light. See also letter 6619 (1 Teves 5719).

17. Good news (בשו"ט): בשו"ט = בשורות טובות.

Summary

Replying to a woman who was hurt by his previous letter, the Rebbe clarifies that he did not mean to cause distress or to tell anyone to live frugally – material abundance is fitting for every Jewish home, which is a Sanctuary. His point was that involvement in the local Chabad institution is the channel for livelihood, and that worry should give way to trust in G‑d, which makes one's efforts, and even one's health, more successful.