191 —ברכות לאירוסי בת, עניני קהילה, ותובנות חסידיות

B"H, 21 Menachem Av, the day after the yahrzeit of my father, 5705.

Esteemed Haraha"ch Havavac"h Iy"a Nechbad Venaaleh etc. Mehar"ch HaOvelin.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your letters and especially your last letter from the 25th of Tammuz:

a) I have indeed received your blessing regarding your daughter's engagement with B.G. May the wedding take place in a good and auspicious time, and may their home be an everlasting edifice founded upon Torah and mitzvos among upright generations who will be blessed.

b) Yesterday I received Reb Shmuel Gurary's essay about the celebration of the Festival of Redemption and Jubilee (the photograph has not yet arrived). Surely you will also send here the congratulatory letters you received from those invited to the celebration who responded in writing. I also suggest that you connect with the correspondent for the Morgen Journal in your camp so that he writes about the celebration in his regular correspondence sent from there to the Morgen Journal.

c) I have still not received a reply regarding your promise to inquire with the attendant of Baal HaMaaseh Torah Chesed etc., as mentioned in my letter from the 23rd of Teves. Surely you will respond soon.

d) Please give on my behalf, in connection with the yahrzeit, from funds of Melach and Machaneh that are with you: one hundred dollars to Kollel Chabad and eighteen dollars to Yeshivas Toras Emes. I have deposited their equivalent here. Also, twenty-five dollars for the World Tehillim Society.

e) The price list for books published by Shulzinger is on a separate note; currently, for yeshivos, Likkutei Torah costs five dollars (for both volumes together). For other books from our publications—please check directly on the books themselves. Shipping costs have increased greatly and must be added. I must once again repeat what I wrote previously and emphasize: The lack of resources at Kehot actually prevents many activities. What has been received from various places—and what is still due—already amounts to a very large sum. Once again I suggest—as written in section zayin of my letter from 23 Teves—to send us tefillin as detailed there. We received two pairs of tefillin from you but their price is high compared to local prices here; apparently they were purchased individually. Our suggestion is to buy at once an appropriate number of tefillin; surely this will lower the price considerably. Please inform me promptly about this.

f) Please send here at our expense a copy of Reb Shmuel Gronem Estherman's commentaries found with Rabbi Takatz, as mentioned in my letter from 23 Iyar; thank you in advance.

To conclude with words of Torah—a continuation to what I wrote in my previous letter regarding what I heard from my father z"l about his explanation on Mishnah (Mikvaos end ch.7): "A needle that is placed...," based on Chassidus it can be explained as follows: The previous Mishnah refers to avodah (spiritual service), based on foundations of Chassidus (and note: a) "descends and immerses" seems superfluous; b) why mention both bundles of wood and bundles of reeds? c) why repeat 'bundles'?).

Briefly: Mei mikveh (waters of a mikveh) represent something that purifies—in general this refers to proper contemplation (hisbonenus), as Maimonides writes at end of Hilchos Mikvaos: immersion from impurity is among statutes but there is an allusion... one brings his soul into waters of knowledge etc.; tevillah (immersion) shares letters with bittul (self-nullification), meaning nullification resulting from true contemplation—see Siddur Seder HaKavanah Mekvah—and it must be water sufficient for one's entire body to be covered; so too for a spring—the law is similar—for if any part remains uncovered it proves that one's bittul is not complete.

A mikveh whose waters are shallow—meaning they meet minimum requirements but still do not cover one's whole body—especially if one immerses feet while head remains exposed or vice versa—or lying down so right side is covered but left exposed or vice versa—this alludes to two forms of avodah: study and action. There are those who understand well but cannot overcome their desires in practice; or conversely—those naturally cold but free-thinking; similarly some find 'do good' easy (right hand draws close) but cannot withstand 'turn away from evil' challenges (left hand pushes away), or vice versa—as at Matan Torah when Ishmael's descendants refused 'do not commit adultery' and Esau's refused 'do not murder.' Since contemplation itself lacks nothing—the water meets requirements—but still not all parts are covered—not fully nullified—it must mean there is lacking kabbolas ol (acceptance of Divine yoke).

Therefore—not only does Rabbi Shimon/Rosh say that by placing stones (domem—inanimate—humility/kabbolas ol) into water/contemplation one can immerse and become pure—but even by adding bundles of wood—tzomeach—emotions/feelings—preceding love/fear for G-d—it works. But it must be 'bundles,' since one emotion alone cannot conquer yetzer hara; all flocks must gather—as explained in Likkutei Torah beginning Veyadata. Furthermore, since intellect rules over heart but contemplation did not help—it must specifically be conquered by stones (Rabbi Shimon/Ra'av)—overriding love/fear by mixing kabbolas ol into emotions—for otherwise intellect will sway them its own way.

This explains 'conquers' in Mishnah—the act itself is essential—not just advice how to cause water to rise—and so forth.

There are two ways emotions arise: a) through contemplation on sovev kol almin ('encompassing all worlds'), b) through contemplation on memale kol almin ('filling all worlds'). In essence: a) like emotions from Tohu b) like emotions from Tikkun—and this distinguishes reed (soft/hollow/grows above water—see Biur HaZohar Pekudei D.H. VeLazmanin)—from plain wood; since each has unique qualities—as explained elsewhere (see also D.H. LeOlam Yehei Rach Kakanah 5705)—the Mishnah mentions both bundles of wood or bundles of reeds.

The proof that this avodah succeeded—that he was previously suspect etc.—is that he descends—breaks his arrogance—and then Mishnah assures us: "and immerses," which spells bittul/nullification.

With blessings for immediate teshuvah and immediate redemption,
Rabbi Menachem Schneerson

Summary

The Rebbe blesses an engagement, addresses communal logistics and fundraising challenges, then offers profound chassidic insight into spiritual self-nullification using mikveh immersion as an analogy for integrating intellect, emotion, and acceptance of G-d's yoke into one's service.