6784 —הפצת המעיינות כתפקיד מרא דאתרא, "הבעל הבית של המקום"

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

The Rav and Gaon, the veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs^[2], our teacher Rabbi Moshe, may he live long

Shalom u'Vrachah!

After a very long interruption, your letter of 15 Adar II^[3] was received, asking for a blessing, with a pidyon nefesh^[4],

and it will be read at an auspicious time at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe^[5].

Surely it is superfluous to arouse you to this: that for every increase in matters of spreading the wellsprings outward^[6] – which is part of the inner task of each and every one of Anash^[7], all the more so of the Temimim^[8], and most of all of those who serve in holiness as mara d'asra, whose role, as the Alter Rebbe explained, is to be the master of the house of the place^[9] – and, "according to the camel is its load"^[10], G‑d, blessed be He, will add in His blessings in whatever is needed, materially and spiritually.

With blessing for good news^[11],

M. Schneersohn

Publisher's notes

Printed in Likkutei Sichos, vol. 23, p. 529.

As the Alter Rebbe explained (כפירוש רבנו הזקן): See also above, vol. 14, letter 4818, and the references in the notes there; vol. 17, letter 6232.

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. The Rav and Gaon, the veteran Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs, our teacher Rabbi (הרה"ג וו"ח אי"א נו"נ עוסק בצ"צ מו"ה): הרה"ג = הרב הגאון; וו"ח = ותיק וחסיד; אי"א = איש ירא אלקים; נו"נ = נעלה ונכבד; עוסק בצ"צ = עוסק בצרכי ציבור; מו"ה = מורנו הרב.

3. After a very long interruption… 15 Adar II (לאחרי הפסק הכי ארוך... טו"ב אד"ש): The recipient's letter came after a very long break in his correspondence with the Rebbe. טו"ב אד"ש = ט"ו באדר שני, 15 Adar II, Shushan Purim (Wednesday, 25 March 1959).

4. Pidyon nefesh (פ"נ): פ"נ = פדיון נפש: a note in which the petitioner writes his name, his mother's name and his request, which the Rebbe reads at the resting place of the Previous Rebbe, as the letter says at once: "and it will be read at an auspicious time at the holy resting place".

5. My father-in-law, the Rebbe… (כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר זצוקללה"ה נבג"מ זי"ע): כ"ק מו"ח אדמו"ר = כבוד קדושת מורי וחמי אדונינו מורנו ורבנו, the Previous Rebbe, R. Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn; זצוקללה"ה = זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה לחיי העולם הבא, "may the memory of the righteous and holy one be for a blessing, for the life of the World to Come"; נבג"מ = נשמתו בגנזי מרומים, "his soul is in the hidden treasuries on High"; זי"ע = זכותו יגן עלינו, "may his merit protect us".

6. Spreading the wellsprings outward (הפצת המעינות חוצה): From the verse [Mishlei 5:16]: "יפוצו מעינתיך חוצה ברחבות פלגי מים", "Your wellsprings shall spread outward, streams of water in the streets." In the Baal Shem Tov's letter (printed at the end of Ben Poras Yosef), he asked Moshiach during an ascent of his soul, "When will the master come?", and was answered: "בזאת תדע, בעת שיתפרסם לימודך ויתגלה בעולם, ויפוצו מעיינותיך חוצה" – "By this you will know: when your teaching becomes publicized and revealed in the world, and your wellsprings spread outward." That is, spreading the teachings of Chassidus.

7. Each and every one of Anash (כאו"א מאנ"ש): כאו"א = כל אחד ואחד; אנ"ש = אנשי שלומנו, "the men of our circle", the Chassidim.

8. All the more so… the Temimim (עאכו"כ של התמימים): עאכו"כ = על אחת כמה וכמה. The Temimim: the students and graduates of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim.

9. Mara d'asra… the master of the house of the place (מרא דאתרא... הבע"ב של המקום): Mara d'asra: the rav of the locality. בע"ב = בעל הבית. The Rebbe cites this saying of the Alter Rebbe in several letters, e.g. vol. 4, letter 786: "the saying of the Alter Rebbe, author of the Tanya and the Shulchan Aruch, who said: Why is a rav called mara d'asra? Because from Above he has been given the powers, the privilege and the duty to be the master – the baal habayis – of his whole place"; vol. 14, letter 4817 (6 Cheshvan 5717): "as is known, the words of the Alter Rebbe on the content of the title mara d'asra, that in truth the rav is the master of the house of the place"; and vol. 17, letter 6232 (9 Iyar 5718): "as is known, the saying of the Alter Rebbe about the name mara d'asra, that its content is literally the master of the house over all the affairs of the place". The rav is responsible for everything in his place, including spreading the wellsprings there, so the duty rests on him most of all.

10. 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. Here the Rebbe joins it to a blessing: according to the greatness of the task placed on him, so G‑d will add in His blessings.

11. Good news (בשו"ט): בשו"ט = בשורות טובות.

Summary

Answering a rav's letter that came after a very long interruption, the Rebbe promises to read his pidyon nefesh at the Previous Rebbe's resting place, and reminds him that spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus is the inner task of every Chassid, all the more of a mara d'asra, who is "the master of the house" of his place; according to his task, G‑d will add in His blessings.