5866 —תוספת בחינוך בניו של מקום להצלחת חינוך הבנים, מינוי לגביית מעמד, והזהירות מלדבר על מתנגדים

B"H, 22nd of Marcheshvan, 5718

Brooklyn.

Shalom u'Vrachah!

In reply to your letter of the 16th of Marcheshvan, with what was enclosed in it: at a propitious time the pidyon nefesh will be read at the holy resting place of my father-in-law, his holy eminence our master, teacher and Rebbe [the Previous Rebbe], may the memory of the righteous and holy be for a blessing for the life of the World to Come, whose soul is in the treasuries on high, may his merit protect us; and may it be G‑d's will that he bring good tidings regarding its content.

And many thanks for the precious gift, a letter of my father-in-law, his holy eminence the Rebbe, may the memory of the righteous and holy be for a blessing..., in addition to the matter itself, especially in keeping with the well-known saying of our Sages, of blessed memory, מילתא אלבישייהו יקירא "a garment is precious to the one accustomed to wearing it" (Shabbos 10b).

As to what you write about your children, may they live: in your own case, in addition to the general principle that each and every one has a mitzvah in which he must be especially careful (cf. אבוך במאי זהיר טפי "In what was your father especially careful?", Shabbos 118b), and that Divine Providence shows what it is, which in your case is chinuch within the framework of Tomchei Temimim, a further and principal point here is that מדה כנגד מדה "measure for measure" (Sanhedrin 90a) is the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, and an increase in educating בניו של מקום "the children of the Omnipresent" (cf. חביבין ישראל שנקראו בנים למקום "Beloved are Israel, for they are called children of the Omnipresent," Avos 3:14) adds to the success of the education of the educator's own children, and this is easy to understand. And the increase in chinuch concerns not only the students who are in the classes, but also the effort to increase their number, to bring in more students, even into the classes of others, etc., etc.; and not as you wrote in one of your letters in the past, that you have no connection with this.

As to what you write about an appointment to collect Maamad: in general this is a matter that Anash (our fellow Chassidim) on the spot must decide, since it depends on the local details. Except that in the vast majority of cases the one whom they wish to appoint is קרוב אצל עצמו "close to himself" (cf. אדם קרוב אצל עצמו "a person is close to himself," Sanhedrin 9b), and as a result he sometimes tilts the matter to the right or to the left. Therefore he should not rely on himself, but lean on the opinion of Anash in his surroundings and act according to their instruction.

As to what you write, weighing back and forth whether one must be careful not to speak about [opponents], etc.: you do not add what benefit there is in this, even in speaking about whoever it may be, even the lowest of the low. And as for your bringing an example, that there was someone who conducted himself this way: the rule is already known in legal rulings, that where the reason for a matter is not known, one may not issue a ruling [from it]. This is particularly so in a matter whose negative side is clear and also certain, while deep reflection is needed to find a positive side that could not possibly be reached except specifically by this crooked path. In addition to all of the above, in this generation of ours and in your surroundings, where the task of these days is הפצת המעינות חוצה "spreading the wellsprings outward" (cf. יפוצו מעינתיך חוצה, Mishlei 5:16), the speech in question not only does not help but, on the contrary, hinders, and hinders forcefully.

With blessing for good news in all the above.

The report from the 27th of Nissan to the 10th of Elul was received in its time.

Publisher's notes

Maamad (מעמד): Whether to accept the appointment.

About (על): Opponents (misnagdim).

Summary

This letter acknowledges a pidyon nefesh and the gift of a letter of the Previous Rebbe. It teaches a teacher in Tomchei Temimim that, measure for measure, adding to the education of others' children, including bringing in new students, brings success in the education of his own; that the decision whether to accept an appointment to collect Maamad belongs to Anash on the spot, since a person is close to himself; and that speaking against opponents brings no benefit and only hinders the spreading of the wellsprings.