6693 —צרידות ומיעוט דבור: יצא הפסדו בשכרו, ומטרת החינוך – תלמיד שהוא "חי נושא את עצמו"

B"H, 20 Shevat, 5719
Brooklyn.

The veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, whose work is the work of Heaven^[1], Reb Aleksandr, may he live long^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of 25 Teves, in which you write about the state of your health, and above all about the hoarseness: you asked the opinion of doctors, and they found no particular cause, but ordered you rest – at least^[3] rest in the form of speaking less; and you explain and detail the particular difficulties such a regimen causes in your work and your position.

Now, in such a case^[4] one can say, in the phrasing of our Sages, "his loss is offset by his gain"^[5]: by seeming to lose for the time being (by obeying the instruction mentioned), you will gain and profit many times over afterwards.

Surely you will not be required to rest from speech altogether, only to reduce it. It is also worth asking the doctor you consulted about a manner of speaking that is "from the lips outward"^[6] (in the physical sense – but not, G‑d forbid, in the spiritual and inner sense). For some decades a number of orators have tried to learn this, and in general those whose occupation involves relatively much speaking, even the healthy ones among them. The gist of it is the literal sense of the above expression: although the speech is loud and lively, it involves only the most external organs of articulation, such as the lips and the tongue, etc. Surely in your own case^[7] too this will be of great benefit; and one may say, even after you recover and return to your full strength^[8].

As to what you write, that you came with a complaint: why this, etc.^[9] – although your distress and the seeming difficulties, etc., are understandable, all complaints in such a case are (seemingly) of no use. On the contrary, they lead to agitation, and thereby to sadness and dejection, etc., which reduce the speed of the recovery, etc. And if one insists on finding an explanation and interpretation of the matter, one can say (though, of course, only as a possibility) that it is a pointed lesson^[10] about the purpose of education – though not everyone is careful about this – that the first and main aim of every educator is that his pupil be like "a living being that carries itself"^[11], in the very matter in which he educates him; and to attain this aim speedily (though, of course, through a thorough education).

And with regard to you in particular, this is even simpler: strive that your pupils, after being under your influence for a short time, pray with enthusiasm and speak about Jewish matters with enthusiasm, etc., in such a way that they are "moist enough to moisten others"^[12], and influence the boys and girls who entered the institution after them; while you will only stand over them, as supervisor and general director. And this is easily understood^[13].

It is understood that in all the above there is, G‑d forbid, no justification of the matter, etc., etc.^[14] On the contrary, one must hope that in the very near future you will return to your full strength, and work with your pupils in the manner described, but by free choice and out of true peace of mind.

With blessing for good news and for a speedy and complete recovery^[15],

M. Schneersohn

P.S.^[16]

Surely you held a fitting farbrengen to mark the auspicious day, the day of the hillula (10 Shevat) of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory^[17], the leader of Israel.

Publisher's notes

Printed: in Likkutei Sichos vol. 21, p. 460, and completed from a photocopy of the letter.

Reb Aleksandr (מו"ה אלכסנדר): Bunin, Raanana. Further letters to him: above, letter 6668, and the references in the notes there.

Above, letter 6668: See letter 6668 (29 Teves 5719, to him, on the practical questions in R. Mordechai Epstein's offer of land for vocational schools in Raanana), and letter 6667 (to R. Mordechai Epstein himself, on the same matter).

Notes

1. The veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, whose work is the work of Heaven (הוו"ח אי"א נו"נ מלאכתו מלאכת שמים): הוו"ח = הוותיק וחסיד; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד. "Whose work is the work of Heaven" follows R. Yishmael's words to R. Meir, who was a scribe (Eruvin 13a): בני, הוי זהיר במלאכתך, שמלאכתך מלאכת שמים היא, "My son, be careful in your work, for your work is the work of Heaven." Here it is said of the recipient's work in education.

2. Reb Aleksandr (מו"ה אלכסנדר): Bunin, Raanana. R. Aleksandr Zusya (in other letters: Zisel, Ziskind) Bunin, an educator in Raanana who headed an educational institution in which boys and girls were educated (letter 5355); on him and the other letters to him see letter 6668, note 2. Three weeks before this letter, in letter 6668 (29 Teves), the Rebbe answered his letter of 21 Teves about the offer of land in Raanana, and asked about the health of his wife, whose medical treatment had been set for Zos Chanukah (letter 6605). Four days after that letter of his, on 25 Teves, the recipient wrote again – this time about his own health, the hoarseness – and this is the Rebbe's answer. Later, in letter 8187 (26 Nissan 5719), the Rebbe wrote to him: "Since you do not mention your own health, I hope it has improved, and that in the very near future you will share good news about it."

