1346 —האחדות האמיתית של בית הכנסת וברכתה הנצחית

B"H, 16 Teves 5712.

Brooklyn, NY.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I was pleased to hear greetings from your shul and its congregants in general, as well as about your participation in the various activities founded and led by my father-in-law, the Rebbe, the holy leader of blessed memory. These activities continue to be carried out with G‑d's help, and like every living thing, they keep growing and expanding. Therefore, I am also certain that your involvement will continue to grow from time to time.

A shul—a Beis HaKnesses—is, as its name indicates, a place that gathers together and unites many Jews, may they multiply. Naturally, among them are various categories of people, but the essence of the shul unites them. There is also another kind of unity among people—like a business partnership. However, there is a fundamental difference between this unity and the one mentioned above. When people unite for business purposes, it is not true unity because each partner joins with the other only for his own benefit. In other words, he seeks in the other what he himself can gain; he seeks not the other person but himself. Therefore, when one of them feels he cannot gain personal profit from the other anymore, their partnership dissolves.

There is a fundamental difference with unity based on Torah and mitzvos in general—and a shul in particular. Here Jews unite not for personal or material gain but to fulfill matters of Torah and mitzvos—prayer and charity. They are united by the shared idea of fulfilling the will of the Almighty, which is generally expressed as love of G‑d (Ahavas Hashem), love of Torah (Ahavas HaTorah), and love of Israel (Ahavas Yisrael). Such unity can endure forever—just as Torah and mitzvos are eternal.

I send you my blessing that your shul should be a true Beis HaKnesses where all members and worshippers are united with the thought: "Vaya'asu kulam agudah achas la'asos retzoncha b'levav shaleim" ("And they shall all form one group to do Your will with a complete heart"). This also opens the way to receive G‑d's blessing for each person in whatever he needs—children, life, or sustenance—with abundance.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that true unity in a shul comes from joining together for Torah and mitzvos—not personal gain—and such unity brings lasting blessings for all involved.