4325 —כוחם של דברים שבכתב וחיים חסידיים יומיומיים

B"H, 13 Iyar, 5716.

Brooklyn, NY.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I received your letter from the 23rd of Adar and was pleased to read that your upcoming books will also include source references, as I pointed out their benefit in my previous letter.

Regarding point two of my letter and your response—what you call "the matter of Midrash and action"—you are certainly correct in writing that face-to-face conversation is much better than written words. However, it is also clear that written words have great power; they contain elements not present in spoken words. Not only, as you noted in your letter, do letters enlighten, but furthermore, one can review written words multiple times—unlike speech.

It is obvious according to Chassidus that the progression and drawing down of an idea from thought to speech—even more so from speech to action—gives it greater permanence and relevance to the world, to one's immediate environment, and through this also to distant surroundings.

I do not know how to interpret your silence regarding the main point in the aforementioned second issue: a chassidic way of life in daily living. Seemingly, the most likely explanation is that for now you are concerned your response may not align with my suggestion in my letter; thus you might think I would take offense or similar. If this is correct, I wish to dispel this concern. When it comes to encouraging matters of Torah and mitzvah from one person to another—simply put, awakening the inner point within every Jew—it is only necessary to bring it from concealment into revelation.

Therefore, when this awakening is delayed, the lack of success by the one who tries does not compare with the pain felt by that inner point—the very soul of a Jewish person. The soul's descent into this world—from a high spiritual place to a deep pit (since the soul is hewn from beneath G‑d's throne of glory—and this world, as Kabbalah says and as quoted by Rabbeinu HaZaken (Tanya end ch. 6), is a world of kelipos and sitra achra; therefore all worldly actions are difficult and evil prevails here)—all this is for the sake of ascent through Torah and mitzvos. Thus every moment that the Divine spark remains in a world of kelipos and sitra achra without using that moment for wondrous ascent brings profound pain.

This is explained further in my earlier letter—a copy is enclosed here.

I strongly hope that when you write about entering "the garden of Chassidus" out of Ahavas Yisrael and love for Sukkas David (meaning: the soul of Israel), you certainly include yourself and your own soul—all are fitting with one Father for all; only bodies are divided (Tanya ch. 32), as well as matters stemming from the body.

In these days between our time of freedom and our time of receiving the Torah—the completion of freedom—we are commanded and empowered to ascend each day from freedom from Egyptian bondage toward true freedom that comes with receiving the Torah—as our Sages hint: "Charut al haluchos" (engraved on the tablets) means "cheirus al haluchos" (freedom through [the] tablets). Just as then so too now: there is no truly free person except one who lives with trust in the Creator—the ultimate justice and goodness—Who leads accordingly even if His ways are not always understood; for His thoughts are not our thoughts nor His ways our ways.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that while face-to-face conversation has unique value, written words possess enduring power—they can be revisited repeatedly for inspiration. He urges living a chassidic life daily by awakening one's inner soul through Torah study and mitzvah observance.