1691 —תמיכה במרטירער חיים על פני מצבות זיכרון בפריז

B"H, 7 Tammuz, 5712.

Shab"b vavac"h iy"a nu"m Osek b'tzt"z Ish ba'al meretz v'rav pe'alim etc. Yitzchak

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I received your letter from the 23rd of May with its enclosures, though with some delay. I remember what my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe zatzal nbg"m zya"a, told me regarding the center he established and the benefit to be expected from it; he also personally contributed to this cause. Therefore, my agreement is not necessary. Nevertheless, I too follow after the king by expressing my appreciation for what you have done in this matter, and through our office you will also receive my participation for the activities of the center in the amount of fifteen thousand francs.

Regarding what you wrote in your letter about establishing a memorial monument—the "grave of the unknown Jewish martyr"—in Paris: After asking your forgiveness that my opinion does not align with yours, I imagine those holy ones who were killed al kiddush Hashem (for the sanctification of G‑d's Name) and how they would respond to erecting a monument in their memory in the middle of Paris by an association headed by chassidim—but chassidim among the nations of the world. What would they say about such an idea?

Especially now when there are hundreds, thousands, and tens of thousands of living martyrs—known individuals—who need a piece of bread physically, and even more so those who need spiritual sustenance. The main reason their hunger is not satisfied is lack of resources. Therefore, if it is possible to obtain any sum at all, immediately arises the question: Should this money be used to erect a stone monument in a broad square in Paris so that passersby will know or remember that millions of Jews were killed al kiddush Hashem (for sanctifying G‑d's Name), or should it be used to literally sustain hungry and thirsty souls—or those hungry and thirsty for the word of Hashem, life itself? The solution to this question seems clear to me.

It is true there is some rationale for your view: To sustain a hungry or thirsty soul has become commonplace and happens daily; not everyone donates their money for this purpose. In contrast, erecting a large monument in a major city attracts participation from many great people among Israel as well as notable righteous gentiles. Yet even so, it is difficult to decide and agree to invest thousands of dollars into stone and earth in a corner of Paris when thousands and tens of thousands of Jews in Eretz HaKodesh (the Holy Land) as well as abroad are crying out for urgent help.

I repeat my request for forgiveness for writing contrary to your opinion above, and I strongly hope you will not take offense at this.

Blessings and honor to you, your wife, and all your family.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that while memorials have value, our primary responsibility is to support living Jews who are suffering physically or spiritually. Resources should first go toward alleviating real human need before being spent on monuments or symbolic gestures.