41 —פרסום אור החנוכה, ושיתוף מכתב עם חוגים רחבים יותר

B"H, Fourth day of Chanukah, 5703.

Philadelphia.

To the honorable Haraha"g Haraha"ch vavac"h iy"a verav pa'alim sefataiv yishmeru da'at v'to"a tehiyeh alav etc. Mohara"a HaKohen n"y, Avraham Aharon HaKohen Yales

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Knowing your connection to my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe shlita, I am enclosing herewith a copy of his letter from the past Ta'anit Tzibbur and for the days following it. It is unnecessary to point out your attention to the content of this letter and the importance of publicizing it among broader circles.

By way of illustration: as it says (Shabbat 21b), "The Hanukkah light is a mitzvah to place at the entrance of one's house on the outside," and in Mishneh Torah (Hilchot Chanukah 4:5), "at an entrance adjacent to the public domain" (and according to Tosafot), in a place and time where a magus could say 'from your portion and above,' etc. (Sanhedrin 39a), but not in a private domain. And if he lived upstairs—meaning he is among those who dwell above, who are few (Sukkah 45b) and do not have an open entrance to worldly matters—he must at least place it in a window adjacent to the public domain.

With blessings for immediate teshuvah and immediate redemption.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that just as Hanukkah lights are placed publicly to spread their message, so too should important teachings be shared widely—even if circumstances are not ideal—so that their illuminating effect reaches as many people as possible.