5334 —חיזוק המחויבות בחינוך הישיבה

B"H, 5th of Nisan, 5717. Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In response to your letter from Motzaei Shabbat with the pan, which will be read at an auspicious time at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, the Rebbe zatzukal lehavdil ben chayim lechayim zechuto yagen aleinu, and at the beginning of your letter you write that there is nothing good to report, etc.—may it be G‑d's will that in the end you too will see the good and begin to report accordingly, and through this there will also be an increase in visible and revealed good.

Regarding what you write about the yeshiva... it is surprising that your letter sounds as if you are standing aside and that the responsibility for establishing and developing the yeshiva lies with a few among Anash, and you wonder what your role should be. From afar it is difficult to instruct on many details, but there is one main and inner point that rests upon you and all your colleagues in leadership which must be emphasized even from here: namely, recruiting students and retaining them within the walls of the yeshiva. This depends primarily on the roshei yeshiva and mashpi'im—and you are among them. It is clear that it is not nearly enough to study with students a set lesson in a particular area of Torah at a fixed time or to occasionally meet with them; Torah study is not like learning any other wisdom. Rather, it must be arranged comprehensively and preserved not only by the student but even more so by the teacher, tailored appropriately to the nature and faculties of the recipient—that is, the students. If the roshei yeshiva of... had taught as described during those years you mention, surely the name of the yeshiva would have become famous throughout Eretz HaKodesh (the Holy Land), especially since young people would be knocking on its doors asking to be admitted to hear lessons that captivate them and make them lively and warm with chassidic vitality. It is also obvious that this can happen not only when studying Tanya or chassidus but even when teaching alef-bet or Hebrew. It pains me to write my concern that perhaps in this aspect, the conduct of the roshei yeshiva was not as described above; after all, regarding eating matzah there is a commandment that it should not become mere habit—so too here.

It is understood that all of the above is not meant as rebuke, certainly not as anything contrary to judging favorably; rather, it points out areas where improvement can remedy the current state of affairs in your yeshiva... And since we are approaching Pesach—our Festival of Freedom—may it be G‑d's will that you and your family also be freed from all matters that disturb serving Hashem with true joy, expanded consciousness, and proper health.

With blessings for a kosher and joyous Pesach.

...It is clear I do not mean generalities or broad statements made at communal gatherings but rather like a merchant who cares deeply about his physical livelihood—that his store should be well-known with many customers etc.

Summary

This letter teaches that true success in education comes from personal involvement by teachers who inspire students with warmth and vitality. Responsibility for growth lies with each leader—not just a select few—and heartfelt effort brings blessing for all involved.