6692 —טראכט גוט וועט זיין גוט – החלמה, ועבודת נשי חב"ד בשמחה

B"H, 18 Shevat, 5719
Brooklyn.

Mrs. Chaya Sheina Michla, may she live^[1]

Brachah v'Shalom!

In reply to your letter of 13 Shevat.

I was pleased to read in it that you already feel better. May G‑d, blessed be He, help that the improvement become ever greater; especially as you have already been mentioned at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory^[2], and at a propitious time you will be mentioned once again – for this, and in general for whatever you need.

And the ruling of our Rebbeim, our leaders, is well known: "Think good and it will be good"^[3]. And, as is well known, there are many stories about this, in which it has been seen even with physical eyes.

Since with a person the mind must always be occupied with something^[4], enclosed here is a copy of what was said at the farbrengen of the day of the hillula^[5] concerning Nshei Chabad and their supremely important work, in their own families and in their surroundings. And as with every good thing, however good it may be, there is always room to add more. I hope that this will also bring you to act in this with a good spirit and with joy; and this too will add to the blessings of G‑d, blessed be He^[6], for the improvement of your health.

With blessing for good news in all the above,

M. Schneersohn

Publisher's notes

Mrs. Chaya Sheina Michla (מרת חי' שינא מיכלא): Gurary, Tel Aviv.

Notes

1. Mrs. Chaya Sheina Michla, may she live (מרת חי' שינא מיכלא תחי'): תחי' = תחיה. Gurary, Tel Aviv. Mrs. Chaya Sheina Michla Gurary, wife of the Chassid R. Chaim Shmaryahu Gurary of Tel Aviv, whose family came to the Holy Land from Riga in the mid-1930s at the instruction of the Previous Rebbe and settled in Tel Aviv; he was the first of the Chabad Chassidim in the Holy Land to travel to the Previous Rebbe, in Tishrei 5710. She wrote to the Rebbe on 13 Shevat about her illness and the improvement in it, and the Rebbe answers her here in Yiddish. She passed away in 5721.

2. At the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory (אויף דעם ציון הק' פון כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): ציון הק' = הציון הקדוש, "the holy resting place". 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; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו. The Rebbe had already mentioned her at the resting place, and will mention her again at a propitious time.

3. "Think good and it will be good" (טראכט גוט וועט זיין גוט): The well-known saying in the name of the Tzemach Tzedek (as noted by the publisher on letter 665: "see his [the Previous Rebbe's] Igros Kodesh, vol. 7, letter 1890, in the name of the Tzemach Tzedek"), which the Previous Rebbe repeated many times "in the name of the leaders of Chabad" (letter 675). Here the Rebbe calls it a "ruling" (psak din) – a binding instruction, not merely advice. In the same days he wrote (9 Shevat 5719) to a resident of Kfar Chabad (letter 6676): "the good counsel and directive of our Rebbeim, our leaders: Think good and it will be good; and as is known from the many stories, this has been fulfilled in practice"; and to a woman facing medical treatment (16 Shevat, letter 6685): "you will surely act in keeping with the instruction of our Rebbeim, our leaders, 'think good', and the end of their instruction, 'it will be good', will also be fulfilled".

4. The mind must always be occupied with something (דער געדאנק זיין שטענדיג פארנומען): A person's thought is never empty; so the Rebbe encloses the talk on the work of Nshei Chabad, that she may fill her mind with good and important matters, and so also fulfill "think good".

5. The farbrengen of the day of the hillula (התועדות פון יום ההילולא): The day of the hillula is 10 Shevat, the day of the Previous Rebbe's passing, which this year fell on Monday, 10 Shevat 5719. At the farbrengen the Rebbe held that day he spoke about Agudas Nshei uBnos Chabad and their work in their families and surroundings, and he enclosed that part of the talk with this letter.

6. G‑d, blessed be He (השי"ת): השי"ת = השם יתברך.

Summary

Writing in Yiddish to a Chassidic woman in Tel Aviv who reported that her health had improved, the Rebbe blesses her that the improvement grow, reminds her of the ruling of the Rebbeim, "Think good and it will be good," and encloses his Yud Shevat talk on the work of Nshei Chabad, hoping that taking part in it with joy will add to G‑d's blessings for her recovery.