6079 - Practical Strategies for Torah Publication

Igros Kodesh, Volume 16, Letter 6,079 27 Shevat, 5718 — Brooklyn, NY

This letter is addressed to the Chassid and scholar Rabbi Yitzchak Zalman Posner. While a note references Pittsburgh (where his father, Rabbi Shalom Posner, served as the primary Shaliach), Rabbi Yitzchak Zalman eventually settled in Nashville, Tennessee. He was an exceptional orator and a pioneer in English Chassidic literature, famously translating the Tanya into English and attracting many to Torah through his work at Congregation Shearith Israel.

The Rebbe begins by acknowledging the receipt of Rabbi Posner’s new book, Ideas on the Sedras, along with a newspaper clipping featuring the work. The Rebbe offers a warm "Mazal Tov" on the book’s publication but quickly pivots to practical advice on its distribution. He emphasizes that printing the book is only the first step; one must take active measures to publicize it so that it reaches and impacts the public.

The Rebbe expresses two specific "surprises" regarding the book's launch. First, he questions why Rabbi Posner did not utilize the mid-year convention of the Agudas HaRabbonim (Union of Orthodox Rabbis) held the previous week. Such a gathering, attended by rabbis from numerous communities, would have been the ideal venue to introduce the work.

Second, the Rebbe is surprised by the lack of a formal introduction or a clear indication of the book's utility. He points out that in the United States, there is a high demand for high-quality material for sermons and speeches—what the Rebbe calls "desirable merchandise." He advises that it should have been immediately obvious to any reader that this book is a prime resource for preparing weekly talks.

While the Rebbe notes that it would have been better to include this in the book’s introduction or on the title page, he suggests a way to compensate: Rabbi Posner should make an effort to secure book reviews and critical essays in various publications to highlight the book’s value.

The Rebbe concludes with a blessing that Rabbi Posner’s intentions and actions should align perfectly with the ultimate goal: Hafatzas HaMayanos Chutza—spreading the wellsprings of Chassidus to the "outside." The letter ends with a signature from the Rebbe's secretariat, reflecting the Rebbe's pleasure in the work while urging for a more strategic approach to its dissemination.