6645 —לימוד עם כתת תלמידים אינו שולל לימוד לעצמו, והמשך ההוראה תלוי בתוצאות

B"H, 13 Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of the Fast of the Tenth^[1] – may it soon be transformed into joy and gladness^[2] – in which you write about your learning with a class of students of the Tomchei Temimim yeshivah in…^[3], and that because of this you have learned almost nothing for yourself:

The very great wonder is understood: does learning with a class of students^[4] rule out the possibility of learning on your own^[5]? Especially as you write that they are young. Preparation for learning is indeed essential for any learning, as is known from the sayings of our Sages^[6] [and as is known from our Rebbeim, our leaders – even for reciting maftir and the like^[7]]; but the time needed for suitable preparation in the case at hand is small in quantity^[8]. If only you would learn for yourself all the time that is free from learning with the students!

As for the question itself, whether to continue learning with them^[9]: that depends on the results. If you have succeeded with your students, it is understood that you should continue with it. May G‑d, blessed be He^[10], guide you in all of the above as is good in His eyes, in every detail.

With blessing,

On behalf of the Rebbe, shlita,

Secretary

Since "a person is a relative to himself"^[11], it is also understood that in evaluating the results mentioned above, you should rely on the administration of Tomchei Temimim^[12].

Notes

1. The Fast of the Tenth (צום העשירי): Your letter of the Tenth of Teves (Sunday, 21 December 1958), three days before this letter was written.

2. May it soon be transformed into joy and gladness (יהפך לששון ולשמחה בקרוב): From Zechariah 8:19: "The fast of the fourth month, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh and the fast of the tenth shall be for the house of Judah for joy and gladness and for happy festivals"; Rashi: "the fast of the tenth – of Teves". The Rebbe's regular blessing when a letter mentions a fast day.

3. About… in… (ע"ד… ב...): ע"ד = על דבר, "about". "In…": the name of the place is omitted in the printed text.

4. Does learning… (התמי' הכי גדולה, הכי): התמי' = התמיהה, "the wonder". The second הכי is the Gemara's interrogative: "is it so that…?" Does learning with a class rule out learning for oneself?

5. On your own (בפ"ע): בפ"ע = בפני עצמו, i.e. learning for oneself.

6. The sayings of our Sages (מרז"ל): מרז"ל = ממאמרי רבותינו ז"ל. The Rebbe does not say which saying; see for example Midrash Tanchuma, Yisro 15, on the verse Iyov 28:27, "Then He saw it and declared it, He prepared it and searched it out", followed by "And He said to man": "If you are a man of Torah, do not be so bold as to say something before the public until you have gone over it by yourself two or three times"; and the story of Rabbi Akiva, who would not go up to read from the Torah in public "because I had not gone over that portion two or three times".

7. Even for reciting maftir and the like (ואפילו לאמירת מפטיר וכיו"ב): Even when one is called up for maftir and reads the haftorah, and the like, one must prepare beforehand. וכיו"ב = וכיוצא בזה, "and the like".

8. Small in quantity (מצער היא בכמות): בהנ"ל = in the case mentioned. מצער, "small", is the word of Bereishis 19:20: "is it not a small one?" Since the students are young, preparing a lesson for them takes little time, so it is no reason to refrain from learning for oneself.

9. Whether to continue learning with them (אם ימשיך ללמוד): His main question: whether to continue learning with the class.

10. G‑d, blessed be He (השי"ת): השי"ת = השם יתברך.

11. "A person is a relative to himself" (אדם קרוב אצל עצמו): Sanhedrin 9b: "Rava said: a person is a relative to himself, and no person can make himself out to be wicked" – one cannot testify about oneself, just as a relative is disqualified as a witness. ג"כ = גם כן, "also". Just as a person cannot testify about himself, he cannot judge the success of his own work, so he should rely on the judgment of the yeshivah's administration.

12. Tomchei Temimim (תו"ת): תו"ת = תומכי תמימים.

Summary

The recipient, who teaches a class of young Tomchei Temimim students, complained that he hardly learns for himself. The Rebbe's secretary answers that although every lesson needs preparation, teaching young students takes little of it, so he should learn on his own in all his free time; whether to continue teaching depends on his success, which, since no one can judge himself, the Tomchei Temimim administration should assess.