4920 —ברכת יום הולדת לרב זוין והרהורים על י' כסלו

B"H, 10th of Kislev, 5717.

Brooklyn.

Haraha"g vaharaha"ch iy"a nu"n oseik b'tzt"z tznm"s etc. Shlomo Yosef Zevin

Shalom u'Vrachah!

With honor and blessings for your birthday—which corresponds to the chapter of Tehillim you begin to recite—may it be fulfilled in Your Honor: 'Avo B'Gvurot...' (I will come with mighty deeds...) until 'Ziknah V'Seivah' (old age and gray hair), as explained by the shochet tov until the end of exile—'Tashuv Ta'aleni Min HaGalut' (You will bring me up from exile) and afterwards 'Azamrah Lecha B'Kinor Kadosh Yisrael' (I will sing to You with a harp, Holy One of Israel) (see the commentary of the Alter Rebbe on Pirkei Avos, second edition, section 126).

P.S. I received the supplement booklet for Encyclopedia volume one—thank you very much. Surely it is unnecessary to remind you and all Anash about utilizing the upcoming festival of redemption, Yud-Tes Kislev, as required, and may it be with success in every detail.

I came across Shu”t Kol Mevaser. Apparently in section 48 there—the Gaon Rabbi Yehuda Asad was stringent even regarding profits from ships etc.! It would be worthwhile to obtain the booklet mentioned there...

It is very likely that if there had been a fitting gathering for your seventieth birthday (note the words of Tosefos Yom Tov at the end of Berachos about the virtue of seventy years—and see also Likkutei HaShas by the Arizal there), words of inspiration for awe of Heaven, Torah and mitzvos, and Chassidus would have been heard there; especially given the current time period and the parallels to Chanukah.

Summary

The Rebbe blesses Rabbi Zevin on his birthday with verses from Tehillim about strength through old age and redemption. He encourages using Yud Kislev for spiritual growth, learning from Torah sources, and inspiring others in Torah observance and Chassidus.