3217 —עידוד להשלמת מצות תמיכה בבית רבקה

B"H, 23rd of Teves, 5715.

Brooklyn, NY.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

It was with pleasure that I learned about the gathering being held this Wednesday for the institutions of "Beis Rivkah." I am confident that your esteemed committee does not require encouragement, except for what our Sages say in Sifri: "We only encourage those who are already eager," and even this is only for added merit—though certainly even in this there is no need for outside encouragement. Likewise, you surely do not need expressions of thanks, since "the reward of a mitzvah is the mitzvah itself."

Nevertheless, I decided to write these lines to your esteemed self, knowing how precious these institutions were to my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe—may his merit protect us—and how much effort he invested in founding, sustaining, and developing them. Even now he stands on high and serves as an advocate and arouses abundant mercy for all who work in education according to the purity of holiness in general—including Beis Rivkah institutions—to grant success in their work and additional blessing and success also in their personal matters.

I have great confidence that you will not be satisfied with merely beginning a mitzvah; rather, as our Sages say, you will complete it successfully. That is, even after the gathering you will supervise and strive so that matters come to actual fruition by providing the necessary means to pay off debts and sustain and develop the institutions according to current needs—and expand their boundaries with more students.

I pray that the will of Hashem will succeed in your hands with outstanding success.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that starting a mitzvah is important but completing it is essential. He urges continued involvement beyond initial efforts to ensure lasting impact and growth for holy institutions like Beis Rivkah.