6696 —ייסוד ישיבה בקרית גת לעולים מרומניה: תנאים מוקדמים וסניפות לישיבת תו"ת דלוד

B"H, 23 Shevat, 5719
Brooklyn.

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

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After the very longest interruption^[3], your letter of Yud Shevat, the day of the hillula of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on high, may his merit protect us^[4], the leader of Israel, was received, together with its enclosure. Its content:

In connection with the immigration from your former country, Romania, a significant part of whom are settling in Kiryat Gat: you visited there and see good prospects for founding a yeshivah there, as part of the project of perpetuating the students of the Kishinev yeshivah^[5]. It would be in the spirit of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim, and they would also state explicitly that it is a branch affiliated with Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim of Lod^[6]; but until they have a better acquaintance with Chabad matters, for the time being^[7] the word "Chabad" would not be spelled out.

Surely, when you write that there are good prospects, this is after investigation and inquiry as far as needed; for to found a yeshivah, a certain number of inhabitants is not enough, but^[8] there must also be a desire on their part for religious education, etc. — especially as there is reason to say that the leftist parties will not sit with folded arms but will conduct propaganda, as always in such cases; and enough said to the wise^[9].

Your letter is also not clear on this: since until now, in Kishinev matters in the Chabad sphere, this belonged to Yeshivas Achei Temimim of Rishon LeZion, and they undertook to raise funds to strengthen Achei Temimim in Rishon LeZion, how will they arrange it so that the matters do not get confused with one another^[10]?

And there is yet a third point^[11]. A project such as this, that is^[12], founding and organizing a yeshivah and afterwards running it, requires attention and energy, especially in the first period; from which it is understood that there must be an estimate close to certainty of how they will organize it... Surely you have paid attention to this.

If on all the points mentioned the details are satisfactory, one should take up this matter, and its branch, that is, the organization for the age that belongs to the schools of the Reshet should be affiliated with the Reshet^[13]. I await good news^[14] about all the above. As you requested, the letter is being sent express, without waiting its turn^[15].

With blessings for success.

Publisher's notes

Reb Yaakov (מו"ה יעקב שי'): Peles, Tel Aviv. Further letters to him: above, vol. 15, letter 5365, and the references in the notes there; below, letter 6729.

To found a yeshivah there (לייסד שם ישיבה): See also below, letter 6729.

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: בני, הוי זהיר במלאכתך, שמלאכתך מלאכת שמים היא, "My son, be careful in your work, for your work is the work of Heaven" (Eruvin 13a). Here it is a title of honor.

2. Reb Yaakov (מו"ה יעקב שי'): Peles, Tel Aviv (see the publisher's note). R. Yaakov Peles of Tel Aviv, who had once studied in the Kishinev yeshivah (vol. 15, letter 5365) and taught a class for young men every Shabbos (vol. 11, letter 3490, to him and his wife, Mrs. Rachel); in 5717 he worked with its former students for Yeshivas Achei Temimim in Rishon LeZion: on his visit and talk "about the gathering of the former students" (vol. 14, letter 5140); on their proposal that the building be named "Beis Talmidei Yeshivas Kishinev" (vol. 21, letter 8117); that he should not stand "on the side" in the negotiations (5365); and on the success of the gathering (to him and his wife, Mrs. Rachel, 5476). In this letter the Rebbe answers his proposal to found a yeshivah in Kiryat Gat. Later: letter 6729 (22 Adar I 5719) — not to change the wording that the yeshivah is affiliated with the Lod yeshivah, and on supporting it; letter 6787 (27 Adar II 5719) — to "the administration of the Kiryat Gat yeshivah, affiliated with Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim of Lod," with blessings and a check "as a first participation"; and letter 8474 (21 Tammuz 5722), on the Kiryat Gat yeshivah: "Fortunate is their lot, that they merited to be at the beginning of the holy enterprise."

3. After the very longest interruption (לאחרי הפסק הכי ארוך): That is, after a very long interruption in his writing — not a trip. The Rebbe had already remarked on this in vol. 15, letter 5365: ולפלא ההפסק כ"כ בין מכתב אחד שלו להשני, "it is surprising that there is so long an interruption between one of his letters and the next."

4. My revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory, whose soul is in the hidden treasuries on high, may his merit protect us (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; זצוקללה"ה = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו. Yud Shevat 5719 was the ninth yahrzeit.

5. The project of perpetuating the students of the Kishinev yeshivah (מפעל הנצחת תלמידי ישיבת קישינוב): See vol. 15, letter 5365, publisher's note: the "Association of Former Students of the Kishinev Yeshivah" held a special gathering of the yeshivah's students, which resolved on a "project to perpetuate the Kishinev yeshivah" — "by raising funds among its former students and among natives of Bessarabia generally, to build a new wing in the building of Yeshivas Achei Temimim in Rishon LeZion." Now he proposed, as part of this project, to found a yeshivah in Kiryat Gat, among the immigrants from Romania who had settled there.

6. Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim of Lod (ישיבת תו"ת דלוד): תו"ת = תומכי תמימים: the Lubavitch yeshivah Tomchei Temimim in Lod. The new yeshivah was indeed named "the Kiryat Gat yeshivah, affiliated with Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim of Lod" (below, letter 6787).

7. For the time being (לע"ע): לע"ע = לעת עתה.

8. But (כ"א): כ"א = כי אם.

9. Enough said to the wise (וד"ל): ד"ל = די למבין. A certain number of immigrants in the place is not enough; it must first be clarified that they want religious education, especially as the leftist parties can be expected to conduct propaganda among them, as they always have in such cases. The Rebbe hints at this rather than spelling it out, as self-evident.

10. Achei Temimim in Rishon LeZion… with one another (אח"ת ברשל"צ… זל"ז): אח"ת = אחי תמימים; רשל"צ = ראשון לציון; זל"ז = זה לזה. Until now the former students of the Kishinev yeshivah had undertaken to raise funds for a new wing of Yeshivas Achei Temimim in Rishon LeZion (see note 5); if they now found a new yeshivah in Kiryat Gat, it must be clarified how the two will not come at each other's expense.

11. And there is yet a third point (ועוד בה שלישי'): The expression "and there is yet in it" follows the verse ועוד בה עשיריה, "and there will yet be a tenth in it" (Yeshayahu 6:13). That is: there is also a third point.

12. That is (ז.א.): ז.א. = זאת אומרת; שצ"ל = שצריך להיות, "there must be".

13. The schools of the Reshet (בתי ספר הרשת): The school-age classes are to be affiliated with the "Reshet" — the Oholei Yosef Yitzchak Lubavitch network, the Chabad school network in the Holy Land (as the Rebbe calls it in vol. 15, letter 5585: הנהלת בתי ספר הרשת אהלי יוסף יצחק ליובאוויטש אשר באה"ק ת"ו); the yeshivah itself — with Tomchei Temimim of Lod.

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

15. Sent express, without waiting its turn (נשלח המכתב מהיר, מבלי לחכות על התור): The letter went by express mail and was answered at once, without waiting its turn among the letters awaiting a reply. So too below, letter 6729: "In view of the content, and as you requested, the letter is being sent express."

Summary

A former student of the Kishinev yeshivah proposes founding a yeshivah in Kiryat Gat, among immigrants from Romania, as a branch of Tomchei Temimim of Lod. The Rebbe asks him to make sure that the parents truly want religious education, that the new yeshivah will not compete with the commitment to Achei Temimim in Rishon LeZion, and that there is a realistic plan to organize and run it; the school-age branch should join the Reshet.