6682 —יגעת ומצאת – אל ירתע המחנך מקשיי החינוך, וקביעות עתים בלימודו שלו

B"H, 16 Shevat, 5719
Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of 3 Shevat and the one before it, with the pidyon nefesh^[1] to 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].

I read with interest your detailed description of your students and those under your influence. Surely you will not be discouraged by the difficulties you encounter in educating them, for in the end everything depends on the will of the student, and all the more so on the will of the one who influences him^[3]; and, as is understood also from Kuntres Umaayan^[4], of each and every one it is said, "You toiled" – specifically – and then, "you found"^[5]. That is, every person, even one of the loftiest talent, is commanded to toil specifically; and every person, even one not blessed with lofty talents, is likewise assured that he will find through his toil. And obviously all this applies equally to the one who influences and educates^[6]. But additional blessing and success in the work in the Oholei Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch institutions^[7] comes through the arousal of great mercy^[8] by my father-in-law, the Rebbe, the leader of the Jewish people, after whom the institutions are named; and all the above adds G‑d's blessing and success also in personal matters.

I strongly hope that despite your most lofty work in the said school^[9], you have fixed times for the study of the revealed part of Torah and fixed study of the teachings of Chassidus, and fixed study that is sufficient; and the point is easily understood^[10].

With blessings for good news^[11] in all the above.

P.S.^[12]

Surely you know and keep the well-known three study portions of Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya^[13].

Notes

1. The pidyon nefesh (הפ"נ): והקודמו = and the previous letter. הפ"נ = הפדיון נפש, a note listing the names of those asking for a blessing and their requests, to be read at the Ohel.

2. My father-in-law, the Rebbe… (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): בעת רצון = at a suitable time (on a day when the Rebbe goes to the Ohel). הציון הק' = the holy resting place of the Previous Rebbe. כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, my father-in-law, 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. The will of the one who influences him (ברצון המשפיע): סו"ס = סוף סוף, "in the end". The success of education depends ultimately on the will of the student, and all the more so on the will of the educator himself; therefore the difficulties should not weaken his resolve.

4. Kuntres Umaayan (קונטרס ומעין): By the Rebbe Rashab. There (maamar 16, chapter 2): כאשר כלי שכלו רחבים להבין דבר מתוך דבר, הרוח שטות מסיתו למה לך לייגע עצמך ולהטריח כל כך את שכלך בעסק התורה, הלא כלי שכלך רחבים וכמה שתעסוק מספיק לך, אשר באמת אינו כן, שהרי לא יגעתי ומצאתי אל תאמין (מגילה ו. ב), ובלתי עבודה ויגיעה אי אפשר בשום אופן בעולם שישיג, ואפילו כלי שכלו רחבים וקלים להבין מכל מקום צריך עסק ויגיעה ואינו נעשה חכם מאליו וממילא, "When a person's mental faculties are broad, able to understand one thing from another, the spirit of folly incites him: why weary yourself and strain your mind so much in Torah study? Your faculties are broad, and however much you study is enough for you. In truth it is not so, for 'I did not toil yet found – do not believe it' (Megillah 6b); without labor and toil it is utterly impossible for him to attain; even one whose faculties are broad and quick to understand still needs study and toil, and does not become wise by himself."

5. "You toiled"… "you found" (יגעת - דוקא, ואז - ומצאת): כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד, "each and every one"; likewise below: ז. א. = זאת אומרת, "that is"; כ"א = כל אחד, "every one". Megillah 6b: אם יאמר לך אדם: יגעתי ולא מצאתי, אל תאמן. לא יגעתי, ומצאתי, אל תאמן. יגעתי ומצאתי, תאמן, "If a person tells you, 'I toiled and did not find', do not believe him; 'I did not toil yet found', do not believe him; 'I toiled and found', believe him." The Rebbe stresses: "you toiled" – specifically – and only "then", "you found"; hence the two points he spells out at once: even the gifted is obligated to toil, and even one without talents is assured that he will find.

6. The one who influences and educates (המשפיע והמחנך): All of this, the obligation to toil and the assurance of finding, applies also to the educator himself in his work of education: he must toil, and he is assured of success.

7. The Oholei Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch institutions (מוסדות אהלי יוסף יצחק ליובאוויטש): The network of educational institutions that the Rebbe founded and named after the Previous Rebbe. As the Rebbe writes in letter 1205: "among the educational institutions that I am now opening, I try, if it is at all suitable, to name them after my father-in-law, the Rebbe" (אשר בכלל המוסדות חינוך שפותח אני עתה, משתדל אני, אם רק מתאים הדבר, לקראם בשם כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר); and they were founded "in our Holy Land, in Africa, Australia, and so on" (אין ארצנו הקדושה ת"ו, אין אפריקא, אוסטרליא א.א.וו., letter 1710).

8. Great mercy (ר"ר): ר"ר = רחמים רבים. Beyond the toil, the work in these institutions carries added blessing, for the Previous Rebbe, after whom they are named, arouses great mercy for them; and all this adds blessing and success also in the educator's personal affairs. השי"ת = השם יתברך, "G‑d, blessed be He".

9. The said school (בביה"ס האמור): ביה"ס = בית הספר, the school. "The said" school is the one among the Oholei Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch institutions mentioned above in which the recipient works.

10. The point is easily understood (וק"ל): וק"ל = וקל להבין. The educator himself, like everyone (as above), is commanded to toil in his own study; and his work in educating others, however lofty, does not exempt him from sufficient fixed times for the revealed Torah and for Chassidus.

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

12. P.S. (נ.ב.): נ.ב. = נכתב בצדו, "written at the side", i.e., an addition after the body of the letter.

13. The three study portions of Chumash, Tehillim and Tanya (שלשת השיעורים דחומש תהלים ותניא): The daily portions instituted by the Previous Rebbe: Chumash with Rashi from the weekly portion, Tehillim as divided by the days of the month, and Tanya as divided over the days of the year.

Summary

Answering an educator who described the difficulties he meets with his students, the Rebbe tells him not to be discouraged: success depends on will and toil, for "you toiled and you found" applies to the gifted and the less gifted alike, and to the educator himself; and work in the Oholei Yosef Yitzchak institutions, named for the Previous Rebbe, carries added blessing. He urges him to keep sufficient fixed study of Nigleh and Chassidus himself, and the daily Chitas.