6636 —הפצת המעינות חוצה בין אברכי ישיבה: זכות ואחריות לעשותם משפיעים, ומעלת תלמידי תלמידיו

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

The Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, of great accomplishments^[1], Reb Tuvia, may he live long^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I hereby acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 1st of Teves.

At an auspicious time all those you write about will be mentioned at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of saintly and blessed memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on High, may his merit protect us^[3], each one^[4] for what he needs, in keeping with what you wrote.

In all the above^[5], may you be aided by the merit of your involvement in spreading the wellsprings outward^[6]. As explained elsewhere^[7], "outward" begins below Chochmah and Binah^[8] [of the intellect as it is in itself] and so on, level after level, until "outward" in the plainest sense. Fortunate is your lot, that your "outward" is yeshivah avrechim^[9]. But on the other hand this adds to the responsibility, since through proper influence on them one must make each of them "moist enough to moisten others"^[10], and an influence on those around him in the course of time. See Tosefta Eduyos, end of chapter 3, on the greatness of students' students^[11], and this is easily understood^[12]. May it be G‑d's will that you engage in all the above with joy and gladness of heart^[13], and in the manner of "you shall spread out to the west, to the east, to the north and to the south"^[14], until "an inheritance without bounds"^[15].

With blessings for good news^[16] in all the above.

Publisher's notes

Printed: in Likkutei Sichos vol. 20, p. 612, and completed from the secretariat's copy.

Reb Tuvia, may he live long (מו"ה טובי' שי'): Bloi, Jerusalem. Further letters to him: above, vol. 16, letter 5986, and the references in the notes there; below, letter 6856.

Notes

1. The Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, of great accomplishments (הרה"ח אי"א נו"נ רב פעלים): הרה"ח = הרב החסיד, "the Chassid"; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים, "a G‑d-fearing man"; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד, "distinguished and honored"; רב פעלים, "of great accomplishments", from the verse II Shmuel 23:20.

2. Reb Tuvia, may he live long (מו"ה טובי' שי'): Bloi, Jerusalem. R. Tuvia Bloi (1936–2026), born in Jerusalem, studied in Yeshivas Etz Chaim and drew close to Chabad in 5713 (1953). In 5715–5717 he was among the activists of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in Jerusalem, and among the organizers and teachers of the Chabad "evening yeshivos" founded in Jerusalem's neighborhoods at the initiative of the Rosh Yeshivah of Toras Emes, R. Shmuel Elazar Heilperin; later rav of the Chabad community in Neve Yaakov, principal of the Beis Chana school in Jerusalem, and author of Ner LeMeshichi on the Tanya. Earlier letters to him: vol. 11, 3802; vol. 13, 4446; vol. 15, 5472; vol. 16, 5986 (14 Teves 5718, "for success in holy work, and especially in the evening yeshivah"); and below, letter 6856 (9 Iyar 5719, on his activities in Tzeirei Agudas Chabad and spreading the wellsprings).

3. My father-in-law, the Rebbe… (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn; זצוקללה"ה = "may the memory of the righteous and holy one be for a blessing, for the life of the World to Come"; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים, "whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on High"; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו, "may his merit protect us".

4. Each one (כאו"א): כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד.

5. In all the above (בכהנ"ל): בכהנ"ל = בכל הנזכר לעיל.

6. Spreading the wellsprings outward (הפצת המעינות חוצה): From the verse Mishlei 5:16: "Let your wellsprings spread outward". Famously, according to the letter of the Baal Shem Tov (printed at the beginning of Kesser Shem Tov), when his soul ascended to the chamber of Mashiach he asked, "When will the Master come?" and was answered: "When your wellsprings spread outward".

7. As explained elsewhere (וכמבואר במ"א): במ"א = במקום אחר, "elsewhere". The Rebbe wrote this several times, e.g. above, letter 6552 (12 Cheshvan 5719): "it is stated explicitly in the teachings of Chassidus that 'outward' begins from Z'eir Anpin"; and below, vol. 19, letter 7245: "'outward' begins with one's own outside, outside the innermost point of the second soul of a Jew, which is Chochmah, and extends to 'outward' in the plain sense – influencing another person who is truly outside".

8. Below Chochmah and Binah (למטה מחו"ב): חו"ב = חכמה ובינה, Chochmah and Binah. Already the emotive attributes, below the intellect (Chochmah and Binah as they are in themselves), count as "outward" relative to the intellect; and so on level after level, down to "outward" in the plain sense – the places and people far from Torah and Chassidus. Hence teaching and influencing even those close by, such as yeshivah avrechim, is part of "spreading the wellsprings outward".

9. Yeshivah avrechim (אברכי ישיבה): The older students of a yeshivah, generally before their marriage. Compare below, vol. 19, letter 7240: "that you study Chassidus in public, and chiefly that some of those attending are yeshivah avrechim".

10. Moist enough to moisten others (טופח ע"מ להטפיח): ע"מ = על מנת. "Tofeach al menas lehatfiach", a term of the Sages in the laws of purity; the commentary on Mishnah Taharos 8:9 explains: liquid so abundant that if one touches it, enough comes up on the hand to moisten something else. Not enough that the avrech himself is "moist" (filled), but he should have enough to moisten others, to influence them.

11. Tosefta Eduyos, end of chapter 3, on the greatness of students' students (תוספתא עדיות ספ"ג בגודל ענין דתלמידי תלמידיו): ספ"ג = סוף פרק ג', "end of chapter 3". The Tosefta (Eduyos, end of ch. 3): "One who has students is called 'Rabbi'; when his students are forgotten, he is called 'Rabban'; when both are forgotten, he is called by his name". The Rebbe cites it "on the greatness of students' students": a teacher's greatness continues through his students and those who learn from them.

12. And this is easily understood (וק"ל): וק"ל = וקל להבין, "and this is easily understood". From this it follows that in influencing the avrechim he gains the merit of "students' students", since each of them will influence those around him; and as great as the merit, so great the responsibility.

13. 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".

14. "You shall spread out to the west, to the east, to the north and to the south" (ופרצת ימה וקדמה וצפונה ונגבה): The verse said to Yaakov, Bereishis 28:14: "Your seed shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out to the west, to the east, to the north and to the south".

15. An inheritance without bounds (נחלה בלי מצרים): Shabbos 118a: "Whoever delights in the Shabbos is given an inheritance without bounds" (Rashi: "that is, it has no end"), and there, 118b: "not like Avraham… nor like Yitzchak… but like Yaakov, of whom it is written: you shall spread out to the west, to the east, to the north and to the south". "Ufaratzta" is the boundless inheritance, and the Rebbe blesses him that his activities too be without bounds.

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

Summary

The Rebbe tells a young Jerusalem activist that his work in spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus outward will stand him in good stead. "Outward" begins already below the intellect, so teaching yeshivah avrechim is part of it and a privilege, but also a responsibility: each must be made able to influence others, for the merit of "students' students" is great. He blesses him to work with joy and without bounds.