3249 —כהונה כרב באה"ק בלי השתייכות מפלגתית

B"H, 3rd of Shevat, 5715. Brooklyn.

To the administration of Agudas Chabad in Eretz HaKodesh, may Hashem be upon them for life.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter from the 18th of Teves with its enclosure. Surely by now you have also received my previous letter. Regarding what you write about semichah ^[1], that there are qualified individuals but the matter does not come to fruition because it is in the hands of a political party—It is surprising that you are unaware that in Eretz HaKodesh there are rabbis serving in positions who have no connection to Mizrachi or Poalei Agudat Yisrael parties and the like, especially in positions not in large cities.

Although the work should focus on building synagogues and Chabad villages and similar matters, I do not understand your intent—if this is truly your opinion, that until another village is built nothing should be done and we should only hope for another Chabad rabbi or at least another Chabad synagogue—then it is clear I have nothing to reply to such an assumption. But if this is not your view and it was just a turn of phrase or similar—then it is also clear there is no need to respond further.

I would appreciate if you would occasionally review the monthly journal Kol Torah, where the names of newly officially approved rabbis are published. In addition to these, there are several who lead communities even though they have not yet been officially approved.

The day of the hilulah, Yud Shevat—the yahrzeit—is approaching. As is known everywhere, on every yahrzeit the soul ascends to a higher world; consequently, this ability is given to all those connected with him. However, obviously they are not deprived of free choice—for this is an essential trait of a Jew rooted in his essence; only there can true free choice exist—and therefore one can choose whether or not to utilize this ability.

It is also well known what the Baal HaHilulah said and how he lived: his motto was "Gadol HaMaaseh" (the one who acts is greater). As he practiced himself—to invest his energy and soul powers into concrete actions: founding institutions, supporting them, spreading them, etc.

For several years now I have tried every manner of persuasion and request... that Chabad chassidim in Eretz HaKodesh begin working and acting at least somewhat according to the wishes of the Baal HaHilulah—in various circles and ways...

May it be G‑d's will that the merit of the Baal HaHilulah stand for him—that his wishes regarding those matters for which he gave his life be fulfilled—and that some of these matters are found in Eretz HaKodesh... May the wellsprings spread outward and may the hand of chassidim be strengthened as ruled by the well-known Beis Din (printed at end of page 122 in Sefer Kitzurim v'He'aros l'Tanya).

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that one can serve as a rabbi in Israel without political affiliation and urges proactive efforts to build Chabad communities and institutions. He emphasizes utilizing one's abilities for action rather than waiting passively for ideal circumstances.