6671 —פרסום מאמר שבועי בעניני השבוע בעתונים היהודיים בסן פרנציסקו

B"H, 2 Shevat, 5719
Brooklyn.

The Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, whose work is the work of Heaven^[1],
Reb Yosef Chaim HaKohen, may he live long^[2], and his wife, may she live^[3]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

…^[4] It would be right to look into the possibility of printing every week an article on the themes of the week in one of the newspapers^[5] published in San Francisco^[6] and read by our Jewish brethren^[7]. Of course, this is provided it does not involve giving approval to what is forbidden according to the Shulchan Aruch, that is to say^[8], provided the newspaper is not heretical and is not printed on Shabbos; but surely it can be arranged so as to rule out these concerns. The importance of the matter surely needs no further explanation.

Enclosed herewith is also a copy of my letter to the dinner of Tomchei Temimim^[9], of course only in order to make use of the idea^[10] in your work, which is holy work.

With blessing for success and for good news^[11].

Publisher's notes

Reb Yosef Chaim (מו"ה יוסף חיים שי'): Rosenfeld, San Francisco. Further letters to him: above, 6612, and the references in the notes there.

Notes

1. The Chassid… whose work is the work of Heaven (הרה"ח אי"א נו"נ מלאכתו מלאכת שמים): הרה"ח = הרב החסיד, "the Chassid"; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים, "a G‑d-fearing man"; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד, "distinguished and honored". "Whose work is the work of Heaven" – from R. Yishmael's words to R. Meir, Eruvin 13a: "My son, be careful in your work, for your work is the work of Heaven"; and so at the end of the letter: "your work, which is holy work".

2. Reb Yosef Chaim HaKohen (מו"ה יוסף חיים שי' הכהן): Rosenfeld, San Francisco (per the publisher's note). R. Yosef Chaim HaKohen Rosenfeld (1933–2022), born in Brooklyn. After his marriage, at which the Rebbe officiated, the Rebbe sent him and his wife to strengthen Jewish life in San Francisco, where they stayed about two years; from 1960 he headed Oholei Torah in Brooklyn for many years. The Rebbe's letters to him: vol. 17, letter 6341 (27 Sivan 5718: to add to and broaden his activities, and to bring new circles close "little by little"); 6612 (21 Kislev 5719: on the Previous Rebbe's walking stick, which he had brought to the Rebbe); this letter; and below, 6701 and 6789.

3. And his wife, may she live (וזו' תי'): וזו' תי' = וזוגתו תחי'. She is Mrs. Malka Reizel (as in the address of letter 6701 below).

4. … (...): The beginning of the letter was not printed. The matter continued: on 27 Shevat the Rebbe wrote to him (letter 6701 below): "I enjoyed the end of your letter, that from time to time you will publish in the newspaper printed in your community something on the matter of the day; may this too be one of the means of spreading Judaism in general and spreading the wellsprings in particular"; and on 28 Adar II (letter 6789) he wondered "that you do not mention whether something was printed afterwards in the newspapers about the farbrengens, for this is one of the ways to draw… a wider circle", and suggested publicizing the sale of chametz in the press as well. In the same period the Rebbe wrote similarly to his emissary in Milan (letter 6632 above): "Surely you are also looking into the possibilities of publishing, in the newspapers read by our Jewish brethren, some stories on matters of Judaism and Chassidus".

5. Newspapers (מכ"ע): מכ"ע = מכתבי עתים, "periodicals", i.e. newspapers.

6. San Francisco (פריסקא): "Frisco", a name for San Francisco, California.

7. Our Jewish brethren (אחב"י): אחב"י = אחינו בני ישראל. That is, newspapers read by Jews, not only the religious press.

8. The Shulchan Aruch, that is to say (שו"ע, ז.א.): שו"ע = שולחן ערוך; ז.א. = זאת אומרת. A Torah article in a heretical newspaper, or in one printed on Shabbos, must not appear to give approval to what is forbidden.

9. Enclosed herewith… my letter to the dinner of Tomchei Temimim (מוסג"פ העתק מכתבי להדינער של תומכי תמימים): מוסג"פ = מוסגר פה. The dinner is the nineteenth annual dinner of the Central Yeshivah Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch, held on 2 Shevat, the day this letter was written. The Rebbe's letter to its participants is letter 6669 above (Erev Rosh Chodesh Shevat): the main task of the yeshivos is to prepare "plain" Jews who, when they go out into the world as householders and businessmen, will raise up all their surroundings; and he connects this with the Mishneh Torah that Moshe began to say on 1 Shevat to prepare the people for entering the Land, so that "they should make the material – spiritual". That same day the Rebbe sent an excerpt of this letter to his emissary in Milan as well (letter 6672 below).

10. Only in order to make use of the idea (ע"מ לנצל רק הרעיון): ע"מ = על מנת. Not to reproduce the letter as it is – it was written for the yeshivah's dinner and ends with a call to support it – but to use its idea in his work in San Francisco. The same day the Rebbe wrote to R. Gerlik in Milan (letter 6672): "the intention of the excerpt is only its content – but appeals and the like are not to be mixed in".

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

Summary

The Rebbe suggests to his emissary in San Francisco that he look into publishing a weekly article on the themes of the week in a local newspaper read by Jews, provided the paper is not heretical and not printed on Shabbos, and encloses his letter to the Tomchei Temimim dinner, to use its idea in his work.