Directives for the Lubavitch community in Paris

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Instructions concerning the Lubavitch community in Jerusalem; the significance of the name of the month of Av

No. 274

This letter was addressed to R. Shmuel Karakovsky, a philanthropist who donated the money to pay for the publication of the biography of the Rebbe Maharash.

B"H, 27 Tammuz, 5707

Greetings and blessings,

With joy, I would like to inform you that the biography of the Rebbe Maharash, the text whose publication you undertook to underwrite, was received from the binder already.

Merit accrues to a meritorious day.[169] The text was brought [to us] on Yud-Beis Tammuz, the holiday commemorating the redemption of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, on the twentieth anniversary of his liberation. On this day, I brought the text to my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita.

The text relates (p. 71) that the Alter Rebbe said that the name Shmuel is a combination of the words Shmo E-l ("His name is G-d"). (See Shelah, the beginning of Parshas Toldos; the gloss of the Chida to Zohar II, 48b. In the Vilna edition of the Zohar, that gloss was printed somewhat differently.)

Perhaps the explanation of this concept can be understood on the basis of the statements of the one bearing that name, the Rebbe Maharash. ([In] the series of maamarim entitled VeKachah, 5637, sec. 10) he interprets our Sages' statement[170] that "the Holy One, blessed be He, called Yaakov a G-d" to mean that He gave him a foretaste of the World to Come. In the World to Come, G-d will grant [every righteous man] 310 worlds.[171] E-l, [numerically equivalent to 31,] is a reflection, a tenth of this.

{Perhaps this explains why the Rebbe Maharash was wealthy also in a physical sense, although in general when the righteous ask to dwell in prosperity in this world, the Satan opposes this, explaining that what is prepared for them in the World to Come is sufficient (Bereishis Rabbah 84:1). This is also the simple meaning of [our Sages' statement] (the conclusion of Bava Basra, ch. 1) that [G-d] granted [the Patriarchs] a foretaste of the World to Come.}

It is unnecessary to explain the great merit of the publication of this text to a person such as yourself. I would just like to emphasize that -- through Divine providence -- the publication was complete on the day of redemption and the birthday of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, {a time when the spiritual source of his soul shines powerfully (Talmud Yerushalmi, Rosh HaShanah 3:8)}.

May the blessings that my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, gave you while you were here and those he gave in writing be fulfilled.

Concluding with wishes for all good forever,

Rabbi Menachem Schneerson

Enclosed is one copy of the text. Five other copies were sent in a second package. Please inform us how many others you desire sent and to which address to send them.

   

Notes:

169. (Back to text) [Taanis 29a.]

170. (Back to text) [Megillah 18a.]

171. (Back to text) [See the conclusion of Uktzin; Sanhedrin 100a.]

Directives for the Lubavitch community in Paris

Table of contents

Search this book:

Instructions concerning the Lubavitch community in Jerusalem; the significance of the name of the month of Av