An explanation of the charge to place the blood of the Paschal sacrifice on "the lintel" as referring to the mystic qualities identified with the three Patriarchs

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A request for assistance in fundraising; whether the observance of the New Year of the Trees is of Scriptural or Rabbinic origin

No. 326

This letter was addressed to R. Mordechai HaKohen Perlov, one of the members of the chassidic community who had emigrated from Russia and were temporarily living in Western Europe.

B"H, 28 Teves, 5708

Greetings and blessings,

Your letters from 5 MarCheshvan and 8 Teves were received. Thank you for informing us concerning the situation regarding Jewish education in your community. Certainly you will continue to do so in the future.

In the near future, our emissaries, Rabbis Posner and Baumgarten, will visit you. They will deliver greetings from my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, and inform you of the goings on here in general and the instructions from Merkos L'Inyonei Chinuch to its branches in particular. It is our hope that their visit will bring satisfaction, i.e., they will derive satisfaction from you and you will derive satisfaction from them. Similarly, if there are no external impediments, they will bring with them some of our publications concerning which you inquired in your letter. One printing of the Tzemach Tzedek was already sent to you by mail. Enclosed is the kuntreis for Yud-Tes Kislev and a copy of a letter from my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, with regard to the printing of texts. Please be good enough to acknowledge your receipt of the above.

Perhaps you possess -- or you know who possesses -- explanations from the elder chassidim concerning the Tanya, sichos from the Rebbe Rashab that were not included in Toras Shalom, or [listener's] notes of the sichos delivered from 5681-5687. Please inform me [if so], because I have been searching for these for an extensive time. It is my hope that after they are checked to whatever degree possible, my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, will allow them to be published. In this way, you will be among those who bring merit to the many. Thank you for your trouble.

Concluding with wishes for everlasting good in all matters,

Rabbi Menachem Schneerson

Chairman of the Executive Committee

With regard to Chassidus: In ch. 7 of the enclosed maamar, [there is a discussion of] the good qualities that inherently exist within the nature of the Jewish people, whether their source is from the G-dly soul ([as indicated by Tanya,] Iggeres HaKodesh, Epistle 12) or from the animal soul (as stated in Tanya, ch. 1). I have heard people speaking of a contradiction in this regard. My understanding is that Tanya teaches us that the Jews possess good qualities that exist within their animal souls inherently (without any Divine service [on their part]). Iggeres HaKodesh teaches that within the G-dly soul, the attributes of kindness have an inherent supremacy over those of might. Both concepts are true and they are both necessary.

b) Yevamos 79a (quoted by Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Issurei Biah 19:17; cited by Tanya, Iggeres HaTeshuvah, ch. 11) mentions three distinguishing characteristics of the Jewish people: kindness, bashfulness, and mercy.[287] Tanya[288] omits "bashfulness." {In Iggeres HaKodesh, the omission is understandable, because bashfulness stems from the quality of fear, not of kindness (Nedarim 20a).} This can be explained on the basis of our Sages' statement (Beitzah 25b; Nedarim, loc. cit., see the commentary of the [Maharsha's] Chiddushei Aggados) that the distinguishing sign of bashfulness is not comparable to the others because this attribute was brought about by the Giving of the Torah. From this, we can appreciate how precise even the omissions in Tanya are.

   

Notes:

287. (Back to text) [The Rebbe mentions these qualities with the mnemonic gever, meaning "man of courage." See Likkutei Sichos, Vol. XXX, p. 66, note 49.]

288. (Back to text) [I.e., in ch. 1, as well as in Iggeres HaKodesh, loc. cit.]

An explanation of the charge to place the blood of the Paschal sacrifice on "the lintel" as referring to the mystic qualities identified with the three Patriarchs

Table of contents

Search this book:

A request for assistance in fundraising; whether the observance of the New Year of the Trees is of Scriptural or Rabbinic origin