Remaining in Yeshiva.

Holy letters of the Rebbe, Volume 17, Letter number 6153. Baruch Hashem. This third day of Nissan, 5718. Brooklyn, Shalom u’Vracha.

So here there was a student, a young man, who went to school, Yeshiva, apparently in Eretz Yisrael, as we see in the Holy Land. And he wants to leave the school there, he wants to come to America, and he wants to finish high school. And the Rebbe is not happy with that at all. It is not good for him and it is not good for the students in America over here to learn from him to drop out of Yeshiva.

Let us see what the Rebbe writes. Shalom u’Vracha. The Rebbe says, you write about this young man, may he live, his name is omitted over here. He wishes to go to the United States to continue his studies and to conclude, to finish over here, the high school. But he is all of 14, 15 years old. The Rebbe says it is understood that this matter is completely impossible, that a young man, a bachur, that comes from the Holy Land to Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim over here, should be learning and going to high school.

Besides the ruling of the Rambam in the laws of Kings, in Hilchos Melachim, and I think what the Rebbe is referencing is that you are not allowed to leave Eretz Yisrael at all unless you are coming to learn Torah on a greater level, but like this you are not allowed to leave. I think that is what the Rebbe is referencing over there in Hilchos Melachim, Perek Hey, Halacha Tes, about not leaving Eretz Yisrael.

So besides that, this is breaching a fence. I mean, this is showing a non-conforming to the standards both for the students here and certainly for the students of the Holy Land, to come and leave Yeshiva to go to high school. And in addition, and that is also a main part, what the Rebbe is saying is that even those who are different, and I mean different than this young man, even better than the above student that they are asking about going to the United States, I still would not be comfortable with their traveling over here. And the Rebbe says, to my dismay, the practice has shown over here, and my worry was actually correct. With the exception of very few, those who came from Israel to here did not stand a chance. They did not study and they did not do what they were supposed to do.

And the Rebbe says, obviously, it is not proper at all at the age of 14, 15 years of age to come over here. And if the person really wants to, if that boy wants to, he can be included in Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim in Lod or similar, which means a Chabad institution in the Holy Land, and it is easy to understand. The Rebbe is not for the students coming here, certainly not to go to high school. Certainly this would breach, this would show a break in the established conduct. And the Rebbe says, unfortunately, it has been proven that those who came here from Israel did not fare well on their level where they were supposed to.

Find them a place in Israel to stay over there. The Rebbe says for sure you are preparing the students in a fitting way as it is associated with the days of the month of Nissan. And also my request, as in the days of Purim in the month of Adar in general in the past, that the Rebbe has asked regarding Mivtza Purim. And the Rebbe prays for him, Yehi Ratzon, that you should see success, good fruits in your effort to raise students, Zera Berach Hashem, seed that Hashem blesses, meaning great students. Blessings for good news and for a Chag Pesach Kasher v’Sameach.

And the Rebbe is, besides raising his objections not to have the student come to the United States, also asking them to prepare the students for the month of Nissan. The Rebbe blesses them for success, to see good fruit from their efforts, and blesses them with a kosher and freilichen Pesach.

אגרות קודש של הרבי, כרך י״ז, מכתב מספר 6153. ברוך השם, ג׳ ניסן תשי״ח, ברוקלין. שלום וברכה.

מדובר בבחור שלמד בישיבה בארץ הקודש ורצה לעזוב ולנסוע לארצות הברית כדי לסיים לימודי תיכון. הרבי מתנגד לכך בתוקף. אין זה טוב עבורו וגם לא עבור הסביבה, שכן הדבר מהווה פריצה בגדר של הנהגת הישיבה.

הרבי מדגיש שאי אפשר לאפשר לנער בגיל 14–15 לעזוב את הישיבה לשם לימודי חול. בנוסף לכך, על פי דברי הרמב״ם אין לעזוב את ארץ ישראל אלא לצורך עלייה בלימוד התורה. כמו כן, הניסיון הראה שבחורים שבאו מארץ ישראל לארצות הברית לא הצליחו לשמור על רמתם הרוחנית. לכן יש להשאירו במסגרת ישיבתית בארץ, כגון תומכי תמימים בלוד.

הרבי גם מעודד להמשיך בהכנת התלמידים כראוי לחודש ניסן, ומברך להצלחה בגידול תלמידים שיהיו “זרע ברך ה׳”, ולבשורות טובות ולחג פסח כשר ושמח.

בהמשך מובא מכתב נוסף לאדם הנמצא בצבא, החושש מהשפעת הסביבה הלא דתית עליו. הרבי משיב להפך—דווקא בצבא יש צורך להוסיף זהירות בענייני תורה ומצוות, ובפרט בענייני קדושה.

הרבי מביא את הפסוק “והיה מחנך קדוש”, ומסביר שהנהגת קדושה של האדם משפיעה על כל המחנה. אם אין קדושה, חלילה, “ושב מאחריך”, והדבר פוגע בכלל.

הרבי מדגיש שאם ה׳ דורש זאת, בוודאי יש לאדם היכולת לעמוד בכך. הוא מציע להתחבר עם צעירי אגודת חב״ד ששירתו בצבא כדי לקבל הדרכה. וכן להקפיד על אמירת תהילים יומי ועל נתינת צדקה לפני התפילה.

הרבי מסיים בברכה להצלחה, לבשורות טובות ולחג פסח כשר ושמח.