6640 —חזרה לדרך התורה: "מקדש עצמו מעט", ושלא להתווכח עם הלועגים

B"H, 12th of Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of Friday^[1], in which you write in outline^[2] of what you have been through, and conclude that you want to return to the path of Judaism.

Fortunate is your lot that you have decided for the true good, good both materially and spiritually: to live a way of life according to the instruction of our holy Torah^[3], the Torah of life. And you may be confident, according to the saying of our Sages^[4], that even when a person sanctifies himself a little below, he is sanctified much from Above^[5]; and all the more so when you add in these actions on your part.

As for what you write^[6], that there are some who laugh, etc.: it is right that you not enter into any debate with them at all^[7]. For sometimes, with those who laugh, the reason is that deep in their souls they feel that their conduct is not as it should be. After all, their fathers and their fathers' fathers, over three thousand five hundred^[8] years, have walked in the path of Torah and mitzvah, and only they have turned away from it; and they feel, even if at times they do not grasp it intellectually, that the turning away came because they did not want to fight against the evil inclination, and they try to cover this feeling with laughter and mockery, etc. And one sees tangibly that when one does not enter into debate, and goes in the path of Torah and mitzvah without paying attention to the mockers, then in the end^[9] the mockers and the scoffers also stop, and they too come closer, step by step, to the Torah and its mitzvos, of which it is said, "and live by them"^[10].

I hope that you meet often with the Tzeirei Agudas Chabad^[11] whom you mention in your letter, and take part in their farbrengens; of such a thing it is said, "Each man helps his fellow"^[12].

In connection with your financial situation, that you have debts:

Every weekday, before the morning prayer, you should set aside a few coins for tzedakah^[13], and it is good also before Minchah; and keep the practice of saying every day after Shacharis the monthly portion of Tehillim, as the Tehillim is divided over the days of the month^[14]. And it is right that your tefillin be checked, that they be kosher according to the law^[15].

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

In the name of the Rebbe^[17], shlita,

Secretary

Notes

1. Of Friday (מיום הששי): That is, of the sixth day of the week, Friday (Erev Shabbos).

2. In outline (ר"פ): ר"פ = ראשי פרקים, "headings", i.e. in brief outline.

3. Our holy Torah (תוה"ק): תוה"ק = תורתנו הקדושה.

4. The saying of our Sages (מרז"ל): מרז"ל = מאמר רבותינו זכרונם לברכה, "the saying of our Sages, of blessed memory".

5. When a person sanctifies himself a little below, he is sanctified much from Above (כשאדם מקדש עצמו מעט מלמטה, מקדשין אותו הרבה מלמעלה): Yoma 39a: אדם מקדש עצמו מעט, מקדשין אותו הרבה; מלמטה, מקדשין אותו מלמעלה, "A person sanctifies himself a little, and he is sanctified much; [he sanctifies himself] below, and he is sanctified from Above" (expounding Vayikra 11:44, "Sanctify yourselves and you shall be holy"). The Rebbe joins the two clauses of the saying ("a little... much" and "below... from Above") into one sentence. That is, the recipient need not take everything upon himself at once; even a small step on his part brings great help from Above.

6. As for what you write (ומ"ש): ומ"ש = ומה שכתב, "as for what he writes".

7. Not to enter into any debate with them at all (לא יכנס עמהם בכל וויכוח כלל וכלל): That is, there is no need to argue with them or to justify his path to them, only to go on in it; and the Rebbe explains what drives the mockers, and how they will end.

8. And five hundred (ות"ק): ת"ק = 500, i.e. three thousand five hundred years.

9. In the end (סו"ס): סו"ס = סוף סוף, "in the end, eventually".

10. Of which it is said "and live by them" (עליהם נאמר וחי בהם): Vayikra 18:5: "You shall keep My statutes and My ordinances, which a man shall do and live by them; I am G‑d." That is, the Torah and its mitzvos are life itself, hence "Torah of life"; and so the Rebbe returns to what he said at the start, that returning to the Torah is a decision for the true good.

11. Tzeirei Agudas Chabad (צעירי אגודת חב"ד): Tzeirei Agudas Chabad, the youth organization of Agudas Chasidei Chabad, which worked to spread Judaism and Chassidus and held farbrengens. The recipient had mentioned them in his letter.

12. Each man helps his fellow (איש את רעהו יעזורו): Yeshayahu 41:6: "Each man helps his fellow, and to his brother he says, Be strong." That is, in the company of the Chabad youth and at their farbrengens he will be strengthened in his new path, and will be able to strengthen others too.

13. Before the morning prayer he should set aside a few coins for tzedakah (קודם תפלת השחר יפריש איזו פרוטות לצדקה): As was the practice of R. Elazar (Bava Basra 10a): רבי אלעזר יהיב פרוטה לעני, והדר מצלי, "R. Elazar would give a coin to a poor man and then pray", for it is written, "I, in righteousness [tzedakah], will behold Your face" (Tehillim 17:15). Tzedakah is also a segulah for livelihood, as our Sages expound (Taanis 9a): עשר תעשר – עשר בשביל שתתעשר, "Tithe, so that you will become wealthy."

14. The monthly portion of Tehillim (השיעור תהלים חדשי): The practice instituted by the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, of saying every day after Shacharis the portion of Tehillim as the book is divided over the thirty days of the month; see Hayom Yom, 1 Shevat: "The recitation of Tehillim (every day after davening) applies equally to all synagogues, whether of Anash, or those praying Nusach Ashkenaz or Nusach Polin."

15. His tefillin should be checked (יבדקו את התפילין שלו): Checking the tefillin is a regular instruction in the Rebbe's letters to anyone in need of help from Above. In the passage of Vehayah im shamoa, which contains the mitzvah of tefillin, the Torah concludes (Devarim 11:21): "So that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied"; Rashi: "If you do so, they will be multiplied; and if not, they will not be multiplied."

16. Good news (לבשו"ט): לבשו"ט = לבשורות טובות.

17. In the name of the Rebbe (בשם כ"ק אדמו"ר שליט"א): כ"ק אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת אדוננו מורנו ורבנו, "his holiness, our master, teacher and Rebbe". That is, the letter was written and signed by the secretary in the Rebbe's name.

Summary

To a man who has decided to return to Torah observance, the Rebbe writes that a small step of self-sanctification below brings great help from Above. He should not argue with those who mock him: their mockery covers their own inner unease, and when ignored they too come closer step by step. He should join the Chabad youth, and, for his debts, give tzedakah before prayer, say the daily Tehillim and have his tefillin checked.