5890 —נתינה לתורה וכוח עשה טוב

B"H, 2nd of Kislev, 5718.

Brooklyn.

Haraha"g vavac"h iy"a nu"n ish rav pe'alim Yisrael Yitzchak HaLevi Raizman

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter from the 24th of Marcheshvan. Even though the relevant funds here are in a difficult state, and at the same time the needs of our people are many and ever-increasing, since you are requesting this for the honor of Torah, I am enclosing a check. And since this fund was established by my revered father-in-law, the Rebbe zatzal, surely the promise of our Torah will be fulfilled: "Whoever takes... from Iyov is blessed."

And since we have come to the matter of Hachnasas Kallah from my revered father-in-law's fund—who gave his life for spreading Judaism in general and Chassidus and its teachings in particular—it is fitting to consider the well-known halachic ruling: "We remove a corpse from before a bride, and this one from before the King of Israel" (Kesubos 62a), which contains a deep hint.

For generally, matters of Torah and mitzvah—which are the purpose of man's creation as stated in Mishnah: "I was created to serve my Maker"—are included in two lines: Sur MeRa (turn away from evil) and Aseh Tov (do good). The concept of evil is, as Scripture says, "death and evil," while good is making worldly matters into vessels for G‑dliness—a bride who receives the Divine Presence. As our Sages say: "Who is a kosher woman? One who does her husband's will."

The lesson is that when two paths are before a person—the work of Sur MeRa or Aseh Tov—we remove the dead from before the bride; even a little light dispels much darkness. This is brought as halacha: a positive commandment overrides a prohibition. (See also Iggeres HaTeshuvah by Rabbeinu HaZaken at the beginning of chapter 1: "Regarding fulfillment of positive commandments being greater than overriding prohibitions—because through fulfilling a positive commandment one draws down light and abundance into higher worlds from the radiance of Ein Sof...and also upon his G‑dly soul.")

Similarly, this is one fundamental difference between Chassidus and Mussar: The former emphasizes primarily 'do good,' while Mussar focuses on explaining 'turn away from evil.' But in both aspects—Sur MeRa and Aseh Tov—the ultimate intent is as it says: "And Hashem commanded us to do... to fear Hashem our G‑d," which is also the beginning and foundation of service. As stated in Mishnah: Why does Shema precede V'haya Im Shamoa? So that one first accepts upon himself the yoke of Heaven... Likewise in Mechilta on Aseres HaDibros: First accept My kingship, then accept My decrees. In this way, one's service matches its purpose and is performed beautifully; therefore, above all else—removing this one before King Israel refers to Hashem Himself.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that supporting Torah causes remains vital even amid challenges. He emphasizes that actively doing good brings more light than merely avoiding wrongdoing—a core principle distinguishing Chassidus—and that true service begins with accepting G‑d's sovereignty.