Outreach among Jewish soldiers; whether the parshiyos Terumah and Tetzaveh date from before the sin of the Golden Calf or afterwards

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The importance of putting on tefillin

No. 60

This letter was addressed to a Bar Mitzvah youth.

[4 Adar II, 5703]

In honor of your Bar Mitzvah, I am sending you my blessing that on this day on which you come of age, that you proceed and grow with regard to your studies and your conduct, and that your parents and grandparents derive satisfaction and pleasure from you.

During Mordechai's time, the Jews were in exile. Yet when Haman the Aggagite desired to destroy the Jews, what did Mordechai do? He gathered together the Jewish people's youth and studied the Torah.[1] This brought about the nullification of Haman's decree.

[Similarly,] when the Jews were living on their own land, each man under his vine,[2] Ephraim and Yehudah as one nation in the land,[3] and Shlomo, the son of David, was their king and leader, they built a House for G-d. [At that time,] our Sages commanded that the children should not nullify their studies to participate in the building of the Beis HaMikdash.[4]

For the Torah is "a tree of life to those who hold fast to it,"[5] and with the power of the Torah of Moshe who, at Chorev, commanded all the Jews [to observe] all the statutes and judgments, through keeping its commandments, we will be able to stand up against all those who rise against us in the exile. And so we will merit "the great day of G-d," when He will "turn the hearts of fathers to their children and turn the hearts of children to their fathers,"[6] and redeem us through Mashiach [who is referred to as] Menachem, "the comforter who restores our souls."[7]

Be strong and be firm in [your] study of the Torah and observance of the mitzvos!

   

Notes:

1. (Back to text) [Esther Rabbah 9:4.]

2. (Back to text) [Cf. I Melachim 5:5.]

3. (Back to text) [Cf. II Shmuel 7:23.]

4. (Back to text) [Shabbos 119b. Thus both in times of spiritual and material distress and spiritual and material affluence, it was emphasized that Jewish children should devote their efforts to Torah study.]

5. (Back to text) [Mishlei 3:18.]

6. (Back to text) [Malachi 3:23-24.]

7. (Back to text) [Eichah 1:16. The name Menachem (and several of the other Hebrew names) are italicized, because that is how they appear in the original letter.]

Outreach among Jewish soldiers; whether the parshiyos Terumah and Tetzaveh date from before the sin of the Golden Calf or afterwards

Table of contents

Search this book:

The importance of putting on tefillin