6660 —התייעצות עם שני רופאים מומחים, וברכה ביום ההילולא של אדמו"ר הזקן

B"H, 24 Teves, 5719
Brooklyn.

The veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs^[1],
Reb Moshe HaKohen, may he live long^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of the day on which "it was good" was said twice^[3], with its enclosure:

At a propitious time you and your wife, may she live long^[4], 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^[5], each of you^[6] for what he needs, in accordance with the content of your letter.

I hope that by the time you receive this letter your wife's health, may she live long, will already have improved.

As for your own health, you should consult two doctors who are experts in the field and act according to their instructions. For the Torah gave permission to a doctor to heal^[7]; especially when there is an instruction from two doctors, as the force of this is explained in several places in the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim^[8].

May He Who gives life to the living^[9] increase His blessing and success in whatever you and your wife need, so that for long days and good years you will add in matters of Torah and mitzvos, particularly in the study of the teachings of Chassidus, "the words of the living G‑d"^[10], and especially the teachings of Chabad Chassidus.

"Merit is brought about on a meritorious day"^[11]: let me remark that this is the day of the Hillula of our master the Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya (a posek in the hidden part of Torah) and of the Shulchan Aruch (a posek in the revealed part of Torah)^[12].

With blessings for good news^[13] in all the above,

M. Schneerson

Publisher's notes

Printed in Likkutei Sichos vol. 21, p. 456, and completed from a photocopy of the letter.

Reb Moshe (מו"ה משה): Shaievitch, Chicago. Further letters to him: above, letter 6616, and the references in the notes there.

Notes

1. The veteran Chassid… engaged in communal needs (הוו"ח אי"א נו"נ עוסק בצ"צ): הוו"ח = הוותיק וחסיד; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד; עוסק בצ"צ = עוסק בצרכי ציבור.

2. Reb Moshe HaKohen (מו"ה משה שי' הכהן): Shaievitch, Chicago. R. Moshe HaKohen Shaievitch of Chicago, a gabbai in the synagogue (letter 880) who was chosen as president of the Shaarei Tefillah Bnei Reuven Nusach Ari synagogue in Chicago (1571, 3580). This letter came about a month after letter 6616 (28 Kislev 5719), in which the Rebbe acknowledged his letter and his contribution to "Maamad" and blessed him in the Chanukah days. Now he wrote about his own health and his wife's. A year and a half later he asked again about a medical treatment, and the Rebbe again answered that one should follow the instruction of two expert doctors, adding that if possible the treatment should be put off until after Tishah B'Av (7375, Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av 5720).

3. The day on which "it was good" was said twice (יום שהוכפל בו כי טוב): Tuesday, the third day of Creation, on which "it was good" is said twice. Rashi (Bereishis 1:7): ומפני מה לא נאמר כי טוב ביום שני? ... ובשלישי שנגמרה מלאכת המים והתחיל וגמר מלאכה אחרת, כפל בו כי טוב שתי פעמים, "Why is 'it was good' not said on the second day?… On the third, when the work of the waters was completed and He began and completed another work, He doubled 'it was good' twice."

4. May she live long (שתליט"א): שתליט"א = שתחי' לאורך ימים טובים אמן, "may she live for long and good days, amen".

5. My father-in-law, the Rebbe… (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): הק' = הקדוש, "holy"; כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדוננו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn; זצוקללה"ה = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו.

6. Each of you (כאו"א): כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד.

7. The Torah gave permission to a doctor to heal (התורה נתנה רשות לרופא לרפאות): Bava Kamma 85a: דתניא דבי ר' ישמעאל אומר: (שמות כא, יט) ורפא ירפא - מכאן שניתן רשות לרופא לרפאות, "The school of R. Yishmael taught: 'and he shall surely cause him to be healed' (Shemos 21:19) – from here, that permission was given to the doctor to heal"; Rashi: ולא אמרינן רחמנא מחי ואיהו מסי, "and we do not say: the Merciful One smites and he heals?" Turning to a doctor does not contradict trust in G‑d.

8. In several places in the Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim (בכ"מ בשו"ע אורח חיים): כ"מ = כמה מקומות; שו"ע = שולחן ערוך. For example, the laws of a sick person on Yom Kippur, where one follows the doctors and two outweigh one; the Alter Rebbe's Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 618:4: אם החולה אין אומר כלום או שאומר: איני יודע, ורופא אחד אומר: שהוא צריך לאכול, ושני רופאים אומרים: שאינו צריך – אין מאכילין אותו – לפי שאין דבריו של אחד במקום שנים, "if the patient says nothing, or says 'I do not know', and one doctor says he needs to eat and two doctors say he does not, he is not fed, for the words of one do not stand against two."

9. He Who gives life to the living (מחי' חיים): מחי' חיים = מחיה חיים, G‑d, Who gives life to all living things.

10. "The words of the living G‑d" (דברי אלקים חיים): From the verse Yirmiyahu 23:36: והפכתם את דברי אלהים חיים, "you have perverted the words of the living G‑d", and the Sages' saying (Eruvin 13b): אלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים, "these and these are the words of the living G‑d". It fits the blessing: He "Who gives life" will add life through study of "the words of the living G‑d".

11. "Merit is brought about on a meritorious day" (מגלגלין זכות ליום זכאי): Taanis 29a: דתניא מגלגלין זכות ליום זכאי וחובה ליום חייב, "Merit is brought about on a meritorious day and liability on a day of liability." This day, the Alter Rebbe's Hillula, is a meritorious day, auspicious for blessing; so the Rebbe points it out.

12. A posek in the hidden part of Torah… in the revealed part of Torah (פוסק בנסתר דתורה … פוסק בנגלה דתורה): השו"ע = השולחן ערוך. The Alter Rebbe ruled in the inner dimension of Torah in the Tanya just as he ruled in its revealed part in his Shulchan Aruch (so too the Rebbe in letter 6273). This explains the flow of the letter: the blessing comes through the study of Chabad Chassidus. See Hayom Yom, 24 Teves. On the same day the Rebbe wrote letter 6657, which also marks the Hillula in its heading.

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

Summary

Replying on 24 Teves to a Chicago Chassid who wrote about his and his wife's health, the Rebbe promises to mention them at the Previous Rebbe's resting place. He advises consulting two expert doctors and following them, since the Torah permits a doctor to heal. He blesses them to add in Torah, especially Chabad Chassidus, noting that this is the Hillula of the Alter Rebbe, posek of both the hidden and revealed Torah.