6762 —תשובות בעניני לימוד עם התלמידים ומנהגים, וישיבת הערב של צעירי אגודת חב"ד בירושלים

B"H, 12 Adar II, 5719^[1]
Brooklyn.

The young man, the veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man^[2], a man of energy and many deeds, Naftali HaKohen, may he live long^[3]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Many, many thanks^[4] for your letter of 5 Adar II^[5], with the enclosed good news of the development of the evening yeshivah^[6], and the main points^[7] of the farbrengens and the gathering in the past weeks.

May it be G‑d's will that you always, all the days^[8], bring good news, in a manner of steadily adding and increasing light^[9], in the above and in the other activities of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in Jerusalem the Holy City, among Tzeirei Agudas Chabad and Anash in all the Holy Land, may it be built and established^[10].

As to your questions:

a) It is understood that with the students one must study subjects of which there are sufficient copies^[11]; and since there are now enough copies of the Laws of Torah Study, you should study these laws, especially since study of this particular part of the Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe^[12] is rare.

b) With students below the age of mitzvos, there is room to teach them regularly the easiest maamarim of Chassidus, but not younger than the age of "mufla samuch le'ish"^[13].

c) Our custom is that at the verse "You open Your hand…"^[14] one touches the hand-tefillin and afterwards the head-tefillin^[15]; and some have the custom to touch them by means of the tefillin straps and to kiss them.

d) Putting on the tefillin of Rabbeinu Tam^[16]: see on this in the Shaar HaKollel^[17]. The time to begin putting them on – the age – depends on feeling.

e) As to the Shema on Motzaei Shabbos^[18]: see on this in Hayom Yom. Beyond that I have not heard instructions.

f) The study of chapters of Mishnayos and Kaddish DeRabbanan after each prayer is^[19] for the elevation of the soul, and therefore it applies even when the mourner is below the age of mitzvos.

g) The time of putting on tefillin^[20] before the bar mitzvah is like putting them on after the age of mitzvos, that is: the whole duration of the prayer.

h) As to Lag BaOmer and the bonfire that was customary in Jerusalem the Holy City: it is difficult to rule from a distance on a custom that was established in a city, and especially in the city of Jerusalem; and it is known how careful one must be with a custom of Israel^[21]. Therefore Anash in Jerusalem the Holy City should consult about this…^[22]

As to Birkas Kohanim at Ne'ilah in the Holy Land among Anash: it is understood that this must be clarified with them…

I must remark that I am not pleased that young students regularly study all night, as appears from your letter. This is a matter for older people, in a way that will not affect their health, etc., as is also understood from the Laws of Torah Study of the Alter Rebbe, end of chapter 1.

14) As to what you write regarding the debts: surely from the special appeal, as an exception, they will help with some sum suited to their means; but it is understood that it is impossible to set regular support for this, since the appeal is so burdened with debts.

15) As to what you write about opening a post office box^[23] in the name of the Chabad evening yeshivah: you should first consult about this with the communal activists of Anash in Jerusalem, and [see] their view on this. And in all the above matters it is said: "And salvation is in much counsel"^[24].

16) As to what you write about traveling here: there is room to consider traveling at the end of Elul^[25], so that you could be here the whole month of Tishrei and immediately afterwards return to Jerusalem the Holy City and to your holy work. It is understood that the above comes into consideration only if your holy work in communal matters, and also in your personal matters, will not suffer through it.

With blessings for a happy Purim and for good news, in detail.

Publisher's notes

Printed in part: Partly printed in Likkutei Sichos vol. 9, p. 281; partly in vol. 12, p. 238; partly in vol. 22, p. 415; completed from the secretariat's copy.

Naftali (נפתלי שי'): Rotte, Jerusalem. Further letters to him: above, vol. 17, letter 6212, and the references in the notes there.

The development of the evening yeshivah (התפתחות ישיבת הערב): See also above, letter 6644 (13 Teves 5719, to the students of the Shaarei Chesed evening yeshivah, on its second anniversary).

Notes

1. 12 Adar II (י"ב אד"ש): The twelfth of Adar II (5719 was a leap year): Sunday, 22 March 1959.

2. The veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man (וו"ח אי"א): וו"ח = ותיק וחסיד; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים.

3. Naftali HaKohen (נפתלי שי' הכהן): Rotte, Jerusalem (per the publisher's note). R. Naftali HaKohen Rotte of Jerusalem, an activist of Tzeirei Agudas Chabad in the city, who guided children and youths in Torah study and the mitzvos in classes he organized with his friends (vol. 12, letter 4261; vol. 13, letter 4368), and worked in the evening yeshivah while himself studying in a yeshivah (vol. 15, letter 5367; vol. 16, letter 6131). In Iyar 5718 the Rebbe wrote to him about printing a booklet of the talks given by the evening yeshivah students at the distribution of certificates (vol. 17, letter 6212).