3. At least (עכ"פ): עכ"פ = על כל פנים.

4. In such a case (בכגון דא): Aramaic: "in a matter like this".

5. "His loss is offset by his gain" (יצא הפסדו בשכרו): The wording of the Mishnah, Avos 5:11: ארבע מדות בדעות... קשה לכעוס וקשה לרצות, יצא הפסדו בשכרו, "There are four kinds of temperament… hard to anger and hard to appease: his loss is offset by his gain"; and Mishnah 12 there: ארבע מדות בתלמידים... קשה לשמוע וקשה לאבד, יצא הפסדו בשכרו, "There are four kinds of students… slow to learn and slow to forget: his loss is offset by his gain." The loss is outweighed by the gain, like the student slow to learn, who loses time but retains his learning. The Rebbe borrows the phrase ("in the phrasing of our Sages") for his point: the temporary loss – speaking less, as the doctors ordered – will bring a gain many times greater later on.

6. "From the lips outward" (מן השפה ולחוץ): A common expression for speech that is not from the heart, as Metzudas David on Tehillim 62:5 writes: מברך אותי בפיו מן השפה ולחוץ אבל בקרב לבם מקללים אותי, "he blesses me with his mouth, from the lips outward, but inwardly they curse me". The Rebbe takes the expression "in its literal sense": that speech, though loud and lively, be produced only with the external organs of speech – the lips and tongue; and he stresses that he does not mean, G‑d forbid (ח"ו = חס ושלום), the spiritual sense of speech that does not come from the heart. Likewise below: כ"א = כי אם, "only".

7. In your own case (בנדון דידי'): Aramaic: "in his own matter". וי"ל = ויש לומר, "and one may say".

8. Return to your full strength (ויחזור לאיתנו): From the verse Shemos 14:27: וישב הים לפנות בקר לאיתנו, "and the sea returned at daybreak to its strength", and Rashi: לאיתנו – לתקפו הראשון, "to its original strength". This manner of speaking will help him even after he recovers.

9. You came with a complaint: why this, etc. (שבא בטענה, למה זה וכו'): במ"ש = במה שכתב. The recipient complained: why had this impediment come upon him, of all things in his work of education? The Rebbe had already written to him in a similar vein in letter 6490 (22 Elul 5718): "Some ask a question, and seemingly it is a powerful question, why has G‑d done thus, etc.; but in general, what use is there in questions?" Likewise below: עי"ז = על ידי זה, "thereby".

10. A pointed lesson (הוראה באצבע): Literally, "an indication with the finger". If one insists on finding a reason (and the Rebbe stresses it is only "as a possibility"), one can say that being prevented from speaking much shows the educator what the main aim of education is.

11. "A living being that carries itself" (חי נושא א"ע): בבחי' = בבחינת; א"ע = את עצמו. The wording of the Gemara, Shabbos 94a: רבי נתן אומר על שחוטין חייב ועל חיין פטור שהחי נושא את עצמו, "Rabbi Nasan says: for slaughtered ones he is liable, for live ones he is exempt, for a living being carries itself" – one who carries a living creature on Shabbos is exempt, because it is not a burden on the one carrying it but carries itself. The Rebbe applies this to education: the educator's aim is that the pupil not be a burden he carries, but "alive" – living the matter he was educated in and carrying himself in it.

12. "Moist enough to moisten others" (טופח ע"מ להטפיח): ע"מ = על מנת. A term of the Sages in the laws of purity; the commentary on Mishnah Taharos 8:9 explains: liquid so abundant that if one touches it, enough comes up on the hand to moisten something else. The pupils should be so full of enthusiasm that it spills over to the new boys and girls.

13. And this is easily understood (וק"ל): וק"ל = וקל להבין. In this way the educator will not need to speak much – his senior pupils will speak and influence the new ones, while he only supervises and guides from above; this fulfills the main aim of education and does not conflict with the doctors' orders.

14. No justification of the matter (אין כאן ח"ו להצדיק הענין): None of this, G‑d forbid, justifies the hoarseness itself, as though it were good that it be so; on the contrary, one must hope he recovers soon, and guides his pupils in this manner by free choice and with true peace of mind, not under the constraint of illness.

15. Good news and a speedy and complete recovery (בשו"ט ולרפוקו"ש): בשו"ט = בשורות טובות; רפוקו"ש = רפואה קרובה ושלימה.

16. P.S. (נ.ב.): נ.ב. = נכתב בצדו, an addition after the signature.

17. 10 Shevat… my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory (יו"ד שבט... כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקלה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): 10 Shevat, the ninth yahrzeit (hillula) of the Previous Rebbe, which this year fell on a Monday. כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn; זצוקלה"ה = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו. Compare letter 6668 to him: "I likewise hope that you took part in the farbrengen of the auspicious day, 19 Kislev".

Summary

Answering an educator in Raanana whose doctors had ordered him to speak less because of hoarseness, the Rebbe tells him that the temporary loss will bring great gain, suggests he learn to speak "from the lips outward" in the physical sense, discourages complaints that only slow recovery, and draws a lesson for education: the aim is pupils who "carry themselves" and inspire newer pupils, while the educator supervises.