3765 —מרכזיות אהבת ישראל ואחריות יהודית בדורנו

B"H, 12 Elul, 5715.

Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter from the end of Menachem Av, and as you requested, all those you wrote about will be mentioned at the holy resting place of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe zatzukal-leha nabgam ziya, for what they need as described in your letter.

Surely you know that the channel for matters of hiskashrus (connection) in such cases is to follow the paths he taught us and to fulfill his enactments. Certainly you are already fulfilling—or at least will fulfill from now on—the three daily study portions in Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya established by my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe.

I am interested to hear details about your activities—may he live—both currently and regarding the future. Surely it is unnecessary to remind you and also your aforementioned brother about the personal obligation that existed everywhere and always—how much more so in our generation, this orphaned generation—and in the Land where "the eyes of Hashem your G‑d are upon it from the beginning of the year to its end," to do your part in strengthening and spreading Judaism. This must be done specifically with a spirit of pure fear of Heaven.

The responsibility is especially great for those whose ancestral merit assists them—forebears who also acted in this direction for decades during their lives on earth. Particularly now that we have merited the revelation of the light of the Baal Shem Tov's teachings, his students and their students—the general teachings of Chassidus—as they have been deepened and explained in Chabad Chassidus. In these teachings is clarified at length the greatness of Ahavas Yisrael (love for a fellow Jew), how loving G‑d and loving one's fellow are one and the same—as hinted at also by Rabbi Akiva's statement that "Ve'ahavta l'reiacha kamocha" (Love your fellow as yourself) is a great principle in Torah; as well as by his teacher's teacher Hillel Hazaken ^[1], who said even in Aramaic—which is secular language—that "this is all of Torah" (Shabbos 31a), along with his guidance to "love all creatures." This is explained in Tanya chapter 32 and in Sefer HaMitzvos by our Rebbe tzt"z regarding the mitzvah of Ahavas Yisrael.

Because this matter is so important, one must be aware that specifically here there may be even greater opposition from forces opposed to holiness—especially from "the foreign god within you" (Shabbos 105b). When there seems no alternative, yetzer hara disguises itself with arguments cloaked as Torah scholarship or piety. But as our Sages said: "I created yetzer hara; I created Torah as its antidote." Our Torah—a Torah of life—and especially Chassidus has informed us about this deceit. Therefore, with necessary firmness stemming from true holiness, one can nullify even this cunningness and its arguments based upon it...

With blessings for good news regarding all the above matters as well as your own affairs, and with wishes for a good inscription and sealing for the new year.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that Ahavas Yisrael—loving every Jew—and actively supporting Jewish life are fundamental obligations heightened in our spiritually orphaned generation. By following chassidic teachings with sincerity and resolve, we overcome inner obstacles to unity and holiness.