1132 —השגחה פרטית נגלית ועידוד במצות הצדקה

B"H, 15 Menachem Av, 5711.

Brooklyn.

Havavac"h iy"a nom mom b'emunah etc. Mahari Katz

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I just received your letter from last night and I want to respond regarding another wonder from the Rebbe Rayatz zatzal: It bothered me the whole time that on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Menachem Av I was unable to report at the Ohel that you had sent your usual check for the Rebbe's matters. However, since the Rebbe once told me not to pressure you about money—as I have already conveyed to you—I could do nothing about it. Now I see that the Rebbe directly placed this thought into you, or as you write "my heart was troubled," which is similar to the proclamations from Above that bring into a person good thoughts and resolutions not prepared by him, as explained in Likkutei Torah Parshas Tetzei (36d) and at greater length in the maamar Az Yashir of the year 5700. Presumably you have this maamar...

May Hashem help you not only not to decrease G‑d forbid from your good customs but to add to them, as our Sages say: one ascends in holiness. Especially noteworthy is the revealed hashgacha pratit that all of this occurred on Tu B'Av, about which our Sages say (end of Taanis) "from here on whoever increases will be increased"—regarding Torah, and therefore it is understood that Torah brings about this same order and conduct also in mitzvot and especially in the mitzvah of tzedakah which is called simply 'the mitzvah' and is equivalent to all other mitzvot (see Tanya ch. 37, Iggeres HaTeshuvah end ch. 3; Iggeres HaKodesh siman 3, 4, end of siman 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12).

With blessings for success in your personal affairs and that you should joyfully and wholeheartedly transform materiality into spirituality.

Summary

This letter teaches us that inspiration for tzedakah can be Divinely implanted even without conscious preparation. The Rebbe encourages increasing acts of tzedakah and good customs—especially during auspicious times like Tu B'Av—emphasizing their spiritual impact.