4496 —עבודת ה' בשמחה, אתגרי חינוך, ומתנת התורה

B"H, 2nd of Tammuz, 5716.

Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your letter from the 29th of Sivan with the enclosed pan to be read at an auspicious time at the holy resting place of my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe zatzukal l'havdil ben chaim l'chaim zichrono yagen aleinu. It is quite astonishing to sense the tone of your letter, which does not align at all with the constant directive given to every Jew—and indeed to every creature in creation—to serve Hashem, Creator of the world, with joy.

This is especially surprising coming from an educator who has spent decades observing how small ones become great: kids become adults; those without understanding gain knowledge—even without any effort on their part. This is the nature of our Torah of life: a minor is not considered capable, but upon reaching thirteen years and one day (or twelve for a girl), they are endowed with understanding. You might respond that this understanding is not always used properly or sufficiently by some students. However, we have been assured by the Creator of man's heart that "no one will be cast aside." The very fact that the world was created so that even without human effort, upon reaching age thirteen or twelve one receives strong understanding from Above—enough to distinguish between good and bad—is clear proof that goodness inherently rules creation. Even though a person only sees a fragment and may be biased by various factors—so he doesn't always assess reality as it truly is but rather through his own feelings—upon proper reflection he will realize that "from Above no evil comes forth." If this applies to any person, how much more so for someone in a Chabad synagogue who merited hearing teachings from my revered father-in-law, especially since for him all these matters are understood more easily and deeply.

It is likely that after reading these lines you will ask: none of this solves even one of the problems you wrote about. The relevance here is that one's approach to solving questions depends on one's general outlook. If you are certain you will ultimately find a good solution, you search more energetically because you know for sure there is a treasure—it just depends on your effort. But if you doubt whether a solution exists at all—the lesson is clear.

Regarding your specific points: it is clear to me that your consideration to leave the synagogue...is rejected even in your own eyes and was only raised as an intellectual exercise—to clarify matters by ruling out certain options. As for how to address the lack of students for next term—I believe it is necessary to make every possible effort to increase student numbers in both locations—the old and new—even though each has its drawbacks. If time is short to find a better place for next term, we can hope that this year there will still be enough students for both places; over these twelve months a permanent decision can be made for 5718.

May everyone's hope among us be fulfilled speedily and in our days—that the great teacher, King Moshiach, will soon come and teach Torah to all Israel and bring them up to the great school—our holy land should be rebuilt quickly from its greatest destruction.

I will conclude with something close to my heart—I am "farkacht" about this for years: organizing day camps during vacation from secular studies. With proper preparation children can be nourished with Torah learning without interference from secular studies or non-Jewish schools. For an experienced educator like yourself there’s no need to elaborate on its importance.

As per Jewish custom we seek relevance or at least an allusion in the weekly parsha: In the fortieth year before entering Eretz Yisrael proper, Moshe Rabbeinu warned those entering Eretz Yisrael that it was specifically in the desert—a place of snakes and scorpions—that they received all of Torah as a gift—not just sages or those pure in character or deeds but everyone from greatest to smallest (and even he received it only as a gift by Hashem's will). Even "the smallest among small" received all Torah as a gift; "and He uplifts those who are lowly..." The lesson: everyone today—between those two extremes—is receiving this gift based on mutual responsibility; Hashem only asks according to our ability. Each person should strive according to their talents in educating boys and girls properly; if he desires it sincerely he’ll be granted ability and opportunity to fulfill his wish practically.

I have written at length because I fear your mood affects every one of your students; if these lines help improve your spirits—in addition to their intrinsic value—they will also benefit each recipient of your teaching. May it be Hashem's will that "serve Hashem with joy" and "in all your ways know Him," as explained by Rambam (Hilchos Deos chs. 3–4), permeate daily life for you and your wife—and may you share good news regarding everything mentioned in your letter.

Summary

The Rebbe encourages educators facing challenges not to lose hope but instead approach difficulties with joy and faith in G‑d’s goodness. By maintaining optimism and striving diligently—especially in education—we merit Divine assistance and inspire others through our example.