6768 —ספרי מוסד הרב קוק בחליפין, והכוונה הפנימית: שיהיו ספרי חסידות אצל המו"לים והמחברים

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

My relative, the Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs,^[2]
our teacher Reb Azriel Zelig, may he live long^[3]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After a long interruption, your letter of 2 Adar II was received. May it be G‑d's will that you report good news in all the matters you mention, and in a manner of steadily increasing^[4], in keeping with this year's motto, "And you shall spread out westward, eastward, northward and southward"^[5], up to "an inheritance without bounds"^[6].

The books sent from Mossad HaRav Kook, according to the list of Erev Shabbos Kodesh Vayechi^[7], were received not long ago. It is surprising that obtaining the books goes so heavily, especially in light of what you write, that it would be worthwhile to make contact with more publishers^[8] and authors; for there is a further, inner intention in the sending of the books: that the books of Chassidus should be found with all of them^[9]...

With blessing for a joyous Purim and for good news^[10]

in all the above.

Publisher's notes

Our teacher Reb Azriel Zelig (מו"ה עזריאל זעליג): Slonim, Jerusalem. Further letters to him: above, vol. 12, letter 3920, and the references in the notes there.

The books sent (הספרים ששלחו): See above, there, and the references in the notes there.

In keeping with this year's motto (וכהסיסמא דשנה זו): See above, letter 6541, and the references in the notes there.

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; 2 Adar II, below, was Thursday, 12 March.

2. My relative, the Chassid… (ש"ב הרה"ח אי"א נו"נ עוסק בצ"צ): ש"ב = שאר בשרי, "my relative"; הרה"ח = הרב החסיד, "the rabbi 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 Azriel Zelig (מו"ה עזריאל זעליג): מו"ה = מורנו הרב, "our teacher". Slonim, Jerusalem (publisher's note): R. Azriel Zelig Slonim of Jerusalem, who corresponded with the Rebbe on Chabad affairs in the city: public classes in Chassidus (vol. 4, letter 847), the printing of the Tanya (vol. 5, letter 1468), the founding of a Chabad synagogue in the Shaarei Chessed neighborhood (vol. 8, letter 2513), and more. At the Rebbe's request he worked to obtain books for the library in Brooklyn ("the library here") by exchange for Kehot books: books of Mossad HaRav Kook (vol. 10, letter 3105; vol. 12, letter 4241) and books of Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef (ibid.). The Rebbe stressed "that the intention is not that they buy the books at the expense of the library here… for what was discussed is that it should be by way of exchange" (vol. 12, letter 3920).

4. Steadily increasing (מוסיף והולך): From the words of Beis Hillel on the Chanukah lights (Shabbos 21b): "יום ראשון מדליק אחת, מכאן ואילך מוסיף והולך", "On the first day one lights one; from then on he keeps adding."

5. And you shall spread out westward, eastward, northward and southward (ופרצת ימה וקדמה וצפונה ונגבה): (Bereishis 28:14): "והיה זרעך כעפר הארץ ופרצת ימה וקדמה וצפנה ונגבה ונברכו בך כל משפחת האדמה ובזרעך", "And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and you shall spread out westward, eastward, northward and southward; and through you and your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." "U'faratzta" was the motto of 5719, as spoken of at the farbrengens of 12 Tammuz, 20 Menachem Av and Shabbos Parshas Eikev 5718 (see above, letter 6541, and the publisher's note there).

6. An inheritance without bounds (נחלה בלי מצרים): From (Shabbos 118a–b): "א"ר יוחנן משום רבי יוסי: כל המענג את השבת, נותנין לו נחלה בלי מצרים... אלא כיעקב, שכתוב בו: ופרצת ימה וקדמה וצפונה ונגבה", "R. Yochanan said in the name of R. Yosei: Whoever delights in the Shabbos is given an inheritance without bounds… like Yaakov, of whom it is written: and you shall spread out westward, eastward, northward and southward." Rashi: "without bounds, that is, it has no end." So "an inheritance without bounds" is the blessing of "u'faratzta".

7. Erev Shabbos Kodesh Vayechi (מעש"ק ויחי): מעש"ק = מערב שבת קודש. That is, Friday of the week of Parshas Vayechi, 15 Teves 5719 (26 December 1958).

8. Publishers (מולי"ם): כ"כ = כל כך, "so"; מולי"ם = מוציאים לאור, "publishers".

9. That the books of Chassidus should be found with all of them (שיהיו ספרי חסידות אצל כל הנ"ל): That is: the books are obtained in exchange for Kehot books (see note 3), and this is the "inner intention": that through this, books of Chassidus reach the publishers and authors. So the Rebbe wrote in Cheshvan 5716 about exchanging books for Kehot books, that "the benefit in all this is twofold: that rare books will not lie in a corner… and moreover, that in those places there will be the opportunity to see Kehot books of Chassidus and the like" (vol. 12, letter 3877).

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

Summary

Blessing the recipient, a relative of the Rebbe in Jerusalem, in the spirit of the year's motto "u'faratzta", the Rebbe acknowledges the books from Mossad HaRav Kook obtained for the library in exchange for Kehot books. He wonders why obtaining them goes so slowly, since the exchange has an inner purpose: that the books of Chassidus reach every publisher and author.