6643 —חלוקת הזמן בין עבודת הציבור בחינוך לבין הבית: אדם קרוב אצל עצמו, ולכן יתייעץ בשלשה ידידים

B"H, 13th of Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After a very long interruption^[1], your letter has been received, which you finished writing on Zos Chanukah^[2], and which has only just arrived.

In it you write in outline^[3] of your holy work in education in purity of holiness^[4] in the yeshivah, and also in a group of women whom you teach.

Certainly the great value of this involvement needs no explanation, for it is stated explicitly in our holy^[5] Torah, the Torah of life, in several places^[6]. And surely your wife, may she live^[7], also knows this, since you write that she agrees with several details of your work. And you conclude your letter that there are complaints against this teaching of yours: that you devote too much time to this work, and that this affects the attention needed for your children, may they live, and for household matters in general; and you ask my opinion on this^[8].

Now, in general it is understood and also simple that one cannot fix nails^[9], that is^[10], a fixed course of conduct for every single day, since circumstances change, and with them the responsibility changes too, both with regard to communal matters and with regard to household matters.

But it is simple that a person must devote some of his time also to communal work, even those who must devote much of their time to household matters, and at the core of these, the education of the children. And from the above it is understood that how exactly to divide the time between communal matters and one's private work

requires the opinion of those who are on the spot, since one is closest to oneself, as our Sages say^[11], and therefore one cannot truly judge as one should; and as our Sages explain, that because of one's closeness to oneself one is not believed about oneself when one states virtues, nor when one states faults; as is easily understood^[12].

Therefore you should put the matter before three of your friends there, and it has already been said, "salvation lies in much counsel"^[13].

For my part I need only repeat once more that work for the good of the community is a necessity for everyone^[14], and especially for those whom Divine Providence has granted the merit of already seeing good fruit of their labor in this.

Surely you know of the three well-known daily portions of Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya^[15]; at least^[16] keep them from now on. And your wife, may she live, should keep the good custom of Jewish women to set aside tzedakah before lighting the candles every Erev Shabbos and Erev Yom Tov^[17].

With blessings for good news^[18].

Notes

1. After a very long interruption (לאחרי הפסק הכי ארוך): That is, the recipient had not written to the Rebbe for a very long time, and now his letter arrived.

2. Zos Chanukah (זאת חנוכה): Zos Chanukah, the eighth day of Chanukah, on which the Torah reading includes "This was the dedication of the altar" (Bamidbar 7:84); this year, 3 Teves. This letter was written on 13 Teves.

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

4. Education in purity of holiness (חינוך על טהרת הקדש): That is, pure Torah education, without an admixture of secular studies.

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

6. Stated explicitly in our holy Torah in several places (מפורש הדבר בתוה"ק... בכמה מקומות): For example, Bava Basra 8b: ומצדיקי הרבים ככוכבים לעולם ועד – אלו מלמדי תינוקות, "'Those who bring the many to righteousness shall be like the stars forever and ever' (Daniel 12:3) – these are the teachers of young children"; Sanhedrin 19b: כל המלמד בן חבירו תורה מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו ילדו, "Whoever teaches Torah to another's child, Scripture considers it as if he had given birth to him."

7. May she live (תחי'): תחי' = תחיה, "may she live".

8. There are complaints against him (יש טענות עליו): That is, at the end of his letter the recipient wrote that there are complaints against him that he devotes too much time to his educational work, at the expense of the attention his children and his household need; and he asked the Rebbe's opinion.

9. To fix nails (לקבוע מסמרות): An idiom: to set something fixed and final, like a nail driven in that does not move. The Rebbe explains it at once: "a fixed course of conduct for every day".

10. That is (ז.א.): ז.א. = זאת אומרת, "that is to say".

11. He is closest to himself (הכי קרוב הוא אצל עצמו): Sanhedrin 9b: אדם קרוב אצל עצמו, ואין אדם משים עצמו רשע, "A person is a relative to himself, and a person cannot make himself out to be wicked": just as a relative's testimony is invalid, so a person is not trustworthy about himself, and is not believed when he testifies that he is wicked. See also Kesubos 105b: ואין אדם רואה חובה לעצמו, "A person does not see guilt in himself"; and there: "One who loves him does not see his guilt; one who hates him does not see his merit." From this the Rebbe concludes that a person cannot decide by himself a question that concerns him, since he tends to exaggerate both his virtues and his faults.

12. As is easily understood (וק"ל): וק"ל = וקל להבין, "and it is easily understood". That is, the recipient should therefore not decide by himself how much time to give to each, but ask the opinion of others, as follows.

13. Salvation lies in much counsel (ותשועה ברוב יועץ): Mishlei 11:14: "Where there is no guidance, a people falls; but salvation lies in much counsel." (So too Mishlei 24:6: "For with guidance you shall make war, and salvation lies in much counsel.")

14. Everyone (כאו"א): כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד, "each and every one".

15. The three daily portions of Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya (שלשת השיעורים דחומש תהלים ותניא): The daily study portions (Chitas) instituted by the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn: Chumash with Rashi, each day one section of the weekly portion; Tehillim, as divided over the days of the month; and Tanya, as divided over the days of the year.

16. At least (עכ"פ): עכ"פ = על כל פנים, "at any rate, at least".

17. The good custom of Jewish women (מנהגן הטוב של בנות ישראל): The good custom of Jewish women and girls to set aside something for tzedakah before lighting the Shabbos and Yom Tov candles.

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

Summary

A teacher who works in Torah education in a yeshivah and teaches a women's group wrote that there are complaints that he gives too much time to it, at the expense of his children and household, and asked the Rebbe's opinion. The Rebbe answers that everyone must give time to communal work, but no fixed rule can be set, and since "a person is a relative to himself" and cannot judge himself, he should put the question to three local friends, for "salvation lies in much counsel".