6743 —ניחומים לאם על פטירת בנה: הנשמה נצחית, ומה מוסיף בעילויה

B"H, 3 Adar II^[1], 5719
Brooklyn.

Blessing and Peace!

Through the Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs, a man of many deeds, etc.^[2], Reb Yehudah Tzvi Fogelman, may he live long^[3], a request for a blessing, a pidyon nefesh^[4], has reached me for you and your husband, may he live long.

At an auspicious time you will be mentioned at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory^[5], for what you need.

Rabbi Fogelman also writes to me about what happened – may it not befall us or you^[6] – with your son … , may he rest in peace^[7];

and the merit of what you and your husband, may he live long, have done and will do in matters of Yiddishkeit – and, understandably, also conducting yourselves according to the instructions of our holy Torah – will surely contribute to the elevation of his soul; may his rest be in Gan Eden^[8];

and it is self-understood that every addition in strengthening yourselves in faith in G‑d, blessed be He – that what He does one need not ponder over – will add to the elevation of the soul;

and surely it is superfluous to explain to you that the soul is not, G‑d forbid, lost, for a Jew is an eternity. The difference is only in the body; in other words, with eyes of flesh one cannot see the soul, since one does not see a body. But the bond and attachment of parents to children is, after all, not through the flesh, but through being bound up with the soul; and the soul is always whole, and one can always act for the good and the elevation of the soul, as said earlier, through conduct according to the Torah, and by strengthening oneself in trust in G‑d, blessed be He, and with firm calm and a strong spirit that G‑d, blessed be He, is the essence of good.

It would be proper to have your husband's tefillin checked (inspected), and also the mezuzos in your home, that they be kosher as the law requires. Also, in addition to what you surely keep – the good custom of Jewish daughters to give tzedakah each time before lighting candles on Erev Shabbos and Erev Yom Tov – you should do so also on the weekdays of Monday and Thursday, giving a few cents to tzedakah. And the main thing, as said earlier: stop pondering over it; and when you make a firm decision about this, G‑d, blessed be He, will grant you success in carrying it out in life.

With blessing for good tidings,

In the name of the Rebbe shlita^[9]

Secretary

Notes

1. Adar II (אד"ש): אד"ש = אדר שני, Adar II (5719 was a leap year).

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

3. Reb Yehudah Tzvi Fogelman (מו"ה יהודה צבי שי' פאגעלמאן): מו"ה = מורנו הרב. R. Yehudah Tzvi (Hershel) Fogelman, one of the first students in the yeshivah the Previous Rebbe founded on arriving in America (1940), who sent him in 1946 to Worcester, Massachusetts; there he and his wife founded the Achei Temimim school, and he served there until his passing in 2013. Requests for blessings and pidyonos from people in his area reached the Rebbe through him, as in vol. 4, letter 801 and vol. 5, letter 1442.

4. A pidyon nefesh (פ"נ): פ"נ = פדיון נפש, a written request for a blessing, "redemption of the soul".

5. My father-in-law, the Rebbe, of sainted memory (מיין שווער כ"ק אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): The Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn, the Rebbe's father-in-law. זצוקללה"ה = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו.

6. May it not befall us or you (ל"ע ול"ע): ל"ע ול"ע = לא עלינו ולא עליכם.

7. Your son … , may he rest in peace (זון... ע"ה): ע"ה = עליו השלום. In place of the dots the son's name was omitted in print.

8. May his rest be in Gan Eden (בגן עדן תהא מנוחתו): The wording of the prayer El Malei Rachamim for the soul of the departed: בעבור שבלי נדר יתנו צדקה בעד הזכרת נשמתו, בגן עדן תהא מנוחתו, "because they will give charity, without a vow, for the remembrance of his soul; may his rest be in Gan Eden." As the Rebbe writes here, the merit of the parents' deeds in matters of Yiddishkeit adds to the elevation of his soul.

9. The Rebbe shlita (כ"ק אדמו"ר שליט"א): כ"ק אדמו"ר שליט"א = "our holy master, teacher and Rebbe, may he live long and good days, amen". The letter was written by the secretary in the Rebbe's name.

Summary

Through his secretary the Rebbe consoles a mother whose son has passed away: a Jew is eternal, the soul is never lost, and the bond between parents and child is with the soul, which is always whole; the parents' Torah conduct, trust in G‑d and acts of Yiddishkeit elevate it. He advises checking tefillin and mezuzos, extra tzedakah on Mondays and Thursdays, and above all to stop dwelling on what happened.