Directives to students in Jerusalem with regard to printing the works of the Previous Rebbe and other texts of Chassidus; an explanation why the Ten Commandments refers to G-d as the One who took the Jews out of Egypt instead of referring to Him as the Creator; the need for a bond with the Moshe of the generation

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Appreciation for material sent concerning the Rebbe Rashab and a request for more of such material; clarification regarding the halachic points mentioned in HaYom Yom

No. 232

This letter was addressed to the Lubavitcher yeshivah students who had fled from Poland in WWII and had taken refuge in Shanghai.[422]

B"H, 17 Sivan, 5706

Greetings and blessings,

In response to the particulars communicated to me by R. Garfinkel:

1. I already conveyed the order given by my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, not to reprint anything that was printed by one of his institutions without first asking permission from him. Despite this, you have again reprinted the Talks and Tales and the Shaloh!

   We do not know how to explain this conduct. I am sure you will notify me so that I will be able to notify my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, or you may write to him directly.

2. The 200 [dollars] was already given to R. Garfinkel and the remainder - what is relevant for the Siddur[423] - will be given to him within four weeks according to your instructions. At present, send only two copies of the Siddur here to Kehot. The remainder should remain in your possession (you may sell them in your community at a price of no less than 2.50 US dollars) until we notify you where to send them.

3. Send Derech Mitzvosecha and Shaar HaCollel here. If they have not been bound yet, send them unbound and we will print another title page. Perhaps we will also make additions. Similarly, with regard to [other texts] which you will print in the future, if for some reason, you cannot wait for the title page and additions to be sent, send [the texts] here unbound.

4. We sent you Toras Chayim and Peirush HaMilos from the Mitteler Rebbe. I am sure that you will print them. I repeat again my request to notify me with regard to which texts (and which printings of them) from the list in my first letter you possess which are in good condition so that we will not have to search for them here. In particular, we are concerned with Torah Or (from the Zitomer printing of 5622).[424]

5. With regard to printed material for HaYehudi HaTzoir,[425] material was sent to you as you requested. Similarly, in the future, we will send the material that we publish in English. (It would be desirable for all the students of the Talmud Torah to be subscribers to the Shmuessen and the Talks and Tales.) [Deduct] the price of [this material] from the printing bill there.

6. If there are any of our Jewish brethren, particularly from the young generation, who understand only the local language (Chinese), it is worthwhile to translate - obviously, in a manner that the translation will be commendable and true to the source - those of our publications that are fundamentally necessary according to their spiritual state ([e.g., the pamphlets on] Shabbos, tefillin, the Torah and the Jewish people, the booklets for the festivals, and the quotes that are in the students' pocket calendar, and the like). Perhaps [it would also be beneficial to translate] a portion of the sichos and the biography of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita. Please notify me immediately of your opinion with regard to this matter.

In this week's Torah reading, with regard to the verse:[426] "Aharon did so," Rashi comments: "This relates the praise of Aharon that he did not deviate [from Moshe's instructions]." In his Likkutei Torah, the AriZal explains why in this instance specifically, the Torah tells us that Aharon did not deviate [from the instructions]. For in fact, it appears that he did deviate. Moshe was commanded:[427] "The seven lamps shall cast light toward the face of the menorah." [This appears to imply even] at the beginning of the kindling of the lamps. And yet with regard to Aharon, it is written:426 "He caused the lamps to rise toward the face of the menorah," i.e., [the verse could be interpreted as meaning that only] after the flame ascended [were they pointed toward the face of the menorah]. Therefore [Rashi] explains that he did not deviate from [Moshe's] instructions and immediately at the outset, the lamps were kindled toward the face of the menorah. He adds that after the flame ascended, [the lamps] continued to burn in this manner. [Making] this addition was praiseworthy. This concludes the [AriZal's] explanation.

It is possible to offer an explanation according to Chassidus: At the beginning of one's Divine service ("there is no Divine service like the service of love,"[428] [and Aharon's Divine service is as] a priest, a man of kindness and love), it is still easy to direct it "toward the face of the menorah," [i.e., for it to match] the true intent of the mitzvos. After the flame has arisen, i.e., one is in the midst of a powerful yearning and finds several reasons and manners to express this yearning, it is possible to miss the intent and yet think that this is the will of He who commanded [the mitzvos] and not one's own reasoning.[429] Therefore it is necessary for there to be an extra dimension of care and kabbalas ol. This is the praiseworthy quality of Aharon, that he draws down great love to the souls of the Jewish people in a [steady], unchanging manner.

With the blessing "Immediately to teshuvah; immediately to Redemption,"

Rabbi Menachem Schneerson

Chairman of the Executive Committee

   

Notes:

422. (Back to text) [See also Letters No. 214 and 227.]

423. (Back to text) [The Siddur Torah Or which was printed in Shanghai together with the Shaar HaCollel.]

424. (Back to text) [Since the printings would be made from offset copies, the Rebbe was asking if the students possessed existing copies clear enough to print from or whether he would have to send such copies himself.]

425. (Back to text) [A Jewish youth organization in Shanghai. See Igros Kodesh of the Rebbe Rayatz, Vol. IX, Letters No. 2888-2889 and Letters No. 239 and 277 from the Rebbe.]

426. (Back to text) [Bamidbar 8:3.]

427. (Back to text) [Ibid.; 2.]

428. (Back to text) [See Zohar, Vol. II, p. 55b; Vol. III, p. 267a; Likkutei Torah, Bamidbar, p. 42c.]

429. (Back to text) [At the outset, a person's emotions have not been stimulated. Hence, it is easier for him to exercise kabbalas ol. Once, however, his emotions have been stimulated, it is natural for him to mistake his own feelings and desires for those of G-d.]

Directives to students in Jerusalem with regard to printing the works of the Previous Rebbe and other texts of Chassidus; an explanation why the Ten Commandments refers to G-d as the One who took the Jews out of Egypt instead of referring to Him as the Creator; the need for a bond with the Moshe of the generation

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Search this book:

Appreciation for material sent concerning the Rebbe Rashab and a request for more of such material; clarification regarding the halachic points mentioned in HaYom Yom