6634 —ההכרח על כל אחד ללמוד פנימיות התורה בהבנה והשגה, כדין לימוד תורה שבעל פה

B"H, 8th of Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

The righteous Rabbi, the Chassidic Rabbi, son of holy ones, etc.^[1], Reb Moshe HaLevi, may he live long and happily, Amen^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter of Sunday; I believe that in these days a reply has been sent to your honor^[3] from the administration of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim.

On this occasion I acknowledge receipt of your book Esh Das, part 6^[4]. May it be G‑d's will that for many more years you increase strength for the Torah^[5]; and may it be His will that in this you add, as the central point^[6], the great necessity for every single Jew^[7] to study the inner dimension of the Torah, which in our generation has been revealed in the teachings of Chassidus, with the emphasis on studying it with comprehension and understanding, just as with the law regarding study of the Oral Torah^[8], which counts as learning only if one understands and comprehends. See the Magen Avraham, Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, siman 50^[9], cited in Likkutei Torah of the Alter Rebbe, on Vayikra, in the discourse "Lo Tashbis" (5b)^[10]. Already well known are the words that "hew out flames of fire"^[11] of R. Chaim Vital in his introduction to Shaar HaHakdamos^[12], and these matters are explained at length by the Rebbe Rashab in his Kuntres Etz HaChaim^[13]. Certainly for someone like you^[14] the matter needs no elaboration at all.

With respect and blessing.

Publisher's notes

Reb Moshe (מו"ה משה): Epstein, Tel Aviv.

Notes

1. The righteous Rabbi, the Chassidic Rabbi, son of holy ones (הרה"צ הרה"ח בנש"ק): הרה"צ = הרב הצדיק, "the righteous Rabbi"; הרה"ח = הרב החסיד, "the Chassidic Rabbi"; בנש"ק = בנם של קדושים, "son of holy ones", said of a descendant of tzaddikim.

2. Reb Moshe HaLevi, may he live long and happily, Amen (מו"ה משה שליט"א הלוי): Epstein, Tel Aviv. R. Moshe Yechiel HaLevi Epstein (1889–1971), the Ozherover Rebbe, grandson and disciple of R. Aryeh Leib (Leibush) of Ozherov. He served as rav in Ożarów, Poland, moved to New York in 5686 (1926), settled in the Holy Land in 5713 (1953) and lived in Tel Aviv. He wrote Be'er Moshe on the Torah, and Esh Das (eleven volumes, 5710–5723), devoted mainly to love of G‑d, love of the Torah and love of one's fellow Jew.

3. Your honor (כת"ר): כת"ר = כבוד תורתו, "his honored Torah eminence", a respectful form of address.

4. Your book Esh Das, part 6 (ספרו אש דת חלק ו'): See note 2. The sixth volume of Esh Das ("A Fiery Law", after Devarim 33:2) had just appeared, and the author sent it to the Rebbe.

5. Increase strength for the Torah (ירבה חיילים לאורייתא): "Strength (חיילים) for the Torah", i.e. to increase the forces devoted to Torah study. The Rebbe blessed authors who sent him their books in the same words, e.g. vol. 17, letter 6415.

6. The central point (הנקודה התיכונה): The inner, central point, i.e. as a main theme in his future volumes, not as a side matter.

7. Every single Jew (כאו"א מבנ"י): כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד; בנ"י = בני ישראל.

8. The Oral Torah (תורה שבע"פ): תורה שבע"פ = תורה שבעל פה, the Oral Torah.

9. See the Magen Avraham, Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim, siman 50 (מג"א שו"ע או"ח סי' נו"ן): מג"א = Magen Avraham; שו"ע או"ח = Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim; סי' נו"ן = siman 50. The Magen Avraham (50:2) writes that nowadays one must learn the explanation of the Mishnah and Baraisa recited daily, "for otherwise it is not considered learning… if one says the Mishnah and does not understand, it is not called learning". The Alter Rebbe rules likewise in his Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 50:2: "one who does not understand must learn and understand, for otherwise it is not considered learning… if one says the Mishnah and does not understand, it is not called learning at all".

10. Likkutei Torah… the discourse "Lo Tashbis" (לקו"ת... ד"ה לא תשבית (ה, ב)): לקו"ת = Likkutei Torah; ד"ה = דיבור המתחיל, the discourse beginning. Likkutei Torah, Vayikra, the explanation of the discourse "VeLo Sashbis": "Learning Scripture is not like learning Mishnah and Talmud, where the main thing is to grasp the wisdom in them… but still, if one says the halachah and does not understand, it is not considered learning at all, as the Magen Avraham writes in siman 50". There he explains the obligation to study the inner dimension of the Torah. Just as in the Oral Torah the essence of learning is understanding and comprehension, so too in the inner dimension of the Torah, the teachings of Chassidus, the study must be with understanding and comprehension.

11. Words that hew out flames of fire (דברים חוצבים להבות אש): From the verse, Tehillim 29:7: "The voice of G‑d hews out flames of fire"; Rashi there: "the speech of the Ten Commandments came forth in flames of fire". It also echoes the title of the recipient's book, Esh Das.

12. R. Chaim Vital in his introduction to Shaar HaHakdamos (מהרח"ו בהקדמתו לשער ההקדמות): מהרח"ו = מורנו הרב חיים ויטאל, R. Chaim Vital. In his introduction to Shaar HaHakdamos he urges at length, in sharp words, the obligation to study the inner dimension of the Torah, the wisdom of Kabbalah, and rebukes those who refrain from it. See also vol. 16, letter 5986: "the necessity of studying the inner dimension of the Torah, which in our generation has been revealed in the teachings of Chassidus".

13. The Rebbe Rashab in his Kuntres Etz HaChaim (לאדמו"ר מוהרש"ב בקונטרס עץ חיים שלו): מוהרש"ב = מורנו הרב שלום דובער, the Rebbe Rashab. In Kuntres Etz HaChaim (written for the students of Tomchei Temimim) he explains at length the obligation of every Jew to study Chassidus, and that it must be studied in depth, with comprehension and understanding.

14. For someone like you (לדכוותי'): Aramaic, "for one like him": for a Torah scholar of his stature, who himself urges love of G‑d and love of the Torah in his books, there is no need to elaborate.

Summary

Acknowledging the sixth volume of the recipient's Esh Das, the Rebbe asks him to make central in his writing the obligation of every Jew to study Chassidus, the inner dimension of the Torah revealed in our generation, and to study it with understanding, just as Oral Torah counts as learning only when understood (Magen Avraham 50, cited in Likkutei Torah), as R. Chaim Vital and the Rebbe Rashab wrote.