1566 —סיוע בהפצת האנציקלופדיה התלמודית ובהוצאת ספרים

B"H, 11 Iyar, 5712.

Brooklyn, NY.

Harav Hagaon Haraha"ch vavac"h iy"a nu"m sederan v'falpelan sofer mahir etc. etc. Moharshi Zoin

Shalom u'Vrachah!

A few days ago, Mr. Bar Lev visited me and gave me the third volume of the Talmudic Encyclopedia. He asked if I could assist in spreading and selling the encyclopedia. After discussing this matter, I gave him a letter as a response to your honor regarding his gift; a copy is enclosed, and I hope it will be of the desired benefit to him. Of course, in addition to this, I will do my utmost to assist him as much as possible...

I hereby acknowledge—though belatedly—receipt of your letters from 16 Shevat and Motzaei Shabbat Vayikra. In the meantime you surely received the pamphlets and letters attached to them, as well as the Sdei Chemed; please confirm their receipt.

Regarding the books: after checking with R. Chaim Lieberman (who was the librarian for my father-in-law, the previous Rebbe), there is no sign of these books except that some have an inscription indicating they are from Shmuel Wiener’s library. Perhaps I will be able to obtain a photograph of this inscription and send it to you; I will also write letters according to your suggestion.

Many thanks to your honor for your ongoing efforts regarding Chabad matters in Eretz HaKodesh (may it be rebuilt), and I was pleased to receive a letter from Aguch and from the village nearby—surely they can all remain together as one group in their current place, and certainly their boundaries will expand with additional settlers, as I wrote to the village administration that now is especially a time to work on this.

I have a request: perhaps you can clarify whether there is any permit or clarification that some correction was made regarding government loans connected with the prohibition of ribis (interest). Surely you saw the discussions about this in the "HaPardes" journal, but those permits are not satisfactory. In order to answer those who ask me about this matter—I would like to know if any correction has been made, since some people are spreading rumors that in some office (it is impossible to clarify its name or affiliation) they made a general heter iska (business partnership permit). Many thanks in advance for your effort in clarifying this matter.

Many thanks for your visit to Yeshivat Lod etc... Mr. Shraga'i visited me as well; however, since it was before reading Megillah and there was communal pressure, our conversation was interrupted midway. He was supposed to visit again but it did not work out; I do not know why.

And last but not least: I read with joy in your letter that you are reprinting your books—Sefer HaMo'adim BeHalacha, essays on personalities and books, and stories of Chassidim. Although I have only seen the first one so far—you have already established yourself as an authority—and I hope that your other books also match your talents and abilities and meet the needs of both the general Jewish public and especially those who are observant. It is unfortunate that according to your letter you were unable to make additions because it was printed from plates; surely over time new notes or insights were added into these books. It is known that my father-in-law quoted his father-in-law (the Rebbe Maharash): "If good is good—is better not better?" Of course my thanks are due if I have an opportunity to receive also your two latest books mentioned above.

Blessings for success in your work for long life filled with good deeds—for there is no good except Torah and its inner dimension—which is Ilana DeChayei (the Tree of Life) through which Israel will be redeemed from exile with mercy.

Summary

The Rebbe encourages active involvement in spreading Torah works like the Talmudic Encyclopedia, values communal growth in Eretz Yisrael, addresses practical halachic concerns such as ribis on government loans, and appreciates scholarly contributions benefiting both observant Jews and broader communities.