6745 —עצה בהסתדרות לעתיד: לחזור לשטח ההוראה, ותיקון העבר בתשובה ובלימוד תורה

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

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After a most prolonged interruption, your letter of 28 Adar I^[2] was received, in which you write an outline^[3] of the order of your life now, and you conclude with a question about how you should establish yourself in the future.

I must point out that in this outline the main thing is missing. For our Sages said in their Mishnah, "I was created to serve my Maker"^[4], and this is through matters of Torah and mitzvah; yet you mention nothing, neither about fixed times for the study of the revealed Torah and of the teachings of Chassidus, nor about meticulousness in keeping the mitzvos. Moreover – and this too is included in the above – your influence on your surroundings in this direction, which is founded on "Love your fellow as yourself", which is a great principle in the Torah^[5]. May it be G‑d's will that the lack is only in the writing and not in practice.

My view about how you should establish yourself in the future is that first of all you should try your strength once again in the field of teaching^[6]. For apparently, even in the natural course of things, for many years to come this will be a most important matter in the Holy Land, may it be built and established^[7]; and in addition it is also a good source of livelihood in the plain material sense.

As for what you write, that you are not suited for this: there is no proof from the past, for then it was your will [not to], and accordingly it also led to the decision that you do not want it; and the power of the will rules over all the powers of the soul. And this is easy to understand^[8].

If others who have no personal interest in the matter^[9] testify that you are certainly not suited to teaching (although, as said above, this is not my view), then you should look into learning a trade.

As for what you write, that a thought nags at your mind – what will be with regard to building a Jewish home, since I, etc.^[10]

We have nothing but the instruction of our Torah, the Torah of life^[11] (also in their plain sense, in this world of ours): that nothing stands in the way of teshuvah^[12]; especially since there are many levels in teshuvah, up to the teshuvah that comes from having been "in a parched land and the shadow of death", which is the sitra achra, etc., as these matters are explained in the Tanya, at the end of chapter 7^[13], and in many places; and especially when you begin at once to repair the past (first of all through battle and resolve, as much as is required, regarding actual conduct, as is understood and also simple. Known is the advice in this^[14]: to divert your mind entirely from the whole matter; and diverting the mind is not a battle with the thought, but moving the thought to another matter – and how good if it is a matter of Torah; for if a little light pushes away much darkness, how much more so^[15] much light). And the main thing is through your influence on your surroundings, teaching them Torah; for one who teaches his fellow's son Torah is as though he gave birth to him^[16], and this is a repair measure for measure^[17]. It is also necessary that words of Torah be engraved in your memory, and this is by learning by heart at least^[18] some chapters of Mishnayos and some chapters of Tanya, as is also explained in Likkutei Torah, Parshas Kedoshim, the discourse "Vehadarta pnei zakein"^[19]. May it be G‑d's will that you will give good news in all the above.

With blessing for good news^[20],

In the name of the Rebbe shlita^[21]

Secretary

Publisher's notes

Since I (והיות ואני): I have blemished the holy Covenant.

Notes

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

2. Adar I (אד"ר): אד"ר = אדר ראשון, Adar I.

3. An outline (ר"פ): ר"פ = ראשי פרקים, the main points, a general outline.

4. "I was created to serve my Maker" (אני נבראתי לשמש את קוני): The Mishnah in Kiddushin 82a: "Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar says: Have you ever seen a beast or a bird that has a trade, and they are sustained without trouble? Yet they were created only to serve me, ואני נבראתי לשמש את קוני, and I was created to serve my Maker." The purpose of man's creation is to serve his Maker; hence the main thing missing from his account of his life is his Torah study and mitzvah observance.

5. "Love your fellow as yourself", which is a great principle in the Torah (ואהבת לרעך כמוך שהוא כלל גדול בתורה): Vayikra 19:18; and Rashi there: אמר רבי עקיבא: זה כלל גדול בתורה, "Rabbi Akiva said: This is a great principle in the Torah." Influencing one's surroundings toward Torah and mitzvos is part of loving one's fellow Jew.

6. The field of teaching (שטח ההוראה): הוראה here means teaching students, the teaching profession.

7. The Holy Land, may it be built and established (אה"ק ת"ו): אה"ק ת"ו = ארץ הקודש תבנה ותכונן.

8. And this is easy to understand (וק"ל): וק"ל = וקל להבין. His lack of success in teaching in the past came from not wanting it, and the will rules over all the soul's powers; now, if he wants it, he can succeed.