4. Many, many thanks (ת"ח ת"ח): ת"ח ת"ח = תשואות חן, תשואות חן.

5. 5 Adar II… good news (ה' אד"ש… בשו"ט): 5 Adar II: Sunday, 15 March 1959. בשו"ט = בשורות טובות.

6. The evening yeshivah (ישיבת הערב): The Shaarei Chesed evening yeshivah in Jerusalem, run by Tzeirei Agudas Chabad, in which the students learned in the evening hours, with further branches in the city. In Teves 5719 the Rebbe wrote to its students on its second anniversary (letter 6644 above), and on Rosh Chodesh Nissan 5719 he wrote to "all the students of the evening yeshivos in Jerusalem" (letter 6794 below).

7. The main points (ר"פ): ר"פ = ראשי פרקים.

8. Always, all the days (תכה"י): תכה"י = תמיד כל הימים.

9. Steadily adding and increasing light (מוסיף והולך מוסיף ואור): Following Beis Hillel on the Chanukah lights, Shabbos 21b: וב"ה אומרים: יום ראשון מדליק אחת, מכאן ואילך מוסיף והולך – "Beis Hillel say: on the first day one lights one; from then on, one steadily adds."

10. Tzeirei Agudas Chabad… Anash… the Holy Land (צעירי אגו"ח… אנ"ש… אה"ק ת"ו): צעירי אגו"ח = צעירי אגודת חב"ד; עיה"ק = עיר הקודש; אנ"ש = אנשי שלומנו; אה"ק ת"ו = ארץ הקודש תבנה ותכונן.

11. Sufficient copies (די מספיק טופסים): טופסים = copies of the book: study with the students books of which there are enough copies for all; and since there are now enough copies of the Alter Rebbe's Laws of Torah Study, they should study them.

12. The Shulchan Aruch of the Alter Rebbe (שו"ע זה דאדה"ז): שו"ע = שולחן ערוך; אדה"ז = אדמו"ר הזקן.

13. Mufla samuch le'ish (מופלא סמוך לאיש): The year before the age of mitzvos, when a boy's vows are examined, as in the Mishnah (Niddah 5:6): בן שתים עשרה שנה ויום אחד נדריו נבדקים – "A boy of twelve years and one day: his vows are examined."

14. You open Your hand (פותח את ידיך וגו'): Tehillim 145:16 (in Ashrei): פותח את ידך ומשביע לכל חי רצון – "You open Your hand and satisfy every living thing with favor."

15. The head-tefillin (תש"ר): תש"ר = תפילין של ראש.

16. Rabbeinu Tam (ר"ת): ר"ת = רבנו תם.

17. Shaar HaKollel (שער הכולל): The work of R. Avraham Dovid Lavut: explanations and sources for the Siddur of the Alter Rebbe.

18. The Shema on Motzaei Shabbos (ק"ש במוצש"ק): ק"ש = קריאת שמע; מוצש"ק = מוצאי שבת קודש. Hayom Yom: the book compiled by the Rebbe.

19. Is (ה"ז): The study of Mishnayos and the recital of Kaddish DeRabbanan by the mourner, for the elevation of the soul of the departed. ה"ז = הרי זה.

20. Putting on tefillin (הנח"ת): הנח"ת = הנחת תפילין: a boy who begins to put on tefillin before his bar mitzvah wears them for the whole prayer, like an adult. ז.א. = זאת אומרת.

21. A custom of Israel (מנהג ישראל): See Tosafos, Menachos 20b, s.v. נפסל: ומנהג אבותינו תורה היא – "and the custom of our fathers is Torah."

22. … (...): Wherever "…" appears, part of the letter was omitted in print (see the publisher's note: "partly printed… completed from the secretariat's copy"); hence sections 9–13 are also missing in print, and section 8 is followed by section 14.

23. Post office box… in the name of (ת.ד. ע"ש): ת.ד. = תיבת דואר; ע"ש = על שם.

24. And salvation is in much counsel (ותשועה ברוב יועץ): Mishlei 11:14: באין תחבולות יפל עם ותשועה ברב יועץ – "Without strategies a people falls, and salvation is in much counsel."

25. The end of Elul (שילהי אלול): Aramaic: the end of the month of Elul.

Summary

The Rebbe thanks the recipient for good news of the Chabad evening yeshivah in Jerusalem and answers his questions: what to study with the students and from what age to teach them Chassidus; customs of tefillin, including Rabbeinu Tam and boys before bar mitzvah; Kaddish by a young mourner; the Lag BaOmer bonfire in Jerusalem, to be decided locally. He objects to young students learning all night, and allows him to consider coming for Tishrei.