3935 —עידוד לנוער ביהדות אותנטית וכוח החסידות

B"H, 7 Kislev, 5716.

Brooklyn.

Haraha"g vavac"h iy"a nu"n oseik b'tzt"z Aharon Elimelech Shaulzon

Shalom u'Vrachah!

It has been a long time since I heard about your honor, so I was pleased to receive your letter following the letter from vavac"h iy"a etc. Yaakov Weiss, and I am enclosing a copy of my response to him.

I take this opportunity to encourage you, based on our sages' saying: "We only urge those who are already eager," regarding the fact that in our ninth camp there are several youths attending educational institutions there. According to my information—and especially since we follow the majority—these youths need encouragement and uplifting of the spirit of Yisrael Saba. If they find someone who will properly inspire them with words that come from the heart, they will be receptive so that these words will enter their hearts and bring about change and action, even in their daily lives.

If in previous generations before ours there was an assumption that it was possible to immunize youth so they could withstand the various winds blowing in the world just by learning Torah alone, then two generations ago it became clear that study in matters of fear of Heaven and duties of the heart was absolutely necessary for everyone. For learning without it caused many to stumble (and if only there had not initially been opposition to learning fear of Heaven—hundreds and thousands of youths from that era would not have strayed from the right path; it is painful to elaborate).

If a generation ago there was an assumption that even just studying Mussar would suffice, experience has proven otherwise—as we saw clearly with our own eyes in Russia during the Bolshevik persecutions: those young men and women who survived this terrible wave were those whose education had infused them with Chassidus—its enthusiasm and self-sacrifice.

Unfortunately, even today’s youth face trials—though their form has changed. In fact, this change—which does not affect their essence but sometimes disguises itself as a mitzvah or even draws from holy matters (as our sages say: "Every falsehood must have some truth at its start")—actually increases these challenges both qualitatively and quantitatively. There is no need to elaborate on how severe this situation is—even in Eretz HaKodesh—which is especially alarming considering it is "the land which the eyes of Hashem are upon from the beginning of the year until its end," which cannot be compared to anywhere else.

The conclusion from all this is obvious—not as a sermon but as a call for action: you have both the merit and responsibility to use all your abilities and opportunities to instill the light within Torah—that is, Chassidus: its guidance and customs—in your entire environment generally, and especially among youth who are soon to build Jewish homes. Every positive change you influence multiplies many times over as it affects both their future families and those they will influence.

Since you descend from Rabbeinu HaZaken—the Alter Rebbe—who taught that "Ve'ahavta l'rei'acha kamocha (Love your fellow as yourself)" and "Ve'ahavta et Hashem Elokecha (Love Hashem your G‑d)" are one (as also hinted at by Rabbi Akiva's statement: "Ve'ahavta l'rei'acha kamocha—this is a great principle in Torah"), you will surely succeed on this path; all depends only on your willpower. It is already known that due to Rabbeinu HaZaken’s self-sacrifice for Chassidus, it was decreed Above that in every matter of Torah, fear of Heaven, and good character traits—the hand of his followers would prevail.

I await good news and sign with honor and blessing.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that inspiring youth requires more than Torah study—it needs heartfelt encouragement rooted in Chassidus. By actively guiding young people with warmth and authenticity, we ensure strong Jewish homes for future generations.