ב"ה, י"ג אלול, תשט"ו
ברוקלין.
הרה"ח אי"א נו"נ עוסק בצ"צ מוהרנ"ן[1] שי'
שלום וברכה!
במענה על מכתבו מו' אלול, הנה ת"ח על הבשו"ט בהנוגע למצב בריאות התל' פב"פ ופב"פ שיחיו, וכן חוות דעת הרופא אודות בריאות השאר. ויה"ר שתכה"י[2] יהי' בידו לבשר טוב וחסד, הן בגשמיות והן ברוחניות, הן מעצמו והן ממושפעיו.
במ"ש אודות ...[3] הרי בודאי ידוע לו חוות דעתי בזה, ומה שמביא ראי'[4] מהתלמידים שבאו לכאן, הרי בודאי ידוע לו גם בזה שמלבד אחדים ממש, הנה לא היתה דעתי נוחה מביאתם לכאן, ולדאבוני ולצערי הנה נוכחתי שהלואי היו שומעים בקולי והיו ממשיכים בלימוד בצרפת או באה"ק ת"ו ולא עוד אלא שאם הי' זה ביכולתי והיו נשמעים לי, הנה רובא דרובא מהם הייתי שולח בחזרה למעבר לים וד"ל, וידוע מרז"ל על הראשונים אנו מצטערים וכו'[5]. ומובן ג"כ שמה שכותב הנני לעיל בהנוגע להתלמידים הנה במכש"כ וק"ו שהוא שייך להאברכים ואפילו להזקנים בכל הפרטים הנ"ל ועוד יותר. ומה שמוסיף הנני זה במכתבי, הוא, שברשותו בזמן המתאים לפרסם את זה, כי חבל על המכתבים שכותבים אלי עד"ז כיון שמזמן לזמן הנני נוכח עוד יותר בהאמור לעיל, און אויב מען וויל ניט פאלגען, איז צו וואס דארפמען פריער פרעגען און דערנאך ניט פאלגען.
במ"ש אודות מנהג התלמידים הספרדים לקום בהשכמה ולאמר סליחות מתחלת חדש אלול. הנה פשוט שיש להניח להם במנהגם מנהג אבותיהם וכפסק התורה בזה. ומ"ש שזהו הירוס בהלימוד, אינו מובן, כיון שדי שעות ביום ואדרבה אם קמים בהשכמה ה"ז הוספה בזמן ועכ"פ לא מיעוט.
בברכה לבשו"ט ולכתיבה וחתימה טובה לשנה טובה ומתוקה ולהכנת התלמידים בימי הרצון האלו באופן המתאים ודרוש בעבודתם בעצמם ולהשפעתם על הזולת.
Translation:
With the help of Heaven, 13th of Elul, 1956
Brooklyn.
To the honorable Rabbi Nisan Nemenov, may he live and be well,
Greetings and blessings!
In response to your letter from the 6th of Elul, thank you for the update regarding the health status of .. and ., may they live, as well as the doctor's opinion on the health of others. May it be Hashem's will that you have the strength to deliver good news and kindness, both materially and spiritually, from yourself and those influenced by you.
Regarding your mention of... it is certainly known to you my opinion on this matter, and what he brings as evidence from the students who have come here, it is also certainly known to you that, apart from a very few, I was not comfortable with their coming here. To my regret and sorrow, I have found that I wish they had listened to my voice and continued their studies in France or the Holy Land. Furthermore, if it had been within my power and they would listen to me, the majority of them I would have sent back overseas, as is known from our sages "about the regrets for the first ones". It is also understood that what I write above regarding the students is all the more applicable to the married men and even more so to the elders in all the above details. What I add here in my letters is that it is in your authority to publicize this when appropriate, as it is a pity for all the letters being written to me to this day since I am increasingly convinced of the above, and if one does not want to comply, why bother asking in the first place and then not comply.
Regarding the custom of the Sephardic students to rise early and say Selichot from the start of Elul month. It is obvious that they should be allowed to follow the custom of their fathers as decreed by the Torah. And what you say that this disrupts their studies, is not understood, as there are sufficient hours in the day and indeed, if they rise early, it adds to their time and at the very least does not decrease it.
Blessings for a good and sweet year and for the proper preparation of the students in these days of favor in a manner befitting and required for their work on themselves and their influence on others.
B"H, 13th of Elul, 5715.
Brooklyn.
Haraha"ch iy"a nu"n oseik b'tzt"z Moharnan Nisan Nemenov
Shalom u'Vrachah!
In response to your letter from the 6th of Elul, thank you for the good news regarding the health status of the students P.V.P. and P.V.P., may they live, as well as the doctor's opinion about the health of the others. May it be His will that you always have the ability to share good news and kindness, both materially and spiritually, both for yourself and for those you influence.
Regarding what you wrote about..., it is certainly known to you my opinion on this matter. As for what is brought as proof from the students who came here, it is also certainly known to you that aside from a very few, I was not pleased with their coming here. To my regret and sorrow, I have found that I wish they had listened to me and continued their studies in France or in Eretz HaKodesh (the Holy Land). Furthermore, if it were within my power and they would listen to me, I would have sent the vast majority of them back overseas—and that is all there is to say. It is known from our sages regarding "the regrets for the first ones," etc.
It is also understood that what I wrote above regarding the students applies all the more so to Avrechim (married men) and even more so to elders in all these details and even more so.
What I am adding here in my letter is that you are authorized at an appropriate time to publicize this, because it is a pity about all these letters being written to me on this topic since time after time I am increasingly convinced of what was said above. And if one does not want to listen, why ask first only not to follow afterward?
Regarding what you wrote about the custom of Sephardic students rising early and saying Selichot from the beginning of Elul: it is obvious they should be allowed their ancestral custom as ruled by Torah. What you write—that this disrupts their studies—is not understood; there are enough hours in the day. On the contrary: if they rise early it adds time or at least does not reduce it.
Blessings for good news and for being inscribed and sealed for a good and sweet year, as well as for proper preparation of the students during these days of favor in a fitting manner—both for their own service and their influence on others.
Summary
The Rebbe teaches that students should generally remain in their home countries for Torah study rather than travel abroad unless truly necessary. He also emphasizes respecting established customs such as early Selichot among Sephardic students.