6701 —השתתפות כיועץ בועד הכשרות אך לא כמכשיר, וסידור קידושין ע"י בעל סמיכה

B"H, 27 Shevat, 5719
Brooklyn.

The Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs^[1], Reb Yosef Chaim HaKohen, may he live long^[2], and his wife, Rebbetzin Malka Reizel, may she live long^[3]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter of 25 Shevat, with its enclosure.

In it you write the main points^[4] of your activities in holiness. May it be G‑d's will that you always, all the days^[5], share good news of the general matters and of your personal affairs.

In reply to your question, whether to be one of the advisers of the kashrus board^[6]:

If this board is founded purely on holiness, that is, made up of Orthodox Jews, or at least this is their position^[7], you should accept this offer; but, as I wrote, you should not be one of those who certify, and this is easily understood^[8].

As to your question about officiating at a wedding ceremony^[9]:

Since you have rabbinic ordination, and surely review the laws from time to time, if the wedding is conducted as it should be, that is, under the condition you write of, you may do it^[10].

I enjoyed the close of your letter, that from time to time you will publish matters of the day in the newspaper printed in their pure camp^[11].

May it be G‑d's will that this too be one of the means of spreading Judaism in general, and of spreading the wellsprings^[12] in particular; and may it be G‑d's will that it be done with joy and gladness of heart^[13]…

With blessings for good news^[14] in all the above.

Publisher's notes

Reb Yosef Chaim (מו"ה יוסף חיים שי'): Rosenfeld, San Francisco. Further letters to him: above, letter 6612, and the references in the notes there.

Notes

1. The Chassid… engaged in communal needs (הרה"ח אי"א נו"נ עוסק בצ"צ): הרה"ח = הרב החסיד, "the Chassid"; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים, "a G‑d-fearing man"; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד, "distinguished and honored"; עוסק בצ"צ = עוסק בצרכי ציבור, "engaged in communal needs".

2. Reb Yosef Chaim HaKohen (מו"ה יוסף חיים שי' הכהן): Rosenfeld, San Francisco (פריסקא, "Frisco"). R. Yosef Chaim HaKohen Rosenfeld, born in Brooklyn in 1933, passed away on 19 Elul 5782 (2022). In 5716 (1956) he was one of the yeshivah students the Rebbe sent to Eretz Yisrael after the terror attack in Kfar Chabad. After his wedding, at which the Rebbe officiated, the Rebbe sent him and his wife to strengthen Jewish life in San Francisco, where they stayed about two years; later he was principal, and then executive director, of Oholei Torah in Brooklyn. In San Francisco R. Shneur Zalman Bezpaloff gave him the Previous Rebbe's walking stick, and he presented it to the Rebbe (letter 6612). In letter 6671 (2 Shevat) the Rebbe wrote to him that it would be right to look into "the possibility of printing every week an article on the matters of the week in one of the periodicals printed in San Francisco and read by our fellow Jews," provided "the newspaper is not heretical or printed on Shabbos." In this letter the Rebbe is pleased that he writes he will publish matters of the day from time to time. Later, in letter 6789 (28 Adar II), the Rebbe wonders that he does not mention "whether reports of the farbrengens were afterwards printed in the newspapers and the like," and urges publicizing the sale of chametz in the papers. See also letter 6341 (vol. 17) to him, on expanding his holy work.

3. His wife, Rebbetzin Malka Reizel, may she live long (וזוגתו הרבנית מרת מלכה רייזיל תחי'): תחי' = תחיה, "may she live long". Mrs. Malka Reizel Rosenfeld (née Lokshin), his partner in the shlichus in San Francisco; already in letter 6612 the Rebbe blesses them "that in your activities, you and your wife the Rebbetzin, may you live long, you succeed with great success."

4. The main points (ר"פ): ר"פ = ראשי פרקים, "headings": the main points, in brief.

5. Always, all the days (שתכה"י): שתכה"י = שתמיד כל הימים.

6. One of the advisers of the kashrus board (אחד היועצים של ועד הכשרות): He had been offered a place among the advisers of the kashrus board, and asked the Rebbe whether to accept.

7. Founded purely on holiness, that is, made up of Orthodox Jews, or at least this is their position (עטה"ק, ז.א. מאורתו[דו]כסים, עכ"פ זוהי שיטתן): עטה"ק = על טהרת הקודש, "on the purity of holiness"; ז.א. = זאת אומרת, "that is"; מאורתו[דו]כסים = מאורתודוכסים, "of Orthodox Jews"; עכ"פ = על כל פנים, "at least". The condition is that the board be made up of Orthodox Jews, or at least that this be its position.

8. And this is easily understood (וק"ל): וק"ל = וקל להבין. As one of the advisers he can influence and strengthen kashrus, but he should not be one of the certifiers themselves, who give the hechsher and bear the responsibility for it. "As I wrote": the Rebbe had already told him so before.

9. Officiating at a wedding ceremony (סידור קדושין): Conducting the chuppah and kiddushin as the mesader kiddushin.

10. As it should be… under the condition you write of (כדבעי, ז.א. באותו התנאי שכותב): כדבעי = as is fitting, properly. The condition is the one the recipient set out in his letter; it is not spelled out in this letter.

11. Their pure camp (מחנם הט'): מחנם הט' = מחנם הטהור, "their pure camp", i.e. the Jewish community there, San Francisco. מענינא דיומא = matters of the day, topics belonging to the time. This follows the Rebbe's suggestion in letter 6671 (see note 2 above).

12. Spreading the wellsprings (הפצת המעינות): Spreading the teachings of Chassidus, in the words of the verse Mishlei 5:16: יפוצו מעינתיך חוצה, "Your wellsprings shall spread outward."

13. With joy and gladness of heart (מתוך שמחה וטוב לבב): In the words of the verse Devarim 28:47: תחת אשר לא עבדת את ה' אלקיך בשמחה ובטוב לבב, "because you did not serve the L‑rd your G‑d with joy and with gladness of heart."

14. Good news (לבשו"ט): לבשו"ט = לבשורות טובות.

Summary

The Rebbe answers a shliach in San Francisco: he may join the advisers of the local kashrus board if it is Orthodox, but should not be one of its certifiers; having rabbinic ordination and reviewing the laws, he may officiate at a properly conducted wedding; and the Rebbe welcomes his plan to publish timely Torah articles in the local Jewish newspaper as a means of spreading Judaism and Chassidus.