3144 —הרבי מאתגר תחושת בדידות בשליחות של אדם

26 Kislev, 5715.

Brooklyn.

Havavac"h iy"a nu"n etc. Yitzchak Yaakov Nalson

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your letter from the 24th of Kislev. It is surprising that you do not mention anything about what happened on the bright day of Yud-Tes Kislev, the day of redemption of our master the Alter Rebbe, founder of Chabad Chassidus—which is also our own redemption and the liberation of our souls. Since with such matters, even after some time has passed, one should still fulfill them as much as possible; if you did not gather on that day, it would be worthwhile to do so on one of the coming days.

Regarding what you write—that you cannot find even one person to help you in your activities, it is well known how my father-in-law, the Rebbe (of blessed memory), explained the wording of our Sages: "one who engages in Torah," "one who engages in a mitzvah." This must be like business effort: not waiting for someone else to be inspired on their own, nor being discouraged if someone declines when approached. For you know that you are not doing a favor for others; rather, this is for your own benefit. Such an approach should be taken in spreading Torah and mitzvot.

It is already well known what our Sages ruled: more than the householder does for the poor person, the poor person does for the householder—this applies both to material charity and spiritual charity. There is a strong presumption that outreach efforts do not return empty-handed—even though sometimes there is a delay between planting the seed and seeing it grow.

Blessings for success in all of the above with proper health.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that feeling alone should not deter one's efforts; true partnership and results come through persistent outreach and recognizing that helping others spiritually also benefits oneself. Every effort in spreading Torah ultimately bears fruit.