6694 —הפצת המעינות לכל אחד: שיתוף חוגים שונים, וגם ילדים, באופן המתאים לכל מקבל

B"H, 20 Shevat, 5719
Brooklyn.

To the board of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in Melbourne^[1], may G‑d be upon them, may they live

Shalom u'Vrachah!

It was a pleasure to receive your letter of 2 Shevat, a report of your holy activities in education in holiness and purity^[2], and in the inner point, spreading the wellsprings outward^[3]. I will await a report also about the course for the girls, may they live, and about the farbrengen and the activities on the auspicious day, the day of the hillula of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory^[4], the leader of Israel.

May it be G‑d's will that from this auspicious day there be an increase in inspiration, and above all in your activities throughout the year; and in these activities also in the important point of enlarging the number of the activists, men and women, may they live^[5], in these activities, in this too in a manner of steadily adding more^[6].

With blessing for success in your holy work, and for good news^[7] in all the above, in detail.

P.S.^[8]

On your question regarding involving people from various circles in your work:

The approach in this is already known: this too is included in spreading the wellsprings. For one of the very best ways to influence another is by his taking part in the work in practice, and feeling that he must become "moist enough to moisten others"^[9].

But it is also understood that with regard to responsible matters, the greater the responsibility, the greater too must be the examination, the clarification and the precision as to who is fit and already prepared to accept this responsible role.

To your question whether spreading the wellsprings applies also to children of a relatively^[10] tender age, or to those who have not yet received a fitting education, at least relatively:

It is understood that spreading the wellsprings applies to each and every Jew^[11]; but it is also understood that with each one, one must use a channel, vessels and "letters"^[12] suited to his understanding, standing and situation.

In this too we have learned from my father-in-law, the Rebbe, the leader of Israel, who published deep maamarim of intellectual comprehension in the Holy Tongue^[13], maamarim easy to understand, and on avodah, and in Yiddish, down to the talks of Likkutei Dibburim^[14] and the "surroundings of Chassidus"^[15], and also in other languages – all of the above being within the framework of spreading the wellsprings, only that the manner changed to suit the character of the recipients, men and women. And this is easily understood^[16].

And the surroundings of Chassidus (און דעם ארום פון חסידות): See also above, letter 6681 (13 Shevat 5719, on printing a column of gems of Chassidus and of the surroundings of Chassidus in a periodical).

Notes

1. Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in Melbourne (צעירי אגודת חב"ד אשר במעלבורן): Tzeirei Agudas Chabad (Tzach) is the youth organization of Agudas Chassidei Chabad; here, its branch in Melbourne, Australia. The year before this letter, the Rebbe wondered that no news had come from them for a long time, and that he had heard "from the side" of disagreements over their program of work (letter 6345, 27 Sivan 5718: "had you done so during the past months, Tzeirei Agudas Chabad and its work would have had an entirely different form, and so would Judaism in Australia in general"); and in reply to their letters about the meeting they held in its wake, the secretary referred them to the general letters to the Tzeirei Agudas Chabad center (letter 6427, 29 Tammuz 5718). Now a report of their activities arrived, with two questions, which the Rebbe answers in the postscript.

2. Education in holiness and purity (חינוך עטה"ק): עטה"ק = על טהרת הקודש.

3. The inner point, spreading the wellsprings outward (הנקודה הפנימית הפצת המעינות חוצה): From the Baal Shem Tov's holy letter, in which Mashiach answered him: "when your wellsprings are spread outward"; as the Rebbe writes in letter 7578: "as is known from the holy letter of the Baal Shem Tov, the answer of King Mashiach: when your wellsprings are spread outward, [the Master] will come". Here the Rebbe calls it "the inner point" – the core of all their activities.

4. The auspicious day, the day of the hillula of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory (יום סגולה, הוא יום ההילולא של כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): 10 Shevat, the ninth yahrzeit (hillula) of the Previous Rebbe, which this year fell on a Monday. Their letter was written on 2 Shevat, before the day, so the Rebbe awaits a report of what was done on it. 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.

5. The activists, men and women, may they live (הפעילים-ות שי'): הפעילים-ות = הפעילים והפעילות; שי' = שיחיו.

6. Steadily adding more (מוסיף והולך): The Gemara's wording, Shabbos 21b, on the Chanukah lights: וב"ה אומרים: יום ראשון מדליק אחת, מכאן ואילך מוסיף והולך... וטעמא דבית הלל דמעלין בקדש ואין מורידין, "Beis Hillel say: on the first day one lights one, from then on he adds progressively… for one ascends in holiness and does not descend". The number of activists should keep growing.

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

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

9. "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. One who takes part in the work in practice does not only receive; he feels he must be so full that he influences others too – and this affects him most of all.

10. Relatively (לפ"ע): לפ"ע = לפי ערך; likewise below: עכ"פ = על כל פנים, "at least".

11. Each and every Jew (כאו"א מבנ"י): כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד; בנ"י = בני ישראל.

12. A channel, vessels and "letters" (צנור כלים ואותיות): The means by which a matter is conveyed to another: the channel, the vessels and the "letters" – the language and manner of expression – suited to the recipient's understanding.

13. Of intellectual comprehension in the Holy Tongue (בהשכלה בלה"ק): השכלה = intellectual comprehension; בלה"ק = בלשון הקודש, "in the Holy Tongue".

14. Likkutei Dibburim (לקוטי דבורים): The book of the Previous Rebbe's talks in Yiddish.

15. The "surroundings of Chassidus" (דעם ארום פון חסידות): Yiddish: the stories of tzaddikim and Chassidim, the conduct and customs of Chassidus, and the like, that surround the study of Chassidus itself; as the Rebbe writes in letter 4185: "you do well to speak also about the surroundings of Chassidus… especially as the stories of tzaddikim and of Chassidim too – a custom of Yisrael Saba is Torah"; and in letter 3264: "that he should speak and explain from time to time also about the surroundings of Chassidus, its directives and its customs".

16. And this is easily understood (וק"ל): וק"ל = וקל להבין. This gives the answer to their question: spreading the wellsprings applies also to young children and to those not yet properly educated, just as everything the Previous Rebbe published, from deep maamarim to talks and the "surroundings of Chassidus", is "within the framework of spreading the wellsprings" – hence the Rebbe's emphasis on the word "all"; only the manner must suit them.

Summary

Acknowledging a report from Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in Melbourne, the Rebbe asks them to add, from Yud Shevat on, in their activities and in the number of activists. He answers that drawing people from various circles into the work is itself spreading the wellsprings, though responsible roles need careful choice, and that spreading the wellsprings applies to every Jew, even young children, in a manner suited to each.