6764 —בקשת מאמר מרבינו לספר: אין לעכב את ההדפסה; ואונס אינו נחשב כמי שעשה

B"H, 13 Adar II^[1], 5719
Brooklyn.

The veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs^[2], our teacher Reb Baruch, may he live long^[3]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After a prolonged interruption, your letter of Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh^[4] has only now arrived, in which you write the reason for not writing. But the saying of our Torah, the Torah of life, is well known: that even of one who was prevented by circumstances beyond his control, we do not say that he is regarded as having done it^[5]. That is^[6]: after all the explanations, the writing still does not get done.

In any case, I was glad that this time you write in a happy mood about what has been accomplished through your work; and surely there are also cases you do not yet know about, in which the outcome of your toil can be seen.

As to what you write about a maamar from me in the book you are preparing for print^[7]:

In general, writing maamarim is not my field. Especially because of various preoccupations, most of which, unfortunately, are not of the gladdening kind. And unfortunately they are not becoming fewer; although this is my work, it takes more time than one imagines. Therefore I certainly cannot bind myself to a date; and especially since, as you write, you have sufficient material, beginning from Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer, etc., the printing should not be held up on this account. It will be without a maamar from me.

I hope that by the time you receive my letter your wife, may she live, is feeling better; and also that you are not worrying about your health, and are doing more in strengthening Judaism, through which G‑d assures a Jew whatever he needs for himself and his household, may they live^[8], and in the essential matters: true nachas, which is Jewish nachas, from children and household, may they live.

With blessing for good news^[9] of joyous occasions in all the above.

Publisher's notes

Our teacher Reb Baruch (מו"ה ברוך): Litvin, Mt. Clemens. Further letters to him: above, vol. 15, letter 5521, and the references in the notes there. Below, letter 6890.

Notes

1. Adar II (אד"ש): אד"ש = אדר שני, the second Adar (5719 was a leap year). 13 Adar II 5719 was Monday, 23 March 1959, the Fast of Esther.

2. The veteran Chassid… engaged in communal needs (הוו"ח אי"א נו"נ עוסק בצ"צ): הוו"ח = הוותיק וחסיד, "the veteran and 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".

3. Reb Baruch (מו"ה ברוך): מו"ה = מורנו הרב, "our teacher". Litvin, of Mt. Clemens (publisher's note): R. Baruch Litvin of Mount Clemens, Michigan, who for years, with the Rebbe's encouragement, fought for the mechitzah in his synagogue, Congregation Beth Tefilas Moses of Mount Clemens, after mixed seating had been introduced there, until the matter reached the courts (see above, vol. 12, letter 4085; vol. 13, letters 4476, 4575; vol. 14, letter 4843; vol. 15, letter 5521). In June 1959, less than three months after this letter, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the congregation was Orthodox and that mixed seating could not be introduced there; the Rebbe acknowledged "the enclosed judgment of the Supreme Court, and the victory" (below, letter 6890).

4. Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh (מוצש"ק): מוצש"ק = מוצאי שבת קודש, the night after the holy Shabbos.

5. We do not say that he is regarded as having done it (אנוס, כמאן דעביד לא אמרינן): From the words of R. Yochanan in the Jerusalem Talmud (Kiddushin 3:2; Gittin 7:6), on one who stipulated that he would marry his betrothed by a certain day and was prevented by circumstances beyond his control: "רבי יוחנן אמר: אונסא כמאן דלא עבד", "R. Yochanan said: one who was prevented is as one who did not do it", not as one who did. That is: being prevented frees a person from blame, but he is not regarded as though he had done it. So here: after all the explanations, the letters were still not written.

6. That is (ד.ה.): ד.ה. = דאס הייסט, "that is to say".

7. The book you are preparing for print (דעם ספר וואס איר גרייט צום דרוק): In 1959 the recipient's book The Sanctity of the Synagogue was published, in which he gathered sources and essays, old and new, on the requirement of a mechitzah separating men and women in the synagogue, from Jewish law, history and philosophy.

8. G‑d… his household, may they live (השי"ת… ולב"ב שי'): השי"ת = השם יתברך, "G‑d, blessed be He"; ולב"ב שי' = ולבני ביתו שיחיו, "and his household, may they live".

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

Summary

The recipient, R. Baruch Litvin of Mount Clemens, asked the Rebbe for a maamar for the book on the mechitzah he was preparing for print. The Rebbe answers that writing maamarim is not his field and his time is not his own, so the printing should not wait. He gently notes that being prevented is no substitute for writing, and blesses his wife's health and true Jewish nachas.