6773 —כנוס את כל היהודים: כאב על האדישות לפירוד הלבבות, ועזרה לישיבת העולים בקרית גת

B"H, 17 Adar II, 5719
Brooklyn, N.Y.

To Mr. Yitzchak Koren^[1], may he live long

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After the long interruption, your letter of the 2nd of Adar II has been received. I also received regards^[2] about the conversation you had with the delegation of the Rabbinical Association, and regards as well through Rabbi Yaakov Yehudah Hecht^[3].

I hope that the conversations will have a continuation in the desired direction, in practical matters.

Understandably, what you^[4] write at the end of your letter, that the tension will grow as the time of the elections^[5] draws near – without adding even some expression of regret at this distressing phenomenon – adds pain upon pain. For besides the painful matter itself, the division of hearts, which, as you say, is liable to grow still more, there is in addition the indifferent attitude, as if this were a natural phenomenon.

And now that we come from the festival of Purim – when Haman sought to destroy all the Jews^[6], without distinction or difference, which brought about the response among the Jews too: "Go, gather all the Jews," without distinction, with the watchword "and fast for me"^[7], that is, to return to G‑d, blessed be He, with a whole heart; and especially since the decree of the Haman of our generation^[8] too was precisely to destroy all the Jews, without distinctions – may it be G‑d's will that we merit an awakening of "gather all the Jews," in bonding with the Holy One, blessed be He, as in the days of Mordechai and Esther.

Since everything is by Divine Providence, and you are the chairman of the immigrants from Bessarabia in the Holy Land^[9], I wish to bring to your attention, though you surely know it anyway, that immigrants from Romania and Bessarabia have set up a yeshivah in Kiryat Gat^[10], and with the help of descendants of Chabad and Chabad Chassidim who are there in significant number, the yeshivah became a branch of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod. And although I hope that as chairman you do everything in your power to meet the needs of these new immigrants, especially regarding the yeshivah, I come only to add^[11]: for you surely have greater influence and opportunity, and I hope you will use them to the fullest to meet their many needs, material and spiritual alike. May it be G‑d's will that you report good news in this too.

With respect and blessing.

Publisher's notes

Mr. … Koren (מר.. קורן): further letters to him: above, vol. 17, letter 6346, and the references in the notes there.

A yeshivah in Kiryat Gat (ישיבה בקרית גת): see also above, letter 6729 (to R. Yaakov Peles, 22 Adar I 5719, on the wording of the Kiryat Gat yeshivah's affiliation with Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod, and on support for it), and the references in the notes there.

Rabbi Yaakov Yehudah Hecht (הרב יעקב יהודה שי' העכט): see also above, letter 6731 (to R. Eliezer Lipa Lavi, 25 Adar I 5719, in which the Rebbe mentions regards that reached him through Rabbi Y. Y. Hecht).

Notes

1. Mr. Yitzchak Koren (מר יצחק שי' קורן): An immigrant from Bessarabia and, when this letter was written, chairman of the immigrants from Bessarabia in the Holy Land (as stated here). The Rebbe wrote to him about advancing agriculture in Kfar Chabad and founding a second Kfar Chabad (vol. 16, letter 6018, 28 Teves 5718); and in Sivan 5718, while he was in New York, that those appointed on behalf of the people "must not be influenced by party considerations" (vol. 17, letter 6346). After the elections the Rebbe wrote to him again "about the two points, namely the matter of Kiryat Gat and the Chabad yeshivah there, in which I hope that you, as chairman of the immigrants from Romania, are doing all that is possible, and likewise about your help in the matter of the second Kfar Chabad" (vol. 19, letter 7085, 22 MarCheshvan 5720); and on Shushan Purim 5720 he acknowledged his letter "with the good news that the matter of the yeshivah in Kiryat Gat has entered a more practical stage" (letter 7227).

2. Regards (פ"ש): פ"ש = פריסת שלום.

3. Rabbi Yaakov Yehudah Hecht (הרב יעקב יהודה שי' העכט): R. Yaakov Yehudah (J. J.) Hecht, whom the Previous Rebbe placed at the forefront of Jewish education as head of Shaloh, the Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education, which the Previous Rebbe founded. In those days he also brought the Rebbe regards from R. Eliezer Lipa Lavi (letter 6731).

4. You (כ'): כ' = כבודו, "your honor".

5. The elections (הבחירות): After the elections the Rebbe wrote to him (vol. 19, letter 7085, 22 MarCheshvan 5720): "Since the election season has already passed, and surely its 'isru chag' too, I permit myself to come once again about the content of our conversation when you were here".

6. Haman sought to destroy all the Jews (בקש המן להשמיד את כל היהודים): From Esther 3:6: "ויבקש המן להשמיד את כל היהודים אשר בכל מלכות אחשורוש עם מרדכי", "and Haman sought to destroy all the Jews throughout the whole kingdom of Achashverosh, the people of Mordechai".

7. "Go, gather all the Jews… and fast for me" (לך כנוס את כל היהודים… וצומו עלי): From Esther 4:16: "לך כנוס את כל היהודים הנמצאים בשושן וצומו עלי", "Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me" – Esther's words to Mordechai.

8. The decree of the Haman of our generation (גזרת המן שבדורנו): The destruction of the Jews in our generation (the Holocaust), which likewise made no distinction between one Jew and another.

9. The Holy Land (באה"ק ת"ו): יו"ר = יושב ראש, "chairman"; באה"ק ת"ו = בארץ הקודש תבנה ותכונן.

10. A yeshivah in Kiryat Gat (ישיבה בקרית גת): On the founding of the yeshivah in Kiryat Gat and its affiliation with Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod, see above, letter 6696 (23 Shevat 5719, to R. Yaakov Peles) and letter 6729 (22 Adar I, to him); and below, letter 6787 (27 Adar II), to "the administration of the Kiryat Gat Yeshivah, affiliated with Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim in Lod".

11. I come only to add (לא באתי אלא להעדפה): להעדפה = "for a surplus": I come only to add to what you are already doing.

Summary

The Rebbe is pained that the recipient reported the rising tension before the elections without a word of regret, as though division among Jews were natural. Coming from Purim, when Haman sought to destroy all Jews without distinction and the response was "gather all the Jews," he wishes for such unity in bonding with G‑d. He asks the recipient, as chairman of the immigrants from Bessarabia, to use his influence to the full for the needs of the immigrants' yeshivah in Kiryat Gat, a branch of Tomchei Temimim in Lod.