1747 —התקדמות בחסידות, סבלנות בצמיחה, והנהגות יומיות יסודיות

B"H, 2 Menachem Av, 5712.

Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I received your letter pleasantly (without indication of when it was written), in which you write that until now you have not succeeded in receiving inspiration to study Chassidus and good character traits. Now, after seeing the Haraha"ch vavac"h iy"a nu"b engaged in tzt"z etc. Moreinu HaRav Menachem Shmuel Dovid Sheyichyeh HaLevi Reitchik, and by observing his conduct your desire and longing to connect to the Tree of Life—which is the inner dimension of Torah and the teachings of Chassidus—has increased, and you request a blessing regarding this.

My words have already been stated in the teachings of our Sages: "I have toiled and found—believe it." Since you possess the desire, longing, and will for the above-mentioned matters, you will certainly find what you seek. However, one should not be discouraged (nispa'el) if he does not attain everything at once. This is the way of holiness—as it is stated regarding the conquest of Eretz Yisrael physically: "Little by little I will drive them out from before you," so too is it with conquering one's spiritual Eretz Yisrael. That is, when a Jew wishes to sanctify his life's order—just as Eretz Yisrael physically is holier than all other lands—so too should his life's order be holier than those around him. The process is "little by little I will drive them out," progressing from strength to strength and level to level—but gradually. Nevertheless, since he is assured that he will ultimately reach his goal, even at the beginning of his efforts there should be true joy because it only requires toil and time; ultimately he will become a chassid and G‑d-fearing person.

The ways and tools for this are explained in many books, pamphlets, and discourses. First of all, hold firmly to the three daily lessons established by my revered father-in-law the Rebbe zatzal: a) Recite Tehillim as divided for each day of the month after Shacharis; b) Study the weekly portion of Chumash with Rashi's commentary; c) Learn Tanya as divided for each day of the year; also set fixed times every day for studying Nigleh (revealed Torah) as well as Chassidus—each person according to his standing, situation, understanding, and comprehension. It is also good to give a cent or two to charity every morning before prayer (all this without a vow). I strongly hope that by doing these things you will begin to illuminate your soul with the light of the Tree of Life and progress from strength to strength. Please inform me with good news about this.

Summary

Spiritual growth requires patience and steady effort; even gradual progress leads to success when combined with foundational daily practices in Torah study and charity. The Rebbe teaches that true joy comes from knowing one’s efforts will ultimately bear fruit.