6674 —פרישה בגיל שבעים לשבת על התורה ועל העבודה – אחרי מינוי ממלא מקום, ובלימוד עם אחרים

B"H, 6 Shevat, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After a long interruption your letter has been received, with its enclosure and the pidyon nefesh^[1], which will be read at an auspicious time 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^[2].

As for what you write in general, according to the view of the Yad Ephraim, "from seventy years," etc.^[3] – that is a reasonable thing^[4]; but this applies when efforts are made in good time to find a suitable replacement^[5]. Then there is room to consider the idea, and you can devote yourself to Torah and divine service^[6] – but on condition that you do not suffice with yourself alone, but also study with others and take part in public Torah classes. And nothing stands in the way of the will…^[7]

With blessing that the merit of the master of the hillula that is coming upon us for good^[8] protect each and every one among all Israel^[9], and for good news in good that is visible and revealed, always, all the days^[10].

Notes

1. Pidyon nefesh (הפ"נ): הפ"נ = הפדיון נפש: a note in which the petitioner writes his name, his mother's name and his request, given to the Rebbe to mention and to read at the resting place.

2. My father-in-law, the Rebbe… (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn; זצוקללה"ה = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא, "may the memory of the righteous and holy one be for a blessing, for the life of the World to Come"; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים, "his soul is in the hidden treasuries on High"; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו, "may his merit protect us".

3. According to the view of the Yad Ephraim, "from seventy years" (לפי דעת יד אפרים, משבעים שנה): The Yad Ephraim is the glosses of R. Ephraim Zalman Margolios on the Shulchan Aruch. In his gloss on Yoreh De'ah 1, on an elderly shochet, citing the Meir Nesivim (76), he writes: אך בדין הזקן ראוי לתקן שעכ"פ משבעים שנה ואילך לא ישחוט שום אדם אף שמרגיש עדיין והוא בכחו משום לא פלוג כיון דרובא דרובא באותן השנים כבר בטל כח ההרגש, "but regarding an old man, it is proper to enact that at any rate from seventy years on no one should slaughter, even if he still has feeling and is in his strength, without distinction, since in the great majority at that age the power of feeling has already ceased." It appears that the recipient, a shochet who had reached this age, wrote that according to this view he should retire from shechitah.

4. That is a reasonable thing (איז דאס א גלייכע זאך): Yiddish: "that is a sensible, fitting thing."

5. A suitable replacement (ממלא מקום מתאים): That is, care should be taken in good time to find someone to fill his place, so that it does not remain empty when he retires.

6. Torah and divine service (התורה ועבודה): From the Mishnah, Avos 1:2: על שלשה דברים העולם עומד, על התורה ועל העבודה ועל גמילות חסדים, "The world stands on three things: on Torah, on divine service, and on deeds of kindness." After retiring he could devote his time to Torah study and to the service of G‑d.

7. Nothing stands in the way of the will (אין לך דבר העומד בפני הרצון): A well-known saying, which the Rebbe also cites elsewhere (vol. 19, letter 7314): "and of such a matter too it is said, nothing stands in the way of the will". If he truly wishes to study with others and join public classes, he will find the way. The "…" at the end means that the rest of the letter was not printed.

8. The master of the hillula that is coming upon us for good (בעל ההילולא הבע"ל): הבע"ל = הבא עלינו לטובה. The master of the hillula is the Previous Rebbe, whose hillula, Yud Shevat, fell four days after this letter was written.

9. Each and every one among all Israel (כאו"א בתכ"י): כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד; בתכ"י = בתוך כלל ישראל.

10. Good news… always, all the days (בשו"ט… תכה"י): בשו"ט = בשורות טובות; תכה"י = תמיד כל הימים.

Summary

To a correspondent, apparently a shochet, who cites the Yad Ephraim that from seventy one should no longer slaughter, the Rebbe agrees that retiring is reasonable, but only once a suitable replacement has been arranged in good time; then he may devote himself to Torah and divine service, provided he also teaches others and joins public classes.