Source: Igros Kodesh, Volume 16, Letter #6,030
Date: 1 Shevat 5718 (1958)
In the holy letters of the Rebbe, we find a beautiful and heartfelt correspondence addressed to a man named Reb Naftoli Dulitzki. A successful diamond merchant and a longtime member of the Chabad community, Reb Naftoli is addressed by the Rebbe as “Mechutoni”—a relative by marriage—a term that conveys deep closeness, warmth, and personal affection.
A Report from the Holy Land
The Rebbe opens by acknowledging a letter from Reb Naftoli, who had recently returned to Eretz Yisrael after visiting the Rebbe in Brooklyn. In his letter, Reb Naftoli shared highlights of a farbrengen held in the Holy Land on the 24th of Teves, the yahrtzeit of the Alter Rebbe.
The Rebbe expresses his heartfelt hope that the inspiration and encouragement shared at that gathering would not remain merely uplifting words, but would translate into concrete and lasting action. He blesses that these deeds should align with the will and inner desire of the Baal HaHillula—the Alter Rebbe himself—our great teacher and leader.
The Miracle of the Fourfold Return
To fully appreciate the depth and warmth of this letter, one must know the remarkable story that stands behind it.
Earlier that year, Reb Naftoli had traveled to New York on business and participated in the Rebbe’s farbrengen on Yud-Tes Kislev. During that gathering, the Rebbe made a special appeal on behalf of Kfar Chabad. In a rare and stirring moment, the Rebbe promised that anyone who would contribute to this cause would merit a blessing from Above, returned fourfold.
Deeply moved, Reb Naftoli wrote a note pledging 20% of the substantial funds he had brought with him for his business dealings. When the note reached the Rebbe, however, the Rebbe responded by asking for five times that amount—effectively requesting that Reb Naftoli give all the capital he had on hand.
Without hesitation, Reb Naftoli fulfilled the Rebbe’s request. He handed over the entire sum and left New York for Eretz Yisrael, stopping in Antwerp along the way—now essentially empty-handed.
While in Antwerp, he encountered a friend who insisted on bringing him into a major diamond partnership. Despite Reb Naftoli’s explanation that he currently had no capital to invest, the friend pressed forward regardless. That partnership proved extraordinarily successful, and Reb Naftoli’s profits amounted to exactly four times the sum he had given—precisely as the Rebbe had promised.
Scattering Seeds, Raising the Horn
In this letter, the Rebbe alludes to the verse:
“Pizar natan la’evyonim, tzidkaso omedet la’ad”
“He scattered, he gave to the needy; his righteousness endures forever.”
The Rebbe then draws attention to the continuation of the verse:
“Karno tarum b’chavod”
“His horn will be raised with honor.”
In the language of Chassidus, the keren—the horn—refers to the sefira of Malchus. Malchus is the bridge between the spiritual and the physical, the channel through which Divine blessing descends and becomes manifest in tangible reality.
By telling Reb Naftoli that his “horn would be raised,” the Rebbe was conveying that the blessing would not remain abstract or spiritual alone. Rather, it would take form in revealed success, honor, and material prosperity—clearly evident in his livelihood and worldly affairs.
A Final Word
The Rebbe concludes the letter with a tone of joyful anticipation, expressing his hope to hear further good news from Reb Naftoli and from the Chassidim in the Holy Land.
This letter reminds us that when giving is done with an open heart—even when it seems beyond one’s means—the Rebbe’s blessings have a way of returning in multiplied and revealed ways, far beyond what one could anticipate.
May we all merit such open and manifest blessings in our own lives.