451 —עידוד להשתתפות פעילה במל"ח ותמיכה קהילתית

B"H, 21 Shevat 5709.

Kevod Haraha"g Haraha"ch vavac"h iy"a nu"n etc. Morenu Mordechai Greenberg

Shalom u'Vrachah!

Your letter from the 15th of Shevat, together with the $10 check for refugee assistance from Mr. Chaim Yosef, was received—thank you. A receipt for the donation is enclosed for the benefactor mentioned above.

It is surprising that after all our discussions regarding practical work for Melach and Machaneh B'Machaneinu, we still have not seen tangible results. It is difficult to understand how you, as chief rabbi of the Vauster community association and a loyal friend to our work, have not taken real action or participated concretely in our activities—such as arranging appeals in your communities and similar efforts. Must we knock on your heart's door every day?

It is also surprising regarding your brother Reb Yitzchak: when he was previously in a place where he acted on behalf of Melach and Machaneh, but since relocating we have not heard from him. Therefore, we again request that you kindly encourage your brother and urge him to renew his participation in our work with even greater strength—and it is unnecessary to further remind you.

We await real actions very soon, as the pressure upon us in managing this great program—as demanded by my revered father-in-law the Rebbe shlita—is indescribable.

To connect this with the weekly Torah portion: On the verse "Im Kesef Talveh" (If you lend money), it is explained in Chassidus that this also includes the soul's descent into a body—see Rosh Devarim Heichal Ta'amah (printed in the enclosed booklet)—that it involves both a loan and a deposit. Sometimes Chassidus explains that the main aspect is the loan part (see Likkutei Torah Seder Dvarim V'Samti Kadkod Hasheni), while sometimes it seems otherwise (in Ta'amah mentioned above). It can be explained that there is no contradiction; rather, it depends on whether one is at the beginning or middle of their service—especially for those on a higher level.

In any case, all debate about whether there is an advantage to the borrower’s part over the lender’s comes because of his toil with entrusted funds; for this he receives double or triple reward—as explained elsewhere*, that this is what Hashem takes for Himself one crown and gives two crowns to His children (Vayikra Rabbah Parshas Kedoshim). From this we see how valuable human effort is—and thus how great the loss when effort is lacking.

According to the principle that arousal from Above depends on arousal from below, everyone must do acts of kindness with their own body—even if money earned through their toil belongs to others. For you, surely this brief explanation will suffice. The main thing is that it should lead to action and tangible results.

Summary

The Rebbe emphasizes that true support requires active involvement—not just good intentions or financial help. Spiritual growth and communal success depend on personal effort and concrete deeds; each person’s participation brings blessing both above and below.