9. Who have no personal interest in the matter (שהם אין נוגעים בדבר): People with no personal stake in the matter.

10. Since I, etc. (היות ואני וכו'): The Rebbe does not spell it out; he only hints with "etc."; what the recipient wrote is given in the publisher's note. The Rebbe answers that this need not keep him from building a Jewish home, and shows him the way of repair.

11. The Torah of life (תורתנו תורת חיים): From the blessing "Sim Shalom" in the Amidah: תורת חיים ואהבת חסד, "a Torah of life and love of kindness". The Rebbe adds "also in their plain sense": the Torah's instructions are life in the plain sense too, in this world.

12. Nothing stands in the way of teshuvah (אין לך דבר העומד בפני התשובה): See Rambam, Hilchos Teshuvah 3:14: שאין לך דבר שעומד בפני התשובה, "for nothing stands in the way of teshuvah."

13. Tanya, end of chapter 7 (תניא סוף פרק ז'): Tanya, chapter 7: או עד שיעשה תשובה גדולה כל כך, שזדונות נעשו לו כזכיות ממש - שהיא תשובה מאהבה מעומקא דלבא… להיות, כי עד הנה היתה נפשו בארץ ציה וצלמות, היא הסטרא אחרא, ורחוקה מאור פני ה' בתכלית. ולזאת צמאה נפשו ביתר עז מצמאון נפשות הצדיקים, "…or until he does teshuvah so great that his willful sins become for him actual merits – teshuvah out of love from the depth of the heart… because until now his soul was in a parched land and the shadow of death, which is the sitra achra, utterly far from the light of G‑d's countenance; therefore his soul thirsts with greater strength than the thirst of the souls of the righteous." "A parched land and the shadow of death" is from Yirmiyahu 2:6. צי' = ציה; הס"א = הסטרא אחרא.

14. Known is the advice in this (וידוע העצה בזה): See Tanya, chapter 12: שכל אדם יכול ברצונו שבמוחו להתאפק ולמשול ברוח תאותו שבלבו... ולהסיח דעתו לגמרי מתאות לבו אל ההפך לגמרי. ובפרט אל צד הקדושה... שמעט אור גשמי דוחה הרבה מן החשך, שנדחה ממנו מאליו וממילא, "every person can, by the will in his mind, restrain himself and rule over the spirit of his heart's desire… and divert his mind entirely from his heart's desire to the very opposite, especially toward holiness… for a little physical light pushes away much darkness, which is driven away by itself."

15. How much more so (עאכו"כ): עאכו"כ = על אחת כמה וכמה.

16. One who teaches his fellow's son Torah is as though he gave birth to him (המלמד את בן חבירו תורה כאילו ילדו): Sanhedrin 19b: אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני א"ר יונתן: כל המלמד בן חבירו תורה מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו ילדו, "R. Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of R. Yonasan: Whoever teaches his fellow's son Torah, Scripture considers it as though he gave birth to him."

17. A repair measure for measure (תקון מדה כנגד מדה): The repair corresponds to what it comes to repair, measure for measure.

18. At least (לכה"פ): לכה"פ = לכל הפחות.

19. Likkutei Torah… "Vehadarta pnei zakein" (לקו"ת פ' קדושים ד"ה והדרת פני זקן): There: והדרת פני זקן זה שקנה חכמה. שקנה היינו... מי שתופס במוח הזכרון וחקוק על לוח לבו תמיד, "'You shall honor the face of the elder' – one who has acquired wisdom; acquired, meaning… one who holds [the Torah] in the faculty of memory and it is always engraved on the tablet of his heart"; יקנה לו התורה במוח הזכרון שבנפשו, "let him acquire the Torah in the memory of his soul"; and עכ"פ לפחות יקנה ויחקוק סדר קדשים הנקרא חכמה בדברי רז"ל ומכפר עונותיו של אדם כמ"ש האריז"ל, "at the very least let him acquire and engrave [in memory] Seder Kodashim, which is called wisdom in the words of our Sages and atones for a person's sins, as the Arizal wrote."

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

21. 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 tells a young man that his outline of his life lacks the main thing – Torah study, mitzvos and influencing others – and advises him to try teaching again, a vital field in the Holy Land and a livelihood. To his worry about building a Jewish home he answers that nothing stands in the way of teshuvah, and gives the way of repair: diverting the mind to Torah, teaching others, and learning Mishnayos and Tanya by heart.