On Book Recommendations and Daily Study

Let’s do in the holy letters of the Rebbe, Volume 15, letter number 5,450. Baruch Hashem, the 15th of Iyar, Taf Shin Yud Zayin, Brooklyn. To Rav Hachassid, Moreinu Avraham sheyichyeh HaLevi Horowitz in Yerushalayim. Shalom u’vracha.

The Rebbe writes that he is responding to the letter dated the 6th of Iyar, in which the writer requested that the Rebbe provide a recommendation and approbation for his newly published sefer.

The request was understandable. A haskamah from the Rebbe could encourage people to purchase the book, and increased sales would help support the author’s livelihood and the needs of his family.

The Rebbe responds that it is not the custom in the household and tradition of the Rebbeim of Chabad to give approbations for sefarim. This was not a judgment on the value of the work itself, but simply the established custom that such endorsements were not given.

Instead, the Rebbe offers a blessing. He writes that the blessed Hashem, Who feeds and sustains all creation, should provide for the writer’s livelihood and for the livelihood of his family from Hashem’s open, full, and generous hand.

The Rebbe then adds that surely the writer knows of the three daily shiurim that were instituted by his father-in-law, the Rebbe, which are fitting for all people: Chumash, Tehillim, and Tanya.

The Rebbe says that at the very least these shiurim should be kept from now on with regularity and commitment.

The Rebbe concludes with blessing.

In a postscript, the Rebbe adds a fascinating note. He writes that he is surprised the writer spelled the month of Iyar with only one yud.

The Rebbe explains that especially according to what is taught regarding the month of Iyar as the month of Ziv, this spelling should be more precise. The month of Ziv is associated with radiance and shining. Chazal refer to the forefathers as the shining ones of the world, and this month is connected with that light.

The Rebbe further notes that the name Iyar contains allusions through its initials. It is associated with Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, and Rochel, forming the secret of the complete merkavah.

The idea is that with these four names there is completion and fullness, corresponding to a complete structure.

Therefore, the Rebbe indicates that the month should be written with two יודין—אייר—so that its inner meaning and allusion are fully expressed.

The message of the letter is striking. Even when declining a request, the Rebbe transforms the response into blessing, guidance, and Torah insight. Material support comes from Hashem, spiritual growth comes through steady daily learning, and even the spelling of a month reveals hidden depth.

Summary – The Rebbe teaches that blessing does not depend on endorsements, but on Hashem’s generous hand. Through trust in Hashem, daily Torah study, and attention to the holiness hidden in every detail, a person receives both livelihood and spiritual richness.