Blessings for the Pesach holiday

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Instructions concerning beginning shlichus in North Africa and other communal activities

No. 585

The text of this letter was sent to various individuals, personally addressed to each one.

B"H, Echad Nissan, 5710

Greetings and blessings,

Enclosed is the kuntres for the Pesach holiday which includes the maamarim of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, hk"m, a sichah of his, and a letter of his. As explained in my introduction, you will surely share it with those in your sphere of influence, to illuminate them with the light of the Torah and more particularly, with the luminary contained within.[352]

The author of a teaching dwells in two worlds (Yevamos 96b) in both a physical and a spiritual sense. Since the attributes of the Holy One, blessed be He, are meted out measure for measure (Sanhedrin 90a), the reward of all those who endeavor to study the teachings of a sage will be in this world and in the next, in both material and spiritual matters. The immensity of the reward can be understood from the great pleasure generated for the sage, which can, in turn, be appreciated from the great yearning there is for a teaching to be recited in one's name, as related (Yevamos, loc. cit.) regarding the request of David, the King of Israel.

Signing with wishes for a kosher Pesach and all forms of everlasting good,

Rabbi Menachem Schneerson

The kuntres from Beis Nissan has certainly reached you. "One who gives a present to a friend should notify him."[353] [Therefore I am notifying you that] when I was at the gravesite on 13 Nissan, I recalled your name [with a request] for a kosher and happy Pesach holiday.

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1. My statements in my previous letter[354] that, in my humble opinion, the reason for the Rebbe [Rashab's] directive that the water of the lower pool should also cover the floor of the upper pool before ordinary tap water will flow into it is straightforward [can be explained as follows]: Then the ordinary water will be flowing into an acceptable mikveh. Otherwise, if the ordinary water enters first, it will only be made valid [for use as a mikveh] through the convention of hashakah.[355] This is easy to comprehend.

2. My question as to why the Rebbe [Rashab] did not seek to follow the stringency of [filling the mikveh with] the measure [of water] required by Darchei Teshuvah was not merely to add stringencies as you write in your letter, but rather in accordance with the principle that when constructing a mikveh, one endeavors to fulfill [the stringencies required by] many different views.

   

Notes:

352. (Back to text) [Pnimiyus HaTorah, the Torah's inner dimensions, are referred to as the luminary within the Torah. See Psikta, Eichah Rabbah, 2 and commentary of Yefah Anof; Yerushalmi, Chagigah 1:7.]

353. (Back to text) [Shabbos 10b.]

354. (Back to text) [This addition was sent to R. Yaakov Landau, the Rav of Bnei Brak, as part of an ongoing correspondence between the Rebbe and him regarding the Rebbe Rashab's instructions to Rabbi Landau concerning the construction of a mikveh in Rostov, when the Rebbe Rashab moved there shortly before his passing in 5680 (1920). See Letter No. 562 above.]

355. (Back to text) [Hashakah is a technique used to fill the immersion pool of a mikveh with tap water. Rainwater is first collected in a reservoir below or at the side of the immersion pool. The immersion pool is filled with tap water and then a large hole connecting the tool is opened. Because of the connection, the immersion pool is now considered an acceptable mikveh.]

Blessings for the Pesach holiday

Table of contents

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Instructions concerning beginning shlichus in North Africa and other communal activities