6108 —אחריות הרב, להגיע אל הצעירים וליצור אוזניים שומעות

B"H, 11 Adar, 5718.

Brooklyn.

Haraha"g vavac"h iy"a nu"n oseik b'tzt"z Hillel Medalia

Shalom u'Vrachah!

I acknowledge receipt of your letter from Motzaei Shabbos Kodesh Yisro. It is understood that you began your letter by excusing your absence from the farbrengen on the bright day of Yud Tes Kislev, the day of victory and redemption, due to the Chabad synagogue here being emptied of its elders, etc. Not only does this not excuse the matter, but on the contrary, it increases the question. For it is the duty of a true communal activist—and especially a rabbi in his community—not only to speak to 'listening ears' prepared by previous activists and leaders, but also to influence the youth so that they themselves become 'listening ears' and follow in the footsteps of their elders. It is evident that in recent years this task has become easier because the youth have been shaken by events and many upheavals. Therefore, there is no need to uproot something from its place and plant it elsewhere; for in any case they have already been uprooted from their place. As our Sages say: 'He confused the entire world,' this does not necessarily mean physical displacement but also emptying a place of its content and foundation. The youth—those with well-known ideals—have realized that what they previously considered a foundation is actually empty.

Regarding your reference about birthdays, I do not see in your sources proof from Yerushalmi (Rosh Hashanah 3:6), and you replace it with proofs from other places. On two points I am surprised: a) In Yerushalmi it is explicit that one's mazal prevails on that day; b) In all other sources you cited there is not even a hint of this.

Blessings for a joyous Purim holiday and good news regarding all the above.

Summary

The Rebbe teaches that a rabbi must actively reach out to youth and shape them into receptive listeners who continue tradition. Recent societal changes make this work both more necessary and more possible—one must guide young people as they seek new foundations.