6765 —לנצל מעמדו כמארגן לקריאה לשיבה מעשית אל התורה והמצוות; ובפורים לא היה ספק מי הוא יהודי

B"H, 13 Adar II, 5719
Brooklyn, N.Y.

To Mr. Eliezer Livneh, may he live long^[1]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

There came into my hands (and according to the teachings of Chassidus nothing happens by chance; everything is by Divine Providence) a clipping from a newspaper reporting that you^[2] are about to organize people who share your views regarding necessary changes in the economic sphere, etc., and that several Orthodox religious people are joining this organization^[3].

Now, in general, when one begins to change and innovate in one area of one's plan of life and outlook on the world, it then becomes easier for a person to add innovation and change in other areas of his outlook as well. At the same time, just as in all the phenomena of nature, where the law of mutual influence prevails, this is surely so here too. I mean the mutual influence of the Orthodox members on the other members and on the organization's program in general, as regards our religion, its Torah and its mitzvos. And there is always room for improvement in this area.

You, as the organizer of the group, and, according to the said newspaper^[4], also the originator of the idea and the living spirit in all its affairs, may perhaps be the one to take the initiative in this too and proclaim that a return is essential to the ancient-new-eternal sources, the Torah of Moshe from Sinai and its mitzvos, and specifically in a practical manner, for action is the main thing^[5], and action alone is the touchstone of every system and every person. And in the words of the Megillah, which will be read in a few hours' time^[6]: "And who knows whether it was for such a time as this that you attained royalty"^[7].

With respect, and with blessing for good news in the above, and for a Purim in proper order, that is^[8], as the Megillah says, "that the Jews ruled," etc.^[9]

There are tens^[10] of different, even strange, interpretations of the Megillah of Esther, but on this they all agree: that although Haman said "to destroy and to kill"^[11], and Mordechai, "the very reverse"^[12], they were of one opinion, and Achashverosh and that whole generation with them, without a shadow of doubt, as to who is a Jew^[13].

Publisher's notes

Printed in Likkutei Sichos vol. 23, p. 498, and completed from the secretariat's copy.

Mr… Livneh (מר.. לבנה): Further letters to him: above, vol. 17, letter 6467. Below, letter 6881.

Who is a Jew (מי הוא יהודי): On this see above, letter 6714, and the references in the notes there.

Notes

1. Mr. Eliezer Livneh (מר אליעזר שי' לבנה): Eliezer Livneh (Liebenstein), one of the founders of Mapai and a member of the Knesset for it from 1949 to 1955, who later left the party over social and economic disagreements. The Rebbe had written to him the year before about his article "Voluntary Exile" ("הגולה מרצון"), on "its central point, concerning the substitute that people seek in exchange for the true role and the inner point of Judaism and of the Jews" (above, vol. 17, letter 6467). After this letter the recipient wrote to the Rebbe about "the new organization", and the Rebbe answered him on the question of separating religion and state that had been raised in it (below, letter 6881).

2. You (שכ'): כ' = כבודו, "your honor", the polite form of address; so throughout. מכתב עתי = a newspaper.

3. Several Orthodox religious people are joining this organization (באירגון זה נכנסים כמה אנשי דת אורטודוקסים): The newspaper reported that the recipient was organizing a circle of like-minded people seeking changes in the economic sphere, among them Orthodox religious people. Later the recipient sent the Rebbe "the brief details concerning the new organization", including that some of its Torah-observant members were demanding the separation of religion and state; the Rebbe replied that "the slogan of separation of religion and state demands the most absolute opposition from everyone who is religious and foresees the outcome" (below, letter 6881).

4. The said newspaper (מכ"ע האמור): מכ"ע = מכתב עתי, a newspaper.

5. Action is the main thing (המעשה הוא העיקר): From the Mishnah (Avos 1:17): "ולא המדרש הוא העיקר, אלא המעשה", "Study is not the main thing, but action." So the Rebbe wrote to him again (below, letter 6881): "Hence the general motto of our Sages, not study is the main thing but action… and this is the touchstone for every person and system."

6. Which will be read in a few hours' time (שקורין אותה בעוד שעות ספורות): The letter was written on 13 Adar II, the Fast of Esther (Monday, 23 March 1959); the Megillah is read that night, the night of 14 Adar.

7. And who knows whether it was for such a time as this that you attained royalty (ומי יודע אם לעת כזאת הגעת למלכות): (Esther 4:14): "כי אם החרש תחרישי בעת הזאת רוח והצלה יעמוד ליהודים ממקום אחר ואת ובית אביך תאבדו ומי יודע אם לעת כזאת הגעת למלכות", "For if you remain silent at this time, relief and rescue will come to the Jews from another place, and you and your father's house will perish; and who knows whether it was for such a time as this that you attained royalty." These are Mordechai's words to Esther: perhaps it was for this very moment that she came to the throne. Rashi: "Who knows whether the king will still desire you next year, which is the time set for the killing." The Rebbe applies this to the recipient: perhaps it was for this that he became the organizer of the group and the originator of its idea: to proclaim the return to Torah and mitzvos.

8. That is (ז.א.): ז.א. = זאת אומרת, "that is to say".

9. That the Jews ruled (אשר ישלטו היהודים גו'): (Esther 9:1): "ובשנים עשר חדש הוא חדש אדר בשלושה עשר יום בו אשר הגיע דבר המלך ודתו להעשות ביום אשר שברו איבי היהודים לשלוט בהם ונהפוך הוא אשר ישלטו היהודים המה בשנאיהם", "And in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day thereof, when the king's command and his decree drew near to be executed, on the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to rule over them, it was turned about, that the Jews ruled over those who hated them." This verse speaks of 13 Adar, the very day on which the letter was written.

10. Tens (עשיריות): עשיריות = עשרות, "tens", "dozens".

11. To destroy and to kill (להשמיד ולהרוג): From (Esther 3:13): "ונשלוח ספרים ביד הרצים אל כל מדינות המלך להשמיד להרג ולאבד את כל היהודים מנער ועד זקן טף ונשים ביום אחד בשלושה עשר לחדש שנים עשר הוא חדש אדר ושללם לבוז", "And letters were sent by the couriers to all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, from young to old, children and women, in one day, on the thirteenth of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, and to take their spoil for plunder."

12. The very reverse (ונהפוך הוא): The words of the verse (Esther 9:1) quoted in note 9. Here: Mordechai, the very opposite of Haman.

13. Who is a Jew (מי הוא יהודי): That is: Haman's decree was against "all the Jews", and there was no doubt, not for Haman nor for Mordechai, not for Achashverosh nor for anyone of that generation, as to who is a Jew. This was the question of "Who is a Jew" then on the agenda in Israel, the registration of children of mixed marriages as Jews on their parents' declaration, on which the Rebbe answered Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion (above, letter 6714, and see note 1 there), and wrote also to Prof. Abraham I. Katsh (above, letter 6733).

Summary

Having read that the recipient, a public figure, was organizing a group for economic change that Orthodox members were joining, the Rebbe urges him to use his position to proclaim a practical return to Torah and mitzvos: "who knows whether for such a time you attained royalty." A Purim postscript notes that Haman, Mordechai and their whole generation had no doubt who is a Jew.