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I Will Write It In Their Hearts - Volume 5 A Treasury of Letters from the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson Selections from Igros Kodesh Advice to a chassid to accept a shlichus position in North Africa Translated by: Rabbi Eli Touger Published and copyright © by Sichos In English (718) 778-5436 • info@SichosInEnglish.org • FAX (718) 735-4139
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Guidelines when requesting blessings for health; a request to commit adages heard from the Rebbeim to writing | Table of contents | Blessings and guidance for a boy's recovery |
No. 695
This letter was sent to R. Shlomo Matusof, one of the chassidim involved in outreach activities in France.[771]B"H, 26 Menachem Av, 5710Greetings and blessings,
I received your two letters of Rosh Chodesh and the 8th of Tammuz. After the presentation of the projects in Africa by R. Benyamin Gorodetzky,[772] it is my opinion that it is proper for you to accept the position in the field of education in our institutions there. Even though it is difficult as of yet to define the details of the position because it is a new matter, we can hope for a broad platform [of activity] in the area of strengthening the Torah and Yiddishkeit and, as a consequence, prodigious success through the powers of our Nasi, my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, hk"m. Fortunate is the lot of all those who want to be "on his wagon." It is self-understood that my intent is that the matter is appropriate for your benefit and the benefit of your fiancee,[773] and your settling down to a life of happiness.
I am not writing this — to use the expression you employed in your letter — "as [one writes to] a private individual," because every one of the temimim in particular, and those bonded to my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe, hk"m, in general, are not "private individuals." Instead, they are "candles that illuminate" all their surroundings and "living people" who live and grant vitality to another person, another two people, another three, etc. The fruits [of these efforts] will produce fruit and further generations of fruit for eternity (olam, "eternity," shares the same root letters as helem, "hiddenness"). Moreover, in addition to the reward for the mitzvah, [one receives]the mitzvah itself,[774] [i.e.,] that one is fulfilling his purpose in life. [The fulfillment of one's purpose] is the medium to receive and draw down the blessings of the tzaddik — who is now present in this world more than during his lifetime[775] — into material and spiritual matters in all that is required.
We will yet discuss the particulars of your position — surely your fiancee will also join in this effort over the course of time — when it is closer to your journey; may it be successful. Nevertheless, since obtaining the visas requires a certain amount of time, it is desirable that you file your application quickly. Certainly, there are ways and techniques that will shorten the time and the research necessary for the application to be filed. You should become knowledgeable about this.
With blessing for success in your individual life and your communal work,
Menachem SchneersonNotes:
- (Back to text) [See Letter No. 587 above.]
- (Back to text) [A chassid who headed the office for the aid of refugees which received financial assistance from the Joint Distribution Committee. See Letters No. 587, et al.]
- (Back to text) [At the time, R. Matusof was engaged to be married.]
- (Back to text) [The Rebbe is referring to the wording of Avos 4:2.]
- (Back to text) [See Zohar III, p. 71b.]
Guidelines when requesting blessings for health; a request to commit adages heard from the Rebbeim to writing | Table of contents | Blessings and guidance for a boy's recovery |
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