Not to be depressed over difficulties in outreach work; the counterpart to building the Beis HaMikdash in our Divine service

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Instructions to a chassid in Jerusalem; the significance of the month of Elul

No. 517

This letter was addressed to R. Nissan Nemenov, the mashpia of the Lubavitcher Yeshivah in France.

B"H, 26 Menachem Av, 5709

Greetings and blessings,

Your letter from 18 Tammuz was received. Because of my many concerns, I did not answer it until now. I ask your forgiveness.

Today, I received a digest [of the sichos] of Yud-Gimmel Tammuz and I am enclosing it together with a digest [of the sichos] of the final day of Pesach. No doubt you will — as you have done until now — direct your subordinates to copy them and give a copy to each of the [various] groups among the chassidic brotherhood.

I remember that I promised you an explanation of the sichah included in the kuntreis for the Pesach holiday. But what can I do? Matters of immediate urgency cause the matters that are not of immediate urgency to be postponed until a more fitting time. For example, after publishing the kuntreis for the Holiday of Redemption,[588] I was compelled to complete everything that is necessary for the publication of the index to the maamarim of the Rebbe [Rashab] that have already been sent to print. Afterwards, it was necessary for me to be involved in the preparation of the Sdei Chemed for print (since, for various reasons, the first volume must not appear later than 12 Elul. Accordingly, the printer is pressing not to delay the other volumes). In the midst of my involvement with this, it became evident that we did not have a sufficient number of machzorim on hand. Thus, more had to be prepared before the appropriate time. Since [a new printing was being made,] I received a directive to prepare at least a short list of Chabad customs for the Ten Days of Repentance which are new or different [from those practiced at large]. No doubt, within a week, the kuntreis for Chai Elul will be submitted [to be prepared for printing].... And all of the above comes in addition to [the work on] the maamarim of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe Shlita, that we began to print more than two years ago, as well as Sefer HaMaamarim 5643, which is in print, and other texts.

All of this comes in addition to the concerns of the other departments of Merkos L’Inyonei Chinuch and Machne Israel that I cannot delegate to others. Nevertheless, I have not given up on [penetrating to] the depths of that sichah, and if I am able to comprehend anything regarding its explanation, I will not hesitate to write what appears to me, according to my humble opinion. I do not know, however, when I will have free time, or at least partially so....

With wishes for everlasting good in all matters and with greetings to all those who seek our welfare,

M. Schneerson

   

Notes:

588. (Back to text) [I.e., Yud-Beis/Yud-Gimmel Tammuz.]

Not to be depressed over difficulties in outreach work; the counterpart to building the Beis HaMikdash in our Divine service

Table of contents

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Instructions to a chassid in Jerusalem; the significance of the month of Elul