3568 —הגדלת תלמידים ושיפור בניית מקוה

B"H, 19 Sivan, 5715.

Brooklyn.

Haraha"ch iy"a nu"n oseik b'TzTZ Moha"r Saadia Librov

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your letter from the 13th of Sivan: May it be G‑d's will that your boundaries increase with students in quantity, and consequently also in quality. With more students, it will naturally be easier to increase further, as is understood from the principle that for every one who learns Mikra, a hundred enter for Mishnah, etc. It is somewhat surprising that this increase has not already occurred since you wrote that several students were sent to you from Casablanca. I await good news.

Regarding what you wrote about the mikveh: Although not a single word is clear in your writing, it seems you mean that water leaves the mikveh and is stopped by an iron plug that seals a hole in the floor of the mikveh. I was shocked to read this—perhaps this is not what you meant. There have already been outcries against permitting something initially made with intent to fix it so, etc. Surely you have a copy of the letter from my revered teacher and father-in-law, the Rebbe Rashab of blessed memory, who did not want even a rubber (kautschuk) plug because of opinions that it can receive impurity. He advised making several stoppers out of simple wooden vessels made very smooth. Since it's hard to make a perfect seal between wood and stone, the advice is to make part of the floor's corner out of wood with a hole sealed by a wooden plug; sealing wood with wood is easier. But even better—and this has become standard wherever possible—is not to have any hole at all in the floor; instead, remove water using a pump (nasos), preferably one called a siphon pump, which is well known to those involved in such matters.

Enclosed is the response to... and I rely on your understanding to explain further if needed.

It also seems from your letter that it would be worthwhile for you to travel—after proper preparation—to study in Bruna.

Blessings for good news in all the above,

M. Schneerson

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that increasing student enrollment leads naturally to greater quality and growth in Torah education. He also stresses careful adherence to halachic standards when constructing a mikveh, referencing earlier rabbinic guidance for best practices.