6632 —ראשית השליחות במילאנו: השקו"ט עם בעלי הבתים, עבודה מסודרת ופרסום סיפורי יהדות בעתונות

B"H, 7th of Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

The Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, etc.^[1], Reb Gershon Mendel, may he live long^[2], and his wife the Rebbetzin, may she live long

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter, in which you write the main points^[3] of your activities over the past days. Surely your next letter will also include the points of the discussions between you and the lay leaders of the community, may they live long^[4], and how these are being carried from potential into actuality, and the manner of your work in your community now.

May it be G‑d's will that all this be with great success and with organized work with regard to "men, women and children"^[5]; and indeed the merit of the many assists you^[6], as do the blessings of our Rebbeim, our leaders, of saintly memory, whose souls are in the hidden treasuries on High, may their merit protect us^[7].

Surely you are also looking into the possibility of publishing in the newspapers read by our Jewish brethren^[8] some stories on matters of Judaism, Chassidus, etc. It is understood that they must be in a rendering suited to the character of the readers of each newspaper in particular^[9].

With blessings for good news^[10], with joy and gladness of heart^[11],

M. Schneersohn

Publisher's notes

Printed: in Likkutei Sichos vol. 23, p. 483, and completed from a photocopy of the letter.

Reb Gershon Mendel, may he live long (מו"ה גרשון מענדל שי'): Gerlik, Milan. Further letters to him: above, letter 6614, and the references in the notes there.

Notes

1. The Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored (הרה"ח אי"א נו"נ): הרה"ח = הרב החסיד, "the Chassid"; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים, "a G‑d-fearing man"; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד, "distinguished and honored".

2. Reb Gershon Mendel, may he live long (מו"ה גרשון מענדל שי'): Gerlik, Milan. R. Gershon Mendel Gerlik, son of R. Chaim Meir Gerlik of Kfar Chabad (see letters 4652, 5664, 5734), and his wife, Mrs. Basya (née Posner). On Sunday, 11 Kislev 5719, they set out as the Rebbe's emissaries to Milan, Italy. On the way they stayed in Paris, to obtain the Italian visa there and to receive detailed instructions for the work in Milan from R. Binyomin Eliyahu Gorodetzky, the Rebbe's representative in Europe (see above, letter 6584). On 26 Kislev the Rebbe answered their report "of your activities in Paris and during the journey", and wondered that they wrote nothing about how they were settling in Milan (above, letter 6614; see also vol. 21, letter 8168, to her father, R. Shalom Posner). In this letter the Rebbe answers their next report and asks about their discussions with the lay leaders of the community; in his letter of 2 Shevat he advises them to proceed in ways of peace and pleasantness and to take care not to give the impression of going "over the head" of anyone (below, letter 6672). In Milan he headed the Chabad institutions of Italy until his passing on 1 Adar 5781 (2021) (see also vol. 19, letter 7314).

3. The main points (ר"פ): ר"פ = ראשי פרקים, "the main points", i.e. a brief outline.

4. The discussions between you and the lay leaders of the community (השקו"ט בינם ובין הבע"ב שי'): השקו"ט = השקלא וטריא, "the give and take", the discussions; הבע"ב = הבעלי בתים, the lay leaders and householders of the Milan community, with whom they were negotiating how their work in the community would proceed. In his next letter (below, letter 6672) the Rebbe guides them in this: to proceed in ways of peace and pleasantness, "especially since it is almost certain that this conduct of yours will affect those you are apprehensive of, so that they will become helpers and partners in your own work".

5. "Men, women and children" (אנשים נשים וטף): From the verse of the mitzvah of Hakhel, Devarim 31:12: "Gather the people, the men, the women and the children". Organized work that reaches every part of the community – men, women and children; in his next letter (6672) the Rebbe also mentions specifically "the women active in communal work in their holy community".

6. The merit of the many assists you (זכות הרבים מסייעתם): After the Mishnah, Avos 2:2: וכל העמלים עם הצבור, יהיו עמלים עמהם לשם שמים, שזכות אבותם מסייעתן, "all who work with the community should work with them for the sake of Heaven, for the merit of their fathers assists them"; and "the merit of the many" as in Avos 5:18: "Moshe was meritorious and brought merit to the many; the merit of the many is attributed to him". Those who work for the community and bring merit to the many are helped by the merit of the many itself.

7. Our Rebbeim, our leaders… (רבותינו נשיאינו - זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): Our Rebbeim, the leaders of Chabad; זצוקללה"ה = זכר צדיקים וקדושים לברכה לחיי העולם הבא, "may the memory of the righteous and holy be for a blessing, for the life of the World to Come"; נבג"מ = נשמתם בגנזי מרומים, "whose souls are in the hidden treasuries on High"; זי"ע = זכותם יגן עלינו, "may their merit protect us".

8. Newspapers read by our Jewish brethren (מכ"ע הנקראים מאחב"י): מכ"ע = מכתבי עתים, periodicals, newspapers; מאחב"י = מאחינו בני ישראל, "by our brethren, the Children of Israel". The general newspapers read by Jews, not only the religious press.

9. A rendering suited to the character of the readers of each newspaper (בהעתקה מתאימה לאופי הקוראים של כל עתון ועתון): העתקה here means translation and adaptation: not a literal translation, but a style suited to the readership of each paper. Similarly, the Rebbe wrote to R. Naftali Kraus about the Sichos LaNoar booklets for youth (vol. 16, letter 6075) that "a literal translation is not suitable for youth… a literal translation prevents widening the circle of readers".

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

11. With joy and gladness of heart (מתוך שמחה וטוב לבב): From the verse, Devarim 28:47: "because you did not serve the L‑rd your G‑d with joy and with gladness of heart".

Summary

Soon after the shluchim arrived in Milan, the Rebbe acknowledges their report and asks that their next letter tell of their discussions with the community's lay leaders and how their work is being put into practice. He blesses organized work reaching men, women and children, and suggests publishing stories on Judaism and Chassidus in the general Jewish press, adapted to each paper's readers.