3859 —אין הפעולות בערך לאפשרויות, ולמוד מן ההתמסרות של הצד שכנגד

B"H, 5 MarCheshvan, 5716.

Brooklyn.

Greetings and blessing!

In reply to your letter of the 25th of Tishrei (and also to your letter of the 20th of Elul, which I have not answered until now): although "חדוה תקיעא בליבאי מסטרא דא" ("joy is lodged in my heart on the one side" — as the Zohar puts it, cited in Tanya, ch. 34) because of the activities you write about, nevertheless (as you yourself write in your letter) they are not at all commensurate with the abilities and possibilities that exist now in the world, and especially in the Holy Land, may it be rebuilt and established.

Had we merited, we would learn this from the side of holiness; in the present situation one can see it from what is done on the opposite side, that is, among the leftist figures and parties, whose success comes because they hold to the ways and work with the powers that the teachings of Chassidus demand for the service of holiness, namely: vitality; enthusiasm; acting without regard to one's own reasoning and opinion; discipline in carrying out the orders of the one above him (and only afterwards contemplating their reasons); uniting in one association to carry out the activities required; and giving up the gains and concerns of the individual — even the spiritual ones, in their view — for the benefit of the whole, etc., etc.

And if in their affairs they have reached this — even though it is only borrowed by them, and in the end it will return to its source, the source of life and vitality — how much more so in our affairs, and especially in the camp of the Chassidim, whose Rebbeim — "מה עד כאן עומד ומשמש אף עתה עומד ומשמש" ("just as until now he stood and ministered, so now too he stands and ministers" — cf. Sotah 13b) — on high draw down added blessing and success below, for all the institutions and activities and those engaged in them. But to our sorrow and pain, the blessing and success are made use of only now and then, and in an incomparably small measure; and not for reasons that are weighty, at least in the eyes of human intellect, but either because people are sunk in matters on the level of "a pot of lentils" and forget the birthright (as Esav did, Bereishis 25:29–34), or because of division of hearts, following the motto "גם לי גם לך לא יהי'" ("It shall be neither mine nor yours" — Melachim I 3:26). And meanwhile, a day comes in and a day goes out, etc., etc. The proof of the truth of all the above is that wherever something was done, even "with the little finger" (in the language of the Midrash, Koheles Rabbah, at its beginning), extraordinary success was seen, beyond all expectation, until in many cases there was fulfilled also what is said, "ברצות ד' דרכי איש גם אויביו ישלים עמו" ("When G‑d favors a man's ways, even his enemies make peace with him" — Mishlei 16:7).

— It is understood that I do not mean this for you alone in particular, but for Anash as a whole... Nor do I intend to preach and cry out over the past, but rather [I write] in the hope that — "כולי האי ואולי" ("all this, and perhaps" — cf. Chagigah 4b) — these words of mine will arouse [people] to devote themselves to the work as it should be done; then they will go forth and conquer and win over tens, hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands of Jews to the teachings of Chassidus, its guidance and its customs, until "הקטן יהי' לאלף" ("The smallest shall become a thousand" — Yeshayahu 60:22), etc.

Surely the letter of the secretariat concerning the branch of Agudas Neshei uBnos Chabad in Bnei Brak has already been received.

It is surprising that you make no mention of "Four Species activities." I mean what has been the practice here — and, I think, also by Tzeirei Agudas Chassidei Chabad in the Holy Land last year — to invite passersby in the street and the like to make the blessing over the four species. This year, here, they added mainly visits to convalescent homes and the like, and it was very successful. Perhaps you will make up for it at the next opportunity.

Publisher's notes

Printed in Likkutei Sichos, vol. 20, p. 615.

The branch... in Bnei Brak (סניף... בבני ברק): see above, vol. 11, letters 3482, 3605.