6783 —חוב מייסד הכפר לחזק בו את היהדות, בדברים היוצאים מן הלב

B"H, 22 Adar II^[1], 5719
Brooklyn.

Mr. Kalman, may he live long^[2]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter of the third day of the week, on which "that it was good" was said twice^[3], in which you describe the situation of those who have settled in Kfar Argentina, and that you too were one of the founders.

Surely it is superfluous to elaborate that a sacred duty lies upon you to do everything possible, and more, to strengthen Yiddishkeit there in all its details. For if everyone is obligated in this, then one who had a share in the founding is obligated many times over. And according to the saying "according to the camel is its load"^[4] – that is to say^[5], G‑d, blessed be He, gives everyone the strength to do what is incumbent upon him to fulfill – you too have surely been given the strength. One need only not grow tired of doing it once, twice and many times. And when one acts in ways of pleasantness and peace^[6], and warmly, one has the promise of our Sages that "words that come from the heart enter the heart of the listener"^[7]. All the more so when one is dealing with Jews, of each one of whom it is said that although "I am asleep" – in exile^[8], because of the matters of exile, which are everywhere until Moshiach comes soon and redeems us all – nevertheless "my heart is awake", as the Midrash explains it^[9]: a warmth and closeness to the Holy One, blessed be He, to His Torah and to His mitzvos. One need only come to them with the fitting words and the necessary warmth and heartfelt Ahavas Yisrael; then this brings about a transformation for the good, even more than one imagines. May G‑d, blessed be He, help you to report good news in all that is said above.

With blessing.

Publisher's notes

Mr. Kalman (מר קלמן): Zeltzer, Kfar Argentina.

Notes

1. 22 Adar II (כ"ב אד"ש): אד"ש = אדר שני, Adar II (5719 was a leap year). 22 Adar II 5719 was Wednesday, 1 April 1959.

2. Mr. Kalman (מר קלמן שי'): Zeltzer, Kfar Argentina (per the publisher's note). Mr. Kalman Zeltzer, one of the founders of Kfar Argentina in Eretz Yisrael, as the letter says ("and that you too were one of the founders"), who wrote to the Rebbe about the situation of the settlers there. On Kfar Argentina see also vol. 19, letter 7145 (7 Teves 5720), to "the participants in the Chanukah gathering in Kfar Argentina in our Holy Land".

3. The third day… "that it was good" was said twice (יום ג' שהוכפל בו כי טוב): Tuesday: on the third day of Creation "that it was good" is said twice [Bereishis 1:10, 12]. As Rashi explains [Bereishis 1:7]: "Why is 'that it was good' not said on the second day?… On the third day, when the work of the waters was completed and He began and completed another work, He doubled 'that it was good' in it twice: once for the completion of the work of the second day, and once for the completion of the work of that day."

4. According to the camel is its load (לפום גמלא שיחנא): [Sotah 13b]: "תנא דבי ר' ישמעאל, לפום גמלא, שיחנא", and Rashi: "לפי כח הגמל מרבין במשאו. אף כאן לפי צדקתו, מדקדק אחריו" ("According to the camel's strength its load is increased; here too, according to his righteousness He is exacting with him"); likewise [Kesubos 67a]: "as people say, according to the camel is its load". In the Gemara the saying speaks of the burden placed on a person according to his strength. The Rebbe explains it here (in the words that follow) from the other side: according to the load that G‑d places on a person, so He gives him the strength to carry it. A founder, who bears a greater duty, has surely been given the strength for it.

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

6. Ways of pleasantness and peace (בדרכי נועם ושלום): From the verse [Mishlei 3:17] about the Torah: "דרכיה דרכי נעם וכל נתיבותיה שלום", "Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its paths are peace."

7. The promise of our Sages… words that come from the heart (הבטחה מרז"ל אז דברים היוצאים מן הלב): מרז"ל = מאמר רז"ל, a saying of our Sages. Compare Sefer HaYashar (attributed to Rabbeinu Tam), Gate 13: "כי כל דבר שיצא מן הלב ייכנס בלב", "for everything that comes from the heart will enter the heart."

8. "I am asleep" – in exile (אני ישנה, בגלותא): From the verse [Shir HaShirim 5:2]: "אני ישנה ולבי ער קול דודי דופק", "I am asleep, but my heart is awake; the voice of my beloved knocks." The Zohar (Emor, III 95a): "אמרה כנסת ישראל, אני ישנה בגלותא דמצרים, דהוו בני בשעבודא דקשיו. ולבי ער, לנטרא להו דלא ישתיצון בגלותא" – "The Congregation of Israel said: I am asleep in the exile of Egypt, where my children were in harsh bondage; but my heart is awake, to guard them so that they not be destroyed in exile." The Rebbe applies it to every Jew in this last exile.

9. As the Midrash explains it (ווי דער מדרש טייטשט אויס): Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:2: "I am asleep from the mitzvos, but my heart is awake to acts of kindness… I am asleep regarding the End, but my heart is awake to the redemption"; and there: "R. Chiya bar Abba said: Where do we find that the Holy One, blessed be He, is called the heart of Israel? From this verse (Tehillim 73:26): The Rock of my heart and my portion is G‑d forever." So too Rashi [there]: "ולבי ער – זה הקב"ה כך נדרש בפסיקתא", "my heart is awake – this is the Holy One, blessed be He; so it is expounded in the Pesikta." Even while the Jewish people "sleep" in exile, the inner closeness to G‑d, His Torah and His mitzvos is awake in each of them, and warm words from the heart arouse it.

Summary

Acknowledging a letter from one of the founders of Kfar Argentina in Eretz Yisrael, the Rebbe tells him that as a founder he bears a manifold duty to strengthen Yiddishkeit there, and has surely been given the strength for it. He should persist, acting pleasantly and warmly, for even in exile the heart of every Jew is awake, and words from the heart will bring a change for the good.