Effort, Influence, and the Path to Success in Learning

Holy Letters of the Rebbe, Volume 17, Letter number 6152, Beis Nissan 5718. I am responding to your letters. This was apparently a group of students, I would guess, but there was a combined letter from several. They asked the Rebbe for a blessing for study and Yiras Shamayim, fear of Heaven.

So the Rebbe says a blessing is very good. But first the Rebbe says, “It is my hope that from your end you are going to fulfill the command of our holy Torah to learn with devotion and diligence. You are going to devote yourself to your studies. And then the Blessed Hashem will fulfill His promise that Yagaita u’matzasa—you put in effort, you will find.”

So you can ask for a blessing, but you have to do something about the blessing, which means you have to work hard and then you will find. The more, the Rebbe says, you increase with your devotion and your diligence, the more your success will increase. And especially if you are going to influence also your friends, sheyichyu, may they live, that they too should conduct themselves as such.

Then the measure for Hashem, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, is measure for measure, but many times as such. If you are helping others, Hashem wants to help you. That is the payback. But Hashem pays measure for measure, but many times as much, to give you as you have done. You have done the kindness helping others, Hashem will be kind to you as well, many times as much, picama v’chama, a lot of times as much, and you will have much more success.

So make sure, the Rebbe says, to put in effort and devotion and diligence. The more you put effort and diligence into your learning, the more success you will have. On top of that, try to influence your friends as well. Hashem sees that, He pays measure for measure. You are helping others, Hashem will help you, but in a much greater measure.

For sure, the Rebbe says, you keep the established takana of saying the Shiur Tehillim for the month, as has been divided for the days of the month, every day after the morning prayers. And also to give tzedakah from time to time, especially during that very auspicious time to give tzedakah, which is every weekday before davening.

So, they asked the Rebbe for a bracha, and the Rebbe says, of course, he is giving them a bracha, but they have to do something about it also. The Rebbe says as much effort as they are going to put in, the more success they are going to have. And if they help others, that is going to bring the blessing of Hashem even more, because Hashem pays measure for measure, but many times as much.

Summary
The Rebbe teaches that a bracha is fulfilled through effort. Diligent learning, influencing others, Tehillim, and tzedakah draw down abundant success, as Hashem rewards measure for measure—and many times more.

אגרות קודש של הרבי, כרך י״ז, מכתב מספר 6152, ב׳ ניסן תשי״ח. הרבי משיב על מכתביהם. מדובר ככל הנראה בקבוצת תלמידים שכתבו יחד וביקשו ברכה ללימוד וליראת שמים.

הרבי כותב שברכה היא דבר טוב מאוד, אך תחילה עליו לקוות שהם עצמם יקיימו את ציווי התורה ללמוד בהתמדה ובשקידה, ולהתמסר ללימוד. ואז יתקיים בהם הבטחת ה׳: “יגעת ומצאת”—אם מתייגעים, מצליחים.

אפשר לבקש ברכה, אך צריך לפעול גם מצד האדם. ככל שמרבים בהתמדה וביגיעה, כך גדלה ההצלחה. ובפרט אם ישפיעו גם על חבריהם שינהגו כך.

מידת הקב״ה היא מידה כנגד מידה, אך פעמים רבות בכפל כפליים. כאשר מסייעים לאחרים, הקב״ה מסייע לאדם עצמו הרבה יותר.

לכן יש להרבות ביגיעה ובהתמדה בלימוד, וכן להשפיע על אחרים. בנוסף, יש להקפיד על אמירת שיעור תהילים היומי לאחר תפילת שחרית, ולתת צדקה מזמן לזמן, ובפרט לפני התפילה בימות החול.

הרבי מסיים שהברכה קיימת, אך היא תלויה במאמץ האדם, וככל שיגדל המאמץ וההשפעה על אחרים, כך תגדל ההצלחה והברכה בשפע רב.