6647 —מאורע בדרך כרמז ל"דרך ה'" – צדקה ומשפט, בגשמיות וברוחניות

B"H, 15 Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After the longest interruption, your letter of 12/16^[1] was received, in which you write about the mishap – may it not befall us or you^[2] – that happened to you.

May it be G‑d's will that from now on you will report only good, in good that is visible and revealed, in your personal matters and also in general ones; for with a Jew, the one depends on the other^[3], as is known from the saying of my father-in-law, the Rebbe^[4], that every individual is a multitude and can affect many^[5] – and especially in your case^[6], since you have already tried this and succeeded, as I know.

As to your asking my view specifically about the said mishap that happened on the road: it is known, as explained in a number of places^[7], that the matters of our physical world evolve from matters in the spiritual realm, and especially from the matters of the Torah. This is understood also from the saying of our Sages at the beginning of Bereishis Rabbah, that the Torah is the "ledgers and plans" according to which the whole world and all its matters were built^[8]. Every physical event is^[9] an allusion, and sometimes even more than an allusion, regarding one's spiritual state.

The spiritual meaning of "road" is, as it is written, "they shall keep the way of G‑d, to do charity and justice"^[10] – that is, Torah and mitzvos in general^[11], and especially charity and justice. Chassidus explains the connection between the two: charity is to be done after the "justice" that one exercises regarding himself – what he truly needs and must have for his own needs – and then he sets aside a large part of it for charity^[12]. So too with spiritual charity: when he assesses his own standing and state, and how he can influence others in his surroundings near and far, he then sets aside a large part of his time, energy and ability for charity – to influence those who are far and bring them close to the life of the World to Come (which is also the life of this world)^[13]. Surely, in your case, there is no need to elaborate on this…^[14]

May you report good news in all the above, and likewise in your livelihood, in tranquility and abundance; and may G‑d, blessed be He, grant you success.

With blessing.

Publisher's notes

The mishap (המאורע): His car overturned on the road.

The saying (פתגם): See also above, vol. 16, letter 5808, and the references in the notes there.

Notes

1. Your letter of 12/16 (מכתבו מיום 12/16): 16 December 1958, Tuesday, 5 Teves. "After the longest interruption": after a very long break between his letters.

2. May it not befall us or you (ל"ע ול"ע): ל"ע ול"ע = לא עלינו ולא עליכם. The mishap: his car overturned on the road (see the publisher's note).

3. The one depends on the other (הא בהא תליא): Aramaic, "this depends on that": with a Jew, the good in his personal affairs and the good in the affairs of the community are bound up with each other.

4. My father-in-law, the Rebbe (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר): כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn.

5. Every individual is a multitude (כל יחיד - רבים הוא): See letter 5808 (29 Tishrei 5718, cited in the publisher's note), in almost the same words: "for the one depends on the other … as is known from the saying of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, that every individual is a multitude, and the matter depends only on his will … by improving the state of Jews, whether spiritually or materially, the one who works at it succeeds in his own affairs, both material and spiritual." See also 4577: "the saying of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, is known: an individual is a multitude, and as is seen plainly, sometimes through one individual the many are set right." His personal good fortune is bound up with his influence on the many.

6. In your case (לכ'): לכ' = לכבודו, "to his honor", i.e. the recipient. "You have already tried this and succeeded": he had already influenced others successfully.

7. In a number of places (בכ"מ): בכ"מ = בכמה מקומות.

8. "Ledgers and plans" (פנקסאות ודפתראות): Bereishis Rabbah 1:1: "In the way of the world, a king of flesh and blood who builds a palace does not build it by his own knowledge but by the knowledge of a craftsman; and the craftsman does not build it by his own knowledge, but has plans and ledgers to know how to make the rooms … So the Holy One, blessed be He, looked into the Torah and created the world." Since the world was created according to the Torah, everything physical has its root in the Torah.

9. Is (ה"ז): ה"ז = הרי זה.

10. "They shall keep the way of G‑d, to do charity and justice" (ושמרו דרך ה' לעשות צדקה ומשפט): Bereishis 18:19: "For I have known him, so that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of G‑d, to do charity and justice." Since the mishap happened "on the road", it alludes to the spiritual "road", "the way of G‑d".

11. That is, Torah and mitzvos in general (ז.א. התורה והמצוה בכלל): ז.א. = זאת אומרת, "that is". "The way of G‑d" includes all of Torah and mitzvos; and all the mitzvos are called "charity" (see Maamarim Melukatim vol. 1, cited in the next note).

12. Then he sets aside a large part of it for charity (שאז מפריש חלק גדול ממנו לצדקה): See Torah Or, Beshalach, maamar Ashirah LaHashem (63b): "But with this charity, 'justice' is written … 'to do charity and justice' … This 'justice' Above comes about through an arousal from below – the justice a person exercises in himself regarding the superfluities of his bodily life, against charity. For our Sages said: your life comes before your fellow's life … but your superfluities do not come before your fellow's life." So too the Rebbe explained later in Maamarim Melukatim vol. 1, maamar VaHashem Amar HaMechaseh (Shabbos Vayeira 5737): "the giving of charity (charity in its plain sense) must be with justice – he should judge himself regarding superfluities, consider well what he truly needs, and give all the rest to charity."

13. The life of the World to Come (which is also the life of this world) (לחיי עוה"ב (שזהו גם לחיי עוה"ז)): עד"ז = על דרך זה, "so too"; עוה"ב = העולם הבא; עוה"ז = העולם הזה. As with charity in money, so with "spiritual charity": after assessing his own state, he sets aside a large part of his time and abilities to bring close those who are far.

14. There is no need to elaborate on this… (האריכות בזה אך למותר...): The recipient needs no elaboration, since he has already influenced others and succeeded (as said at the beginning of the letter). The Rebbe says no more, but hints: the "allusion" in the mishap on the road is to increase in "the way of G‑d", in material and spiritual charity. השי"ת = השם יתברך, "G‑d, blessed be He".

Summary

After the recipient's car overturned on the road, he asked the Rebbe what it meant. The Rebbe explains that physical events derive from the spiritual and allude to it, since the world was built according to the Torah; the spiritual "road" is "the way of G‑d, to do charity and justice": after judging what one truly needs, one gives a large part to charity – in money, and in spiritual charity, giving time and energy to draw others close. He blesses him with good news and an ample livelihood.