6788 —חודש ניסן שכולו ראש חודש: גם עניני המעשה לא יהיו בבחינת יום המעשה

B"H, 28 Adar II^[1], 5719
Brooklyn.

The Chassid, the veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs, etc.^[2], Reb Nisan, may he live long^[3]

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter of Erev Shabbos Kodesh^[4] and the one before it. Surely in the meantime you have received the regards^[5] through the Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, energetic and "mighty in deeds"^[6], etc., Reb Michael, may he live long^[7].

May it be G‑d's will that my request be fulfilled: to bring good news^[8] from here, and to bring and write good news from there and from the places where he will be along the way of his journey – and, it is understood, first of all from Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim^[9].

Since we are at the close of the month of Adar and entering the month of Nissan, the whole of which is Rosh Chodesh (the Shelah^[10], cited in Chassidus^[11]; and the explanation was spoken last year^[12]) – the point of Rosh Chodesh being that although it is not under a prohibition of work, and there is activity on it, nevertheless it is not in the category of a "day of work"^[13], as explained elsewhere at length [among them in Or HaTorah, in the explanation of the discourse beginning "Machar Chodesh"]^[14] – may it be so in actual practice even in the everyday affairs of all Anash^[15], and all the more obviously in the matters of Tomchei Temimim^[16]; and consequently there will be the "flight" and the going out from Egypt and limitations even in a refined manner^[17].

With blessings for good news in all the above.

Publisher's notes

Reb Nisan (מוהרנ"ן): Reb Nisan Neminov. Further letters to him: above, vol. 17, letter 6448, and the references in the notes there.

Michael (מיכאל): Apparently – Lipsker.

Notes

1. 28 Adar II (כ"ח אד"ש): אד"ש = אדר שני, Adar II: 28 Adar II, Tuesday.

2. The Chassid, the veteran and Chassid, a G‑d-fearing man, distinguished and honored, engaged in communal needs (הרה"ח הוו"ח אי"א נו"נ עוסק בצ"צ): הרה"ח = הרב החסיד, "the Chassid"; הוו"ח = הוותיק וחסיד, "the veteran 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 Nisan (מוהרנ"ן): מוהרנ"ן = מוה"ר (מורנו הרב ר') ניסן נמנוב, Reb Nisan Neminov (as in the publisher's note). R. Nisan Neminov, head of Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch in France, whom "Divine Providence placed in the fine portion of directing it" (in the Rebbe's words to him in vol. 17, letter 6448, for his birthday, 13 Menachem Av). He was born on 13 Menachem Av 5664 in Zhlobin; in 5690 he was arrested in Russia for teaching Torah and sentenced to exile in Arkhangelsk; he passed away on 9 Iyar 5744 (Chabadpedia).

4. Erev Shabbos Kodesh (מעש"ק): מעש"ק = מערב שבת קודש, "of Erev Shabbos Kodesh" (Friday); והקודמו, "and the letter before it".

5. The regards (הפ"ש): הפ"ש = הפרישת שלום, the regards the Rebbe sent to the recipient.

6. "Mighty in deeds" (רב פעלים): The language of the verse on Benayahu ben Yehoyada, Shmuel II 23:20: ובניהו בן יהוידע בן איש חי רב פעלים מקבצאל, "And Benayahu the son of Yehoyada, the son of a valiant man, mighty in deeds, from Kavtze'el."

7. Reb Michael (מיכאל): As the publisher's note says: "apparently – Lipsker". R. Michael Lipsker, the Rebbe's shliach in Meknes, Morocco, from 5710, who founded and directed educational institutions there, among them Yeshivas Ohalei Yosef Yitzchak and the Beis Rivkah school (Chabadpedia; and see letter 6931 below, to him, 14 Tammuz 5719, on the affairs of Beis Rivkah and "the rest of Anash in Morocco"). Through him the recipient received the Rebbe's regards.

8. Good news (בשו"ט): ויה"ר = ויהי רצון, "may it be G‑d's will"; בשו"ט = בשורות טובות, "good news". "From here" – from the Rebbe's place; "from there" – from the recipient's place, and from the places passed along the way of the journey.

9. Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim (ישיבת תומכי תמימים): Yeshivas Tomchei Temimim Lubavitch in France, headed by the recipient.

10. The Shelah (של"ה): של"ה = שני לוחות הברית, Shnei Luchos HaBris. Its words (Torah SheBichsav, Parshas Bo, Derech Chaim), on the verse Shemos 12:2 "This month shall be for you the head of the months": אמנם דרך רמז הודיע כי כל החודש כולו הוא כמו ראש חודש. ולא כשאר חדשים ראש חדשים הוא מקודש, ושאר ימי החודש הם חול. אמנם זה החודש כולו הוא כמו ראשי חדשים, כל יום הוא כמו ראש חודש, "By way of allusion, however, it teaches that the whole month is like Rosh Chodesh – not like the other months, in which Rosh Chodesh is sanctified and the rest of the days of the month are ordinary; rather, this whole month is like Rosh Chodesh: every day is like Rosh Chodesh."

11. Chassidus (דא"ח): דא"ח = דברי אלקים חיים, "the words of the living G‑d", i.e. the teachings of Chassidus.

12. Last year (אשתקד): The Rebbe spoke in explanation of this last year, in 5718.

13. "Day of work" (יום המעשה): ר"ח = ראש חודש; בכ"ז = בכל זה, "nevertheless". The phrase follows Yechezkel 46:1: שער החצר הפנימית הפונה קדים יהיה סגור ששת ימי המעשה, וביום השבת יפתח, וביום החדש יפתח, "The gate of the inner courtyard that faces east shall be closed the six days of work, and on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened." Rosh Chodesh is thus not counted among "the six days of work", although work is not forbidden on it.

14. Or HaTorah… "Machar Chodesh" (אוה"ת בי' דד"ה מחר חדש): במ"א = במקום אחר, "elsewhere"; אוה"ת = אור התורה, Or HaTorah of the Tzemach Tzedek; בי' = ביאור, "explanation"; דד"ה = דדיבור המתחיל, "of the discourse beginning". The discourse is on the verse Shmuel I 20:18: ויאמר לו יהונתן מחר חדש, "And Yehonasan said to him: Tomorrow is the New Moon."

15. All Anash (כל אנ"ש): אנ"ש = אנשי שלומנו, "our fellow Chassidim". Just as Rosh Chodesh, although there is activity on it, is not a "day of work", so may it be throughout Nissan in the everyday affairs of all Anash.

16. Tomchei Temimim (תו"ת): תו"ת = תומכי תמימים. In the affairs of the yeshivah, which are matters of holiness, this is even more obvious.

17. The "flight" and the going out from Egypt and limitations (הבריחה ויציאה ממצרים וגבולים): "Flight", after Shemos 14:5: ויגד למלך מצרים כי ברח העם, "And it was told to the king of Egypt that the people had fled." In the Tanya, ch. 31: והנה בחי' זו, היא בחי' יציאת מצרים, שנאמר בה: "כי ברח העם"... רק מגמתם וחפצם היתה, לצאת נפשם האלהית מגלות הס"א, היא טומאת מצרים, ולדבקה בו ית', "This is the aspect of the Exodus from Egypt, of which it is said, 'for the people had fled'… their only aim and desire was for their Divine soul to leave the exile of the sitra achra, the impurity of Egypt, and to cleave to Him." "Egypt and limitations": מצרים, Egypt, in the sense of מיצרים, constraints and limits; as in Likkutei Torah, Shelach, the discourse beginning "Ani Hashem Elokeichem": ויש כמה מדרגות ביצ"מ, דהיינו שגם בצדיקים יש בחי' יצ"מ ממיצרים וגבולים המגבילים כו', "There are several levels in the Exodus: even in tzaddikim there is an exodus from the constraints and limits that confine them." Hence "in a refined manner": a going out even from the subtler limitations, not only from the coarse ones.

Summary

Acknowledging the recipient's letters and the regards sent through a shliach, the Rebbe asks for good news from the recipient's yeshivah and from the places along the journey. As Nissan begins – a month that is entirely like Rosh Chodesh, a day on which there is activity yet which is not a "day of work" – may even the everyday affairs of all Chassidim be so elevated, bringing an exodus from Egypt and its limitations, even the subtle ones